For years, sugar has been quietly overlooked within the U.S. federal nutrition guidelines. While fat and carbohydrates have had their time in the spotlight in previous guidelines, sugar itself has often been viewed as a small indulgence instead of a true health concern. Recent changes to the federal nutrition guidelines suggest that the hands-off approach with sugar may finally be coming to an end.
New U.S. Dietary Guidelines
The United States publishes the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) every five years. These guidelines have historically been established by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The new DGA for the years 2025-2030 focuses on the overall message of “eating real food.” By shifting to a stronger emphasis on limiting added sugar intake in the diet, this marks a pivotal shift in the guidelines that drive American nutrition.
The DGA extends beyond individual nutrition choices and helps shape nutrition policies and public health efforts nationwide. Whenever these nutrition standards change, they influence what types of foods are being served in institutions that feed millions of Americans on a daily basis—nursing homes, schools, etc. Although these guidelines may not immediately change the way the average American eats, their ripple effect could be significant. They will help to drive meaningful shifts in food labeling standards, public health education and messaging, and food industry practices. Together, those changes can compound over time, making healthier choices feel more accessible and normal, even for people who aren’t intentionally trying to eat differently.
The average American aged 20 years or older consumes at least 17 teaspoons of added sugar daily, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(1) Americans tend to consume far more added sugar than what is recommended; however, they often don’t realize just how much they are consuming. Sugar-sweetened beverages, snack foods, and ultra-processed products contribute heavily to added sugar intake throughout the day. The excessive overconsumption of sugar, when done consistently, can contribute to chronic disease development, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome.(2)
The 2025-2030 DGA introduced a section that is dedicated to sugar consumption, titled “Limit Highly Processed Foods, Added Sugars, & Refined Carbohydrates.” It provides further guidelines, which include the statement, “While no amount of added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners is recommended or considered part of a healthy or nutritious diet, one meal should contain no more than 10 grams of added sugars.”(3) The new guidelines also encourage consumers to avoid highly processed, packaged, prepared, and ready-to-eat foods, including snacks and sweet dessert items. The updated nutrition recommendations place a much stronger and more explicit stance on limiting added sugar and ultra-processed foods than previous versions of the DGA.
Change at the Individual Level
So, what do the new guidelines mean for our daily choices? While dietary guidelines have the ability to influence national trends over time, meaningful change begins at the individual level. One of the most effective ways to take control of your sugar intake is by reducing your overall intake of sweeteners.
It is a misconception that sugar alone is what drives overconsumption; it’s the sweet taste that reinforces our desire for sugar. Reducing your intake of all sweetener types is essential to address this root cause. Chronic overconsumption of sugar in the diet can contribute to repeated exposure, which reinforces sugar cravings. By slowly reducing both added sugars and alternative sweeteners in the diet, you can retrain your taste buds, curb cravings, and begin to enjoy foods that are naturally sweetened, like fruit.
When addressing sugar intake, it is also important to recognize that food product labeling can oftentimes be misleading. For example, companies often market their products as “zero sugar” or “sugar-free,” while they replace the sugar with alternative sweeteners. Even if a product does not contain sugar as an ingredient, it can still contain other ingredients that provide the sweet taste that reinforces the cycle of overconsumption. Being aware of the marketing tricks that companies use to sell their products and focusing on reducing the overall sweetness in your diet is key to breaking the patterns of sugar overconsumption.
Reducing added sugar intake and rethinking sweetened foods can make a real difference for our overall health and nutrition status. While the new dietary guidelines can influence our nation’s nutritional habits, change ultimately occurs through the nutrition choices that we make every day.
