By Mariana Ávila
For years, nutrition professionals have repeated a simple message: the quality of what we eat directly influences the quality of our health. Today, the United States appears to be entering a new phase in this conversation. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January 2026, introduced a remarkably direct message: “eat real food.” Federal guidance now places stronger emphasis on whole and nutrient-dense foods while recommending limits on highly processed foods, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates.
At the same time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has made ultra-processed foods one of the priorities of its Human Foods Program for 2026. The FDA and USDA are also working toward a uniform federal definition of ultra-processed foods, something the United States still does not officially have. This is an important conversation. But as a professional dedicated to healthy eating, food resources, food security, and community nutrition, I believe we must address an uncomfortable question:
The latest USDA household food security data shows that 13.7% of U.S. households, approximately 18.3 million households, experienced food insecurity at some point during 2024. At the same time, CDC data published in 2025 found that ultra-processed foods accounted for 55% of calories consumed by Americans age one and older during August 2021 through August 2023. Among children and teenagers ages 1 to 18, the percentage reached 61.9%.
These numbers should force us to look beyond individual choices. For decades, society has approached healthy eating as a matter of discipline. We tell people to make better choices, read labels, cook at home, and eat more fruits and vegetables. But food choices do not happen in a vacuum.
A mother’s decision at the grocery store is influenced by her income, work schedule, transportation, food prices, neighborhood resources, and the amount of time available to prepare meals. A family experiencing food insecurity may understand nutrition perfectly and still choose the food that is affordable, accessible, and capable of feeding everyone. This is why I strongly believe nutrition education without food access is incomplete.
My professional work has reinforced the importance of understanding food as both a nutritional resource and a social resource. Healthy eating strategies must consider the reality of families. It is not enough to create an ideal nutritional plan if that plan cannot survive outside the consultation room.
The growing debate over ultra-processed foods is a perfect example. We should absolutely discuss their role in the American diet. We should support scientific research, clearer definitions, greater transparency, and better consumer education. But we must be careful not to transform another public health challenge into another opportunity to blame families.
When more than half of the calories consumed in America come from ultra-processed foods, we are no longer discussing isolated personal behavior. We are discussing a food environment. The question is not simply, “Why are people eating this way?” The better question is, “Why has eating this way become the easiest option for millions of people?”
As specialists, policymakers, educators, and community leaders, our responsibility is to develop practical solutions. Nutrition education must teach families how to identify affordable nutrient-dense foods, plan realistic meals, reduce waste, understand food labels, and use available resources more effectively.
Community programs must also recognize cultural differences. A healthy diet does not need to look identical in every household. Brazilian, Latino, African, Asian, and American food traditions all contain valuable ingredients and preparation methods that can support balanced nutrition. Healthy eating should not erase culture. It should work with it.
The new national focus on “real food” creates an important opportunity for the United States. However, the success of this movement should not be measured by slogans or new packaging claims. It should be measured by whether a working parent can prepare a healthier dinner without exceeding the family budget. It should be measured by whether children have consistent access to nutritious meals.
And it should be measured by whether communities receive practical education instead of judgment. Food is one of the most powerful resources we have to support human health. But knowledge alone cannot solve the problem. We need education, access, community intervention, and policies that recognize the economic reality of American families. Eating real food is a powerful goal. Now we must make it a realistic one.
About the Author
*Mariana Ávila is a Food Resources Specialist focused on nutrition access, community support, and food security initiatives in the United States. Throughout her career, she has worked directly with families and underserved communities, helping connect individuals to food assistance programs, nutritional education, and long-term wellness resources. Her work emphasizes culturally informed support, preventive health through nutrition, and sustainable strategies to improve quality of life. Mariana is also an advocate for stronger public awareness surrounding food insecurity and its impact on public health, education, and economic stability in Florida and across the nation.
