A Brief History of the Food Pyramid—and Its Many False Starts

A brief history of the food pyramid—and its many false starts

The food pyramid has made an unlikely comeback. In January 2026, the U.S. government unveiled an upside-down version, giving prominence to foods such as red meat and full-fat dairy.

A brief history of the food pyramid – and its many false starts

Josep Suria/Shutterstock.comThe food pyramid has made an unlikely comeback. In January 2026, the US government unveiled an upside-down version, giving prominence to foods such as red meat and full-fat dairy. More recently, an international team of researchers, led by Brigham Young University in the US, proposed a very different food pyramid built around vegetables, fruit, wholegrains and other plant foods. They call it the International Food Gui…

Plants at the Base: New Food Pyramid Counters US Guidance on Animal Products

Plants first: An international team of nutrition scientists has presented a new food pyramid that puts vegetables, fruit, pulses, whole grains and nuts at its base. Animal products take a secondary role, even for protein. The International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium (ICQC), led by Karen Della Corte of Brigham Young University in the USA, evaluated more than 250 specialist publications.