NPC urges decision makers to align federal dietary policies with science-based facts and common sense
This week, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) released its 2025 Scientific Report – a document created by a group of academics and other experts as a first step in rewriting the federal government’s advice to Americans on what a healthy diet looks like.
As anticipated, the report abandoned a notion floated early on in the process to reclassify potatoes out of the vegetable category or make them interchangeable with grains. After an NPC public relations campaign went globally viral (including being featured on The Tonight Show’s opening monologue as an example of absurd government overreach) the committee backed away from the proposal in their submitted report.
However, the report unfortunately included a perplexing recommendation—a reduction in the consumption of starchy vegetables. In short, for a country that does eat enough vegetables, this report’s bizarre remedy urges further reductions in vegetable consumption.
The release of the DGAC report marks the beginning of a political process, where USDA and HHS Secretaries will shape the final version of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. As the National Potato Council and our state and national partners have affirmed, potatoes are crucial to America’s food system—offering unparalleled nutritional and economic value. We will continue to urge policymakers to consider the broader implications of these recommendations as they work to align federal dietary policies with science-based facts and common sense.
