The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize plant-forward eating patterns while maintaining flexibility for cultural preferences and individual needs. Key recommendations include prioritizing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, while limiting ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and excessive sodium. The guidelines introduce stronger language around reducing ultra-processed food consumption, acknowledging mounting evidence linking these products to chronic disease risk. For the first time, the guidelines explicitly address dietary needs across the entire lifespan, from pregnancy through older adulthood, with specific guidance for each life stage. The recommendations maintain previous advice on limiting saturated fat to less than 10% of daily calories and keeping added sugar intake below 10% of total energy. Harvard nutrition experts note that while the guidelines represent progress in acknowledging the role of food processing in health outcomes, they remain cautious about fully embracing more restrictive approaches to certain food categories. The guidelines continue to support the Mediterranean and DASH eating patterns as evidence-based frameworks for reducing cardiovascular disease and supporting overall health.