Food pyramid faces scrutiny as Ben Carson reveals why Americans don’t have to eat meat

The new food pyramid has been turned upside down, and HHS officials have released guidance that prioritizes meat, dairy and vegetables and pushes whole grains to the bottom.

Dr. Ben Carson, USDA’s national nutrition, health and housing advisor, told News Digital in an interview that the dietary guidelines were first proposed in 1980 to inform Americans about healthy eating.

“[The purpose] It was to educate the population about nutrient-rich foods… the things that are useful for you, the things that are bad for you. With the passage of time, [we] strayed from those goals,” Carson said. “And [we] I started approving all these highly processed foods, these fast things. “It hasn’t gone well for us.”

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“You are what you eat,” Carson said, sharing that Americans should think of their bodies as high-performance vehicles.

“You’re going to put premium gas in it, because you want premium performance,” he said. “If you decide to dilute it, it won’t go as far or as fast.”

Carson also used the example of fueling cars to address those who claim that eating healthy foods is too expensive.

“Maybe premium gas costs a little more, but how much will it cost in the future when you have to replace the engine, when you haven’t put the right things in it?” said. “So we’re really trying to bring back some logic and common sense.”

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The new guidelines promote protein, dairy and healthy fats, and recommend a daily protein goal of about 0.54 to 0.73 grams per pound of body weight.

According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, about 16 to 20 million people, or 4% to 6% of Americans, identify as vegetarians and vegans and eat only plant-based foods.

Carson admitted that he “rarely” eats meat and believes he is “reasonably healthy.”

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For those concerned the new guidance could lead Americans to eat too much red meat, Carson said: “Instead of thinking of it as too much red meat, let’s look at the general recommendation, and that is to eat 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. Now, it doesn’t matter how you get that protein. Whether it’s drinking milk or eating cheese, as long as you maintain high-performance fuel for your engine.”

The nutrition consultant pointed to “blue zones,” regions with exceptionally long-lived populations known for focusing on plant-based diets.

“Some people say you see these skinny people because they’re vegetarians. Have you ever seen a skinny elephant? You know they’re vegetarians,” Carson said.

While the updated dietary guidelines emphasize whole, nutrient-dense foods, Carson cautioned against relying solely on GLP-1 like Ozempic for weight loss.

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“All these artificial methods don’t last long. You have to keep using them and they are expensive,” he said.

About one in eight American adults, about 12%, have used GLP-1 medications for obesity and diabetes, and about 6% are currently taking them as they increase in popularity, as News Digital previously reported.

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“It’s not just about what you eat. It’s about how many calories you burn,” Carson added. “If you expend more calories than you take in, you will lose weight.”