From drinking more water instead of sweetened beverages to choosing nutrient-dense foods, the hotly anticipated 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee report also made several recommendations regarding dairy.
Weighing in various evidence-based research, the DGAC retained the previous committee’s conclusion supporting the consumption of unsweetened fat-free and low-fat dairy milk and unsweetened fortified soy beverages.
In addition, the committee could not conclude if there was a link between the consumption of milk with different fat content by older children, adolescents, adults, or older adults and risks of type 2 diabetes, obesity, growth and body composition ‘because of substantial concerns with the body of evidence’.
The committee, however, did find limited evidence linking higher-fat milk intake with favorable growth and lower risk of obesity during childhood; but did not find conclusive evidence linking the intake of sweetened milk and growth among older children and teenagers, or a link to obesity. However: “Sweetened dairy milk and fortified soy beverages contain beneficial nutrients, and they also contain added sugars, which should be limited,” the report warns.
DGAC also concluded that teenagers and adults alike are consuming less dairy and fortified soy alternatives than in the past: the mean intake in 2017-2018 was significantly lower compared to 2003-2004 among adolescents ages 12 through 19 years (1.7 cup eq per day vs. 2.2 cup eq per day) and adults ages 20 years and older (1.5 cup eq per day versus 1.6 cup eq per day), the report concludes.
DGAC also tried to carry out a systematic review to understand if there’s a link between milk and milk alternatives consumption with type 2 diabetes but did not conclude its research in time.
Not enough dairy?
For a healthy diet*, the report recommends dairy and fortified soy alternatives intake of 2 to 3 cup eq per day for individuals aged 2 years and older, depending on energy intake level.
But in the US, mean intake of dairy and fortified soy alternatives is 1.7 cup eq per day, with 12% at or above the recommendations
Mean intake of milk is 0.8 cup eq per day, of cheese is 0.8 cup eq per day, and of yogurt is 0.1 cup eq per day.
Very young children (aged 12-23 months) consume just enough dairy or soy alternatives, according to the findings. The healthy diet recommendations are for ⅔ to 2 cup eq per day for this age group, while the mean intake for young children is 2.2 cup eq per day for males and 2.0 cup eq per day for females, with 70% and 62% at or above recommendations, respectively.
In addition, nearly all young children ages 12 through 23 months (98%) consume dairy at least daily, with 96% consuming daily fluid milk and fortified soymilk, 68% consuming cheese, and 24% consuming yogurt.
Intake of dairy and soy alternatives varies across age, gender and sociodemographic groups, too.
For example, just 6% of women aged 14-18 have intakes at or above recommendations, while 24% of males in the same age group are at or above recommendations.
At the same time, at least 21% of children aged 1-13 years of age are at or above recommendations, and 15% or fewer adults (aged 19 or older) are at or above recommendations.
Across race and/or ethnicity, 4% of non-Hispanic Black individuals and 6% of non-Hispanic Asian individuals are at or above the recommendations, the report claims.
The main sources of dairy for Americans are burgers and sandwiches (16% for females, 22% for makes); higher-fat milk and yogurt (12% for females, 13% for males), and breakfast cereals and bars (12% for females, 11% for males). Cheese and lower-fat milk and yogurt each contribute around 5%.
Trouble for butter?
Butter consumption is at an all-time high in the US, with 6.5lbs per capita consumed in 2023. But according to the evidence-based conclusions, high butter intake may not be conductive to good health outcomes.
For example, the committee found that replacing butter and spreads with unsaturated fatty acids by adults and older adults decreases ‘bad cholesterol’ levels (LDL-C) – and found strong evidence that replacing butter with plant-based oils and spreads higher in unsaturated fat improves lipid profiles for lower cardiovascular disease risk.
Protein intake
The report also includes includes insights regarding the nation’s appetite for protein foods.
The committee’s healthy diet recommendations state that 2-7oz eq per day of protein foods should be consumed by those aged 2 or older.
But the mean intake of protein foods is estimated at 5.7 oz eq per day, with 57% at or above the recommended level.
And males consume more protein-rich foods than females: 78% of women aged 14-18 do not meet the recommended daily protein intakes, while more than half of adult males consume at or above the recommended intakes.
Again, burgers and sandwiches were found to be the main protein food sources for Americans. Note: the Protein Foods group as defined in the report does not include dairy but includes soy products.
What does this mean for food brands?
The US dairy industry has lobbied for whole-fat milk to be included in schools, arguing it is the most popular variety and has the same nutrients as its less popular low-fat and nonfat alternatives.
The ‘limited’ evidence suggesting there’s a link between higher-fat dairy consumption and favorable growth outcomes in childhood (children aged 2-5 years) may not be enough to support this agenda; but does suggest there’s scope for further research that could provide better-quality evidence in the future.
With the majority of Americans' intake of dairy or fortified soy alternatives vastly lower than recommended for a healthy lifestyle across different age groups, gender and sociodemographic groups, there could be opportunities for a more targeted approach to marketing dairy products as well as around new product development.
*This refers to DGAC’s HUSS (Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary Pattern) recommendations.
