The new food pyramid: everything you need to know

New dietary guidelines declare war on processed foods and sugar, while encouraging more protein and dairy.

January 10, 2026 Check out STAT+

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RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images Dietary guidelines declare war on processed foods and sugar, encourage more protein and dairy Revamp of national dietary guidelines urges Americans to eat more protein, less added sugar and discourages consumption of highly processed foods. By Elizabeth Cooney, Isabella Cueto, and Sarah Todd Fred Murphy/CDC via AP Why flu seems to be everywhere — even if 'super flu' is not a thing CDC says H3N2 influenza is causing almost all the illness so far this season, and almost all the H3N2 viruses circulating right now are from subclade K. By Helen Branswell Michael Loccisano/Getty Images New vaccine schedule adds near- and long-term risks for children, experts warn Pediatricians explain how changes to the childhood vaccine schedule could affect clinic visits, insurance coverage, school requirements, and children's health. By Isabella Cueto Women are celebrating at-home cervical cancer screening, but might it lead them to get fewer checkups? New federal guidelines let most women screen for cervical cancer at home using HPV tests, reducing pelvic exams while raising care questions By Annalisa Merelli How saturated fats lost, and won, on new food pyramid New dietary guidelines limit saturated fats to 10% of total calories, but also encourage full-fat dairy, red meat, and beef tallow. How will that work? By Sarah Todd, Elizabeth Cooney, and Isabella Cueto STAT+ | As more patients order lab tests online, doctors don't know what to do with the results Desperate for immediate insights into their health, more Americans are ordering lab tests and whole-body MRI scans, and bringing the results to their doctors. By Mohana Ravindranath STAT+ | What does Neuralink want — to help people with paralysis, or prepare for a war with AI? As brain implants show real promise for paralysis and ALS, Neuralink's talk of transhumanism and AI symbiosis is alarming and irritating BCI competitors. By O. Rose Broderick STAT+ | Slashing of U.S. vaccine schedule creates new uncertainty on manufacturers' legal protections Childhood vaccination schedule change raises question of manufacturers losing long-standing legal protection and perhaps facing new vaccine injury lawsuits. By Chelsea Cirruzzo and Daniel Payne Opinion: Do Americans expect too much from drugs? Pharma's hunt for a 'magic bullet' distracts from the fact that medicine isn't very good at treating the root causes of disease. By Thomas Goetz

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