What MAHA Means for the Future of Nutrition

The Make America Healthy Again Movement’s controversial new food pyramid comes as fiber surges and protein faces growing scrutiny

Nutrition has always and will always be a contentious subject. Debates can emerge sitting around the dinner table trading opinions on dieting, on social media with arguments brewing over beef tallow and seed oils or the hottest topic of all nowadays: the Make America Healthy Again movement.

Online discourse and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial takes have only amplified the conflicting information swirling around food, diets and health, leaving the future of America’s nutrition outlook uncertain.

Amid the controversy and rapidly changing nutrition landscape, key trends and conflicts have emerged, indicating where the industry is now and where it may be headed, for better or worse.

The Rise of Fiber

Everyone is looking to improve their gut health this year, with fiber being the star player to do so. 

With roughly 90% of U.S. adults not eating enough fiber (recommended targets range from 25-38 grams per day), there is a clear deficit that more people are taking note of, especially as compounding scientific evidence points to the long list of benefits of eating more fiber — including longevity, improved digestive health and weight-loss.

Just look at grocery store shelves or even in the beverage aisle to find evidence of fiber’s dominance. Brands like Halfday Iced Tea and Pepsi are betting on the gut health trend, with the prebiotic iced tea startup delivering six grams of fiber in each can, while the soda giant launched its own prebiotic cola last year as consumers increasingly look for healthier drink alternatives.

“Fiber is here to stay,” founder and CEO of fruit snack company That’s It, Dr. Lior Lewensztain, has told Athletech News.

“I do think fiber will grow much faster than protein did,” Lewensztain said. “Protein took years to reach its current ubiquity. Fiber is accelerating quickly. I think in the next year or two, there will be a tremendous amount of products focused on fiber.”

credit: Dr. Lior Lewensztain/That’s It

Protein’s Demise?

While Lewensztain doesn’t think fiber necessarily needs to compete with protein, epidemiologist Dr. Tim Spector, co-founder of health-tech and personalized nutrition company Zoe, thinks we might start to see the slow decline of — and even backlash against — protein.

It’s undeniable that protein continues dominating the nutrition market nowadays, with brands including Starbucks rolling out products like protein cold foam and women surpassing men in seeking out protein supplements. But Spector suspects people are starting to get tired of the “protein-washing” of ultra-processed foods that aren’t inherently healthy, but marketed as such due to their high-protein content.

“We’ve reached the peak. Protein has been added to everything it can be added to at this point,” Spector told ATN.

He predicts increased negative views toward processed, protein-packed products as consumers look to higher quality, whole-food and plant-based sources of protein.

That could be influenced by a recent explosive Consumer Reports expose placing protein supplements under fire, as certain brands’ products were revealed to have concerning levels of lead.

But just as protein began to enter every product on the market — from ice cream and cereal to even water and candy — Lewensztain predicts we are likely to see the same thing happen with fiber.

credit: Dr. Tim Spector/Zoe

Where MAHA Fits Into the Picture

The nutrition world was already a stew of heated conflict, but RFK Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement has only stirred the pot even more.

The fiber boom is one of those trends in conflict with the movement, arriving despite the U.S. government’s new food pyramid, which emphasizes meat and dairy, and de-centers fibrous foods like legumes and whole grains. 

Experts were stunned when the new nutritional guidelines were released.

“When you look at these new guidelines, the immediate thing you’re hit with…is a giant T-bone steak and a whole milk carton and a piece of broccoli,” clinical dietitian and Associate Professor of Nutrition at New York University (NYU), Ethan Balk, tells Athletech News. 

“It’s just this incredibly confusing statement, when we’ve really been going off of this great data now for 60 years about how detrimental saturated fat is in the diet,” he said. “It’s misleading and it’s confusing.”

Balk pointed to the nine-page document supplementing the pyramid, which included “inexplicable bullet points and no direction of how to do any of this ‘eat real food.’”

Dietitian and adjunct professor of nutrition also at NYU, Lisa Young, had a similar reaction to Balk, calling RFK Jr.’s food pyramid, calling it “beyond ridiculous” and “rife with contradictions.”

“To have meat at the top of the pyramid…it’s one thing if you had full-fat dairy, but to have the meat front and center right there, that was just totally awful,” Young told ATN.

credit: United States Department of Agriculture

While Young did agree with the philosophy of eating more whole foods, she was frustrated that fiber-packed whole grains were at the bottom, as well as with the sparse representation of other healthy plant-based foods like nuts, seeds and legumes.

“This is how RFK eats. This is his diet, that’s his whole thing,” she said. “They completely ignored the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report. I think there’s a tremendous amount of misinformation.”

As RFK’s Health Department pushes a more protein-heavy approach, Young is encouraging people to lean into the fiber revolution happening.

“I think fiber is super important,” she explained, even more so than protein, “because we are not deficient as a nation in protein.”

credit: Josep Suria/shutterstock.com

Brands Adapt to Health-Conscious Consumers

Regardless of the conflicting and confusing information flooding both public resources and social media, fast-food chains and major brands are seeing a rising demand across the board for healthier options that cater to high-protein and/or high-fiber.

As Starbucks has seen success from leaning into the protein trend with its drinks, the coffee giant also has ambitions to dip into an expanded healthy menu, spanning both beverages and food that provide snackable protein and fiber.

Meanwhile, Chipotle rolled out its first-ever high-protein menu, as 7 in 10 Americans are actively trying to add more protein to their diets, with roughly 80% making it a daily priority, according to a 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey.

While Sweetgreen has long been considered one of the healthiest fast-casual options, the brand doubled down on consumers prioritizing not just better ingredients, but calorie and macro-tracking in an appeal to the generation that is all-in on gym culture and hitting their protein goals. The salad and bowl chain paired its protein-heavy menu with digital tools that track macronutrients and show how ingredient swaps change a meal’s nutritional balance.

And on the hydration side of things, legacy brand Gatorade is tapping into the booming better-for-you beverage market, with the launch of its Lower Sugar drink in an appeal to consumers seeking lower-sugar, minimally processed options.