The AHA's New Eating Guidelines & How They Compare to Federal Nutrition Advice
The American Heart Association (AHA) just released its updated dietary guidance for cardiovascular health, the first update since 2021. This comes just months after the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans were revised in January.
While there's plenty of overlap between the two (both emphasize whole foods and discourage ultraprocessed options), there are some notable differences, particularly when it comes to protein sources, dairy, and alcohol.
The 9 features of a heart-healthy diet, according to the AHA
The AHA organizes its guidance around nine key features of a heart-healthy dietary pattern. The emphasis here is on overall patterns rather than fixating on single foods or nutrients.
- Eat and move in ways that support a healthy body weight (along the lines of a classic calories-in, calories-out model)
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits and choose a wide variety
- Choose foods made mostly with whole grains rather than refined grains
- Choose healthy sources of protein (they emphasize plant sources, regularly consuming fish and seafood, and selecting low-fat dairy)
- Choose sources of unsaturated fat in place of sources of saturated fat
- Choose minimally processed foods instead of ultraprocessed foods
- Minimize intake of added sugars in beverages and foods
- Choose foods low in sodium and prepare foods with minimal or no salt
- If alcohol is not consumed, do not start; if alcohol is consumed, limit intake
What's changed since 2021
A few updates stand out in this new guidance.
Ultraprocessed foods now have their own dedicated feature. While the 2021 guidelines touched on food processing, the 2026 version explicitly calls out ultraprocessed foods as a category to minimize. The AHA cites strong evidence linking dietary patterns high in ultraprocessed foods to overweight, obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality.
The stance on alcohol is stronger. The new guidance states: "If alcohol is not consumed, do not start; if alcohol is consumed, limit intake." The AHA also references the 2025 AHA/ACC blood pressure management guideline, which recommended avoiding alcohol intake entirely for the prevention or treatment of elevated blood pressure and hypertension. This is a notable shift from the older framing of "moderate" drinking.
How the AHA guidelines compare to the federal dietary guidelines
Both sets of guidelines agree on the big picture: prioritize whole foods, minimize ultraprocessed options, and keep added sugars low. But there are some key differences.
On protein: The federal guidelines highlight animal sources like eggs, dairy, poultry, seafood, and meat as "safe and high-quality options," offered alongside plant proteins. The AHA, on the other hand, recommends shifting from meat to plant sources (legumes and nuts) and seafood, with guidance to limit red meat and choose lean cuts if consumed.
On dairy: The federal guidelines moved away from low-fat recommendations and gave full-fat dairy its own spotlight, acknowledging it as a nutritious source of protein, fats, calcium, and fat-soluble vitamins. The AHA continues to recommend selecting low-fat or fat-free dairy products instead of full-fat options, citing the benefit of shifting dietary patterns toward higher unsaturated-to-saturated fat ratios.
On alcohol: The federal guidelines say "drink less alcohol for better overall health." The AHA takes it a step further: don't start if you don't already drink, and if you do, limit intake. The AHA also explicitly recommends avoiding alcohol for blood pressure management.
A note on protein
The AHA's guidance to shift from meat to plant protein sources is based on evidence that dietary patterns higher in legumes and lower in red and processed meat have been associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk.
That being said, here at mindbodygreen, we believe high-quality animal protein still plays an important role in a healthy, balanced diet. Animal proteins provide highly bioavailable amino acids (like leucine, the most important amino acid for triggering muscle protein synthesis) plus nutrients like B12, iron, zinc, and omega-3s (critical for metabolism, energy, and cognitive health) that are harder to achieve adequate amounts of through plant protein alone. As a former vegan, I can attest to that.
We are also big proponents of eating a whole lot of vegetables and other fiber-rich plants alongside those animal proteins.
The takeaway
The AHA's updated guidelines reinforce the importance of whole foods and variety while limiting processed foods, added sugars, sodium, and alcohol.
Despite the trends we've been fed (pun intended) for decades, a healthy diet doesn't have to be extreme.