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Everyday nutrition courses built on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Short, practical courses that turn the newest federal eating advice into real meals, smarter grocery runs and label checks you can do in seconds.

  • 5 courses
  • Tools in every course
  • Certificate included

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 were released by HHS and USDA on January 7, 2026, and they replace the 2020–2025 edition. The consumer version lives at realfood.gov and is often called the new food pyramid. It groups foods into three tiers: protein, dairy and healthy fats; vegetables and fruits; and whole grains. You may still see the MyPlate icon on older materials, but it is no longer the headline visual.

Some of the advice has changed a lot. For a 2,000-calorie eating pattern the guidelines suggest about 3 servings of vegetables, 2 of fruit and 3 of dairy a day, with 2 to 4 servings of whole grains. Protein moves to every meal. On added sugars, the new guidelines say no amount is recommended as part of a healthy diet and that one meal should contain no more than 10 grams. Highly processed foods and sugary drinks are to be limited, and saturated fat should stay at or below 10% of daily calories.

These courses focus on using that advice on a busy weekday: building balanced plates, reading the Nutrition Facts label, cooking well on a tight budget and understanding fiber and digestion. If you have a medical condition, take regular medicines or follow a special diet for health reasons, check changes with your doctor or health care provider first.

All nutrition courses

Focused

Nutrition

Healthy Meal Planning

A balanced week planned in one short sitting, with a batch-cooking planner, pantry staples and quick meal cards for busy nights.

  • 2 hours
  • 6 tools
  • 6 modules
$22.99Buy
Focused

Nutrition

Reading Food Labels

Nutrition Facts, %DV, added sugars and the ingredients list decoded, with a quick-read card you can use in the grocery aisle.

  • 1 hour 50 min
  • 4 tools
  • 6 modules
$19.99Buy
Focused

Nutrition

Healthy Eating on a Budget

Cheaper, healthier weekly grocery runs: plan meals, work out cost per meal, stock up on cheap protein and batch-cook for the freezer.

  • 2 hours
  • 6 tools
  • 6 modules
$19.99Buy
Focused

Nutrition

Gut Health and Digestive Wellness

More plants and more fiber, step by step: track variety, keep a food and symptom diary and know which gut symptoms need a doctor.

  • 2 hours 15 min
  • 5 tools
  • 6 modules
$22.99Buy

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Which nutrition course to start with

  • Want the basics first? Understanding the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines is our shortest course. It explains the three food tiers, the daily servings and the biggest changes from the old advice, then helps you build real breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
  • Tired of planning every night? Healthy Meal Planning walks you through planning, shopping and batch cooking a balanced week in about 20 minutes.
  • Lost in the grocery aisle? Reading Food Labels covers the Nutrition Facts panel, the 5% and 20% Daily Value rule, added sugars, date labels and the 9 major food allergens.
  • Watching the grocery bill? Healthy Eating on a Budget compares cost per meal, lists low-cost protein foods and explains where to check whether you may qualify for WIC or SNAP.
  • Curious about gut health? Gut Health and Digestive Wellness looks at fiber, plant variety and fermented foods without the hype, and lists the symptoms to take to a doctor.

What the nutrition tools do

Every lesson ends with something to fill in, not just something to read.

  • Meal balance checkers let you sketch a meal and see which food tiers are missing from it.
  • Label cards and comparison worksheets help you compare two similar products using the %DV column, so you can spot what is high or low per serving.
  • Budget planners and a cost-per-meal calculator turn a week of meals into a grocery list with a running total in dollars.
  • Trackers, such as the plant variety tracker and the 7-day food tracker, save to your account so you can look back over several weeks.

On the Nutrition Facts label, the FDA's rule of thumb is that 5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is low and 20% DV or more is high. It works for any packaged food.

When to talk to your doctor

Changing what you eat is not the answer if something feels wrong. Book a visit with your doctor if you notice:

  • weight loss you cannot explain, or a loss of appetite that does not go away
  • a change in your bowel habits that lasts more than a few weeks, or blood in your stool
  • trouble swallowing, or heartburn on most days
  • belly pain or bloating that keeps coming back

Call 911 if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling of the throat, trouble breathing or feeling faint.

Nutrition courses: your questions

What is the new food pyramid?

It is the visual used for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, published in January 2026. It groups foods into three tiers: protein, dairy and healthy fats; vegetables and fruits; and whole grains. HHS describes it as an inverted pyramid, and realfood.gov is the official consumer site.

Is MyPlate still the official guide?

The 2025–2030 guidelines do not use MyPlate, so think of it as the previous icon you may still see on older materials. The courses teach the current guidelines and explain how they differ from the old plate.

How much added sugar is OK per day?

The 2025–2030 guidelines say no amount of added sugars is recommended as part of a healthy diet, and that one meal should contain no more than 10 grams. The Daily Value printed on Nutrition Facts labels is still 50 grams, which is a labeling reference, not a target.

Will a course give me a personal diet plan?

No. The courses are general education. You get planners and templates to fill in yourself, so the choices stay yours, but nobody sets you a personal meal plan or calorie target.

How much fiber should I aim for?

The new guidelines do not set a gram target for fiber; they encourage fiber-rich whole grains, vegetables and fruits. The FDA's Daily Value for dietary fiber on food labels is 28 grams, which the label course uses as a reference point.

How long does each nutrition course take?

From about 70 minutes to just over two hours of reading in total, split into short lessons. Your place is saved, so you can do a few minutes at a time.

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Build one balanced meal today

Open the Dietary Guidelines course, read the first lesson and run tonight's dinner through the meal balance checker.

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