On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and White House officials announced new American dietary recommendations. At the top of their list are proteins, vegetables, and fruits, below them are whole grains, and at the bottom are processed carbohydrates, including white bread. The new guidelines also state that when choosing fats, olive oil, butter, or beef tallow should be preferred.
This approach differs in many aspects from the recommendations in place in most European countries, Poland included. For several years now, dietary recommendations for Poland have been presented in the form of the so-called Healthy Eating Plate infographic, prepared, issued and updated by the country's National Institute of Public Health, and based upon a wide array of latest international research.
And so, according to the current Polish experts' recommendation, in 2026, half of the Polish Healthy Eating Plate should be filled with vegetables and fruits of various colours, with an emphasis on vegetables.
One-quarter of the plate should be covered by grain products - preferably whole grains, such as groats (eg. barley), oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, or brown rice.
The final part of the plate should be protein sources - starting from fish, eggs, legumes (e.g., broad beans, beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils), dairy products, and finally - small amounts of lean meat and nuts.
Meanwhile, red meat and processed meats (cold cuts) should be avoided - as well as salt, sugar, sweetened beverages, and highly processed foods (fast food, sweets, salty snacks).
Although these recommendations are well-based upon scientific evidence, and most European experts follow this course - in its recently published dietary suggestions for 2026 the United States decided to take another route, shifting the emphasis from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to sources of protein.
The new U.S. document also says there's nothing wrong in frequent red meat consumption, placing it on an equal footing with other proteins - even though numerous well-based and reviewed research papers clearly say that it's not the case, and health-wise the red meat shall be avoided. The American experts also have a lighter approach to sodium - suggesting limiting its main sources, i.e. highly processed foods, but putting no stress on refraining from salting meals.
In addition to the Healthy Eating Plate, the current infographics by the Polish National Institute of Public Health also describe desirable and undesirable additional elements of meals. Water is listed as the go-to fluid to satisfy the body's demand, and when it comes to fats (eg. to accompany bread or to be added to salad) - healthy unprocessed vegetable fats in small amounts are suggested.
Also in this regard the new recommendations by American experts deviate somehow, including butter or beef tallow are viable virgin olive oil alternatives - unrecommended in Europe due to their well-proven high content of unhealthy saturated fats.
The Polish infographics on the topic also emphasize the importance of regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight, with supplementary materials such as the recommended daily step count. Detailed information on the current Polish dietary recommendations can be found under the following link:
https://ncez.pzh.gov.pl/abc-zywienia/talerz-zdrowego-zywienia
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Source: IAR, PAP, Narodowe Centrum Edukacji Żywieniowej