• Posted April 3, 2026

New Heart Diet Advice Counters U.S. Guidance on Meat and Dairy

The nation's leading heart health organization is urging folks to rethink where they get their protein. 

The goal? Focus more on plants.

The American Heart Association (AHA) released new nutrition guidance recommending plant-based proteins like beans, lentils and nuts instead of red and processed meats.

The group also recommended choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy and using oils like olive, soybean and canola instead of butter or beef fat.

The new advice comes as federal dietary guidance has taken a much different stance.

Health officials, alongside U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have suggested people can include more red meat and full-fat dairy in their diets.

Dr. Stacey Rosen, president of the AHA, said the government’s approach may not be the healthiest.

"It has been shown repeatedly to be a not healthy way to eat," she told The Wall Street Journal.

She added that the AHA’s guidance is "based on decades of science."

Research links diets higher in plant foods such as beans, peas and lentils to a lower risk of heart disease.

On the other hand, processed meats such as bacon, sausage and deli meats have been linked to heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

Studies on unprocessed red meat are a little less clear, but some research suggests it may increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

The AHA also recommends:

• Eating more fruits and vegetables

• Choosing whole grains over refined grains

• Cutting back on added sugar and ultra-processed foods

• Limiting sodium and alcohol

• Adjusting calories to maintain a healthy weight

The group says these healthy eating habits should start as early as age 1.

"There’s more emphasis on adopting healthy eating patterns early in life and then maintaining them," Alice Lichtenstein, a co-author of the new guidance and professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University, told The Wall Street Journal.

"We know that cardiovascular disease starts relatively young," she added.

Heart disease is a major health issue in the U.S., affecting more than half of adults, according to the AHA.

Experts say diet plays a key role, and not just for heart health. 

It is also critical for lowering the risk of common chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

Some experts worry that mixed messages from different prominent groups could confuse people.

“You start thinking, I like to eat meat, they said it’s OK now, so I’ll just keep eating meat all the time,” Dr. Christopher Kramer, past president of the American College of Cardiology, added.

More information

Harvard Health has more on heart-healthy foods.

SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal, March 31, 2026