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“The philosophy here is that if you eat whole foods and don’t eat highly processed foods, you’ll eat much healthier,” said Marion Nestle, a nutrition policy expert. luck.

What the MAHA movement entails is putting pressure on “the industrial food complexes and pharmaceutical companies that have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to public health,” as President Donald Trump said in his Truth Social post announcing Kennedy as his pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services. The movement has gained momentum, with nearly four in 10 parents saying they support it.

Last year, Kennedy and the Trump administration radically transformed American food policy. Here are five ways the MAHA movement is already reshaping supermarket shelves.

1. Dairy revival

On January 7, the Ministry of Agriculture reformed the dietary guidelines, turning the food pyramid upside down. This included an emphasis on full-fat dairy products and all types of fats, including healthy and saturated fats. The guidelines recommend three servings of full-fat dairy products per day, with Kennedy declaring that the USDA is “ending the war on saturated fats.” The guidelines did not emphasize whole grains, which were previously considered the most important part of the diet. “It was upside down before,” RFK Jr. said when he unveiled the guidelines.

However, the dairy trend was hot long before the food pyramid flipped. Americans will consume 650 pounds of dairy products per person in 2024, with butter consumption reaching an all-time high. Yogurt and cheese consumption has also risen significantly, according to USDA data. On the flip side, plant-based milk sales are down, with brands like Oatly, known for its oat milk, reporting lower sales in the US.

2. Beef tallow and seed oil violent reaction

Kennedy pushed seed oils from a fringe concern to a political and cultural target, using his position as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to repeatedly question the health and safety of canola, corn, and similar oils. Although it did not ban seed oils, federal nutrition messaging now emphasizes “healthy fats” and promotes animal fats such as tallow as an alternative. But other nutrition experts are not so convinced.

“The philosophy behind this is that if you eat natural, whole foods, you will get full sooner and not eat other things,” Nestle said. luck. “I guess that remains to be seen.”

Nestlé says consuming large amounts of animal fats can be linked to health complications such as heart disease: “People who eat diets high in animal fats have higher blood cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease.”

Food and beverage companies like PepsiCo have announced they will remove canola and soybean oil from Lay’s chips and Tostitos, and smaller companies like Real Good Foods are following suit with “seed oil-free” frozen products.

3. Goodbye to artificial dye

Last April, Kennedy announced that the United States would phase out synthetic dyes, claiming they were “petroleum-based chemicals,” toxic and a health risk to children. Since then, the Minister of Health has launched a coordinated effort with regulators to remove the most common synthetic dyes, replacing them with natural alternatives, including Galderia blue extract, a colorant derived from algae.

Several companies — including PepsiCo and Tyson Foods — have removed artificial dyes from their products, meaning some Doritos and Cheetos will appear colorless or pale on store shelves. Other companies — including Hershey, Oates, and Campbell — have committed to eliminating dyes over the next several years. Mars Wrigley also announced that Skittles, M&Ms and Extra Gum will be available without artificial colors.

As a result, grocery stores are likely to offer fewer products in neon and fluorescent colors, more “no artificial colors” callouts on packaging, and an increasing share of naturally colored foods and beverages in the snack aisle.

4. “Maximize Protein”

From Starbucks’ protein lattes and matcha drinks, to Sweetgreen’s 106g protein bowl, macronutrients seem to be the ubiquitous selling point for brands. This trend aligns with Kennedy’s quest to reframe protein as the central macronutrient in his nutritional reset. New federal guidelines announced by Kennedy earlier this month recommended about 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, urging Americans to “prioritize protein at every meal.”

“This is what people actually eat,” Nestle said. luck. “So this doesn’t require a change in anyone’s protein intake. Most people are already eating twice the protein they need.”

However, grocery aisles have transformed amid Americans’ protein craze, with shelves stocking everything from Cheerios to the protein found in ice cream from brands like Protein Pints, which saw significant revenue growth in 2025, generating more than $10 million.

5. Substitute high fructose corn syrup

Kennedy also campaigned against high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), as the sugar substitute was seen as a symbolic ingredient for the disease-causing food supply. Some brands, including Tyson and Kraft Heinz, have committed to removing HFCS from their products.

Despite federal changes and rhetorical shifts toward natural foods and high-protein diets, Nestlé says Americans are still shopping with their appetites less than their wallets.

“No one follows the dietary guidelines,” she said. “As long as ultra-processed foods are less expensive than real foods, that’s what people will eat because they don’t have any other choice.”