U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends a press conference at the White House on January 7, 2026 in Washington.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
The federal government’s new dietary recommendations have sparked mixed reactions from the struggling restaurant industry, as the change in guidelines could lead Americans to eat out less often or choose from fewer restaurants when they go out.
The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture released nutritional guidelines on Wednesday. The recommendations, updated every five years, call for increasing intake of protein and full-fat dairy products and decreasing intake of processed foods and sugary drinks.
Because the guidelines are primarily a public health tool for federal agencies, health care providers, and nutrition experts, it is unclear how much influence they will have on individual consumer choices. The recommendations primarily focus on home dining, but the restaurant industry is also briefly touched upon.
The guidelines advise that “when eating out, choose foods with high nutritional value.”
While the recommendation could deter Americans from spending at restaurants, especially at a time when high inflation is curbing dining out travel, some in the industry reacted positively to the change. The changes could provide a particular boost to struggling fast-casual chains. sweet green and chipotle pepperhas long touted the kind of natural ingredients championed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.
A lobbying executive representing restaurant companies said his group was involved in meetings with the White House about the new guidelines and the outcome could have been “much worse” for the industry. The official, who asked not to be named because the organization is involved in private discussions, said the final outcome was better for the industry than the guidance proposed for early 2025.
But the executive said he remains concerned that the guidelines could encourage Americans to eat at home, despite the option of incorporating affordable food at restaurants. This impact could also have ripples among restaurant chains and their franchisees.
Despite these potential concerns from some, the National Restaurant Association, an industry lobby group, supported the new guidelines.
“Restaurateurs now offer a wider range of choices than ever before, allowing consumers to choose the one that best fits their dietary needs, preferences and lifestyle,” Sean Kennedy, a spokesperson for the National Restaurant Association, told CNBC. “We congratulate Secretary Kennedy and the Trump Administration on their release of the new guidelines and look forward to continued collaboration with policymakers to ensure nutrition guidance remains practical, flexible, and supports access and innovation.”
The International Franchise Association, a restaurant franchise lobbyist, called the approach “nuanced” and said it could limit the number of price increases restaurants would have to make.
“Fortunately, the more nuanced approach of these guidelines will help ensure that our members do not have to raise prices and consumers can continue to make their own choices,” the group said. “Future regulations and guidance must always keep potential cost increases in mind. Restaurant owners already face many regulatory burdens and supply chain challenges that often disproportionately impact small business owners, such as franchisees, and ultimately U.S. consumers.”
How quickly casuals can profit
Some of the most supportive responses came from chains that were defeated in 2025. chipotle pepper and sweet green. Both fast-casual brands have seen a backlash from young consumers who continue to struggle in the K-shaped economy, where spending is concentrated among high-income groups.
Sweetgreen, one of the restaurant industry’s biggest laggards with its stock falling nearly 80% last year, welcomed the new guidelines.
A spokesperson told CNBC in a statement: “We eliminate ultra-processed ingredients and added sugars from our restaurants, we source transparently from partners we know and trust, and we prepare our food from scratch. That’s why we’re excited to see a new food pyramid that so clearly emphasizes whole foods, real, unprocessed foods.”
“For the first time, the U.S. government told Americans to avoid highly processed foods, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates. Today, the government finally told Americans the truth: Avoid highly processed foods (which make up 70% of children’s diets) and avoid refined carbohydrates. Celebrate real food…LFG,” Sweetgreen founder and CEO Jonathan Neiman wrote on X.
Chipotle has debuted a high-protein menu with 15 to 81 grams of protein.
Source: Chipotle Mexican Grill
Similarly, Chipotle, which recently introduced a high-protein, GLP-1-friendly menu, told CNBC that it is already compliant with similar dietary guidelines.
“Our real-ingredient menu makes it easy to follow new dietary guidelines that prioritize high-quality protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables and whole grains while limiting highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates,” Chipotle spokeswoman Laurie Shallow said in a statement. “Chipotle uses real foods made from healthy ingredients, without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, to offer choices that fit a balanced, modern approach to eating.”
Although the company’s stock price has fallen nearly 40% in 2025, some Wall Street analysts have pointed to the company as a potential winner in the new GLP-1 environment, where drug users often opt for smaller doses containing more protein.
Kennedy has spearheaded the MAHA platform and championed whole food-based diets to prevent chronic disease. His beliefs, such as championing beef tallow and encouraging more red meat in the diet, sometimes clashed with both public health experts and industry insiders. mcdonalds.
Even though President Donald Trump is a particularly vocal and loyal fan of McDonald’s, President Kennedy’s criticism of processed foods has put the fast food chain on the defensive.
