American dietary guidelines have gotten an overhaul. In January, the U.S. federal government unveiled a new food pyramid. Unlike the classic food pyramid, the new one is an upside-down triangle. Meat, full-fat dairy and olive oil appear near its top — suggesting people should eat a lot of those things. Grains and fruits are near the bottom, suggesting people should eat little of those.
Like the pyramid itself, the new emphasis on eating “healthy fats” seems to flip past nutrition advice. Previous guidelines favored fats from plants over those from animals. Now the guidelines list butter, beef tallow and olive oil as healthy fats.
Not so fast, say nutrition experts.
Most are on board with olive oil. It neither raises nor lowers a person’s risk of heart disease, says Marion Nestle. She is an expert in nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University in New York City.
Explainer: What are fats?
Telling people to use butter and other animal fats in place of plant-based ones is another story. Th...
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