Calley Means, an aide to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told Newsmax on Thursday that the Trump administration's newly released dietary guidance is not just health advice, but a federal purchasing play that could squeeze processed-food makers out of school cafeterias, military dining halls, and other taxpayer-funded menus.
Means made the case on "Rob Schmitt Tonight," portraying the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans as "the most important procurement documents in the American government right now" because they shape what federal feeding programs buy and serve.
"Military meals, school meals, WIC [the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program], these dozens of government feeding programs, there are hundreds of billions, hundreds of billions of dollars the federal government spends on food a year. They're seen as piggy banks by junk-food companies," he said.
"This is the most important public health guidance, I believe, in modern American history," Means said, calling the changes "an act of bravery by the Trump administration."
He said the guidance boils down to simple directives: "eat real food," avoid added sugar, cut back on "highly processed food," and reduce intake of refined carbohydrates.
The White House on Wednesday released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025 to 2030, with Kennedy and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins framing the overhaul as a major reset toward whole foods and away from heavily refined products.
At the rollout, the administration also unveiled a new food pyramid that places red meat, cheese, fruit, and vegetables at the top, according to reporting on the event.
In its announcement, HHS said the guidelines urge Americans to prioritize "whole, nutrient-dense foods" including protein, dairy, vegetables, fruit, healthy fats, and whole grains, while "dramatically" reducing highly processed foods and sharply reducing refined carbohydrates.
Means tied those recommendations to federal spending power.
He said the government spends "hundreds of billions" each year on food across programs, arguing that lobbying pressure and political caution kept prior guidelines from drawing brighter lines against sugar and ultra-processed products.
The administration has separately pointed to chronic disease as the rationale for the shift, citing federal data showing high rates of obesity and prediabetes and warning that diet-driven illness can affect military readiness.
"President Trump listened to the MAHA [Make America Healthy Again] moms, told Secretary Kennedy and Secretary Rollins at the USDA, 'I want the truth, and I want Americans to get the truth. I'll have your back on the special interest.'
"This is a monumental day. It's a historic day," Means said.
"And that pyramid that says eat real food is going to go up in every classroom in America. It's going to change our food culture, which is needed.
"We are getting way too sick in this country. We're the sickest country in the developed world."
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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