I read the news this morning with tears in my eyes.
The United States government — yes, officially — just released new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. And you know what’s at the center of it all?
“Eat Real Food.”
Three words. Three simple words that have been the foundation of my kitchen, my health philosophy, and ultimately, the reason I created Olive&Keto. Three words that many of us have been saying for years while being dismissed as “extreme” or “old-fashioned.”
Today, I want to share why this announcement means so much to me personally, how it aligns perfectly with the Mediterranean Clean Keto approach, and what it means for women over 40 who are navigating perimenopause while trying to figure out what the heck to actually eat.
America Is Sick — And the Old Food Pyramid Failed Us
Let me share some numbers that should make everyone stop and think:
- 50% of Americans have prediabetes or diabetes
- 75% of adults report having at least one chronic condition
- 90% of U.S. healthcare spending goes to treating chronic disease — much of which is linked to diet and lifestyle
These aren’t just statistics. These are our mothers, sisters, friends, and neighbors. This is us.
For decades, we followed the 1992 Food Pyramid religiously. We ate our 6-11 servings of grains. We chose “light” yogurt and low-fat cheese. We avoided butter like the plague and replaced it with margarine. We bought “healthy” breakfast cereals loaded with sugar because the box said “whole grain.”
And what happened? We got sicker. Much, much sicker.
The old pyramid told us that grains should be the foundation of our diet and that fat was the enemy. It promoted ultra-processed “diet” foods over whole, real ingredients. It prioritized food industry interests over actual human health.
That era is officially over.
The New Food Pyramid: What Actually Changed
The new U.S. Dietary Guidelines flip everything we thought we knew upside down. Here’s what the new pyramid looks like:
At the Foundation: Protein, Dairy & Healthy Fats
Yes, you read that right. Protein and healthy fats are now at the base — not grains.
The guidelines specifically recommend:
- Eggs, seafood, and quality meats
- Full-fat dairy (not low-fat!)
- Nuts and seeds
- Olives and avocados
- Healthy cooking fats
The protein target? 0.54-0.73 grams per pound of body weight per day. For a 150-pound woman, that’s approximately 81-110 grams of protein daily.
If you’ve been following Olive&Keto, this number should look very familiar. It’s almost exactly what we recommend for women in perimenopause to maintain muscle mass and support hormonal balance.
In the Middle: Vegetables & Fruits
Colorful, whole, nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits in their natural form. Not juice. Not smoothie powders. Not fruit-flavored snacks. Real vegetables and real fruits.
The recommendation: 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits daily.
At the Top (Limited): Whole Grains
Notice what happened here. Grains moved from the foundation to the top of the pyramid. They’re not eliminated, but they’re no longer the star of the show.
The guidelines specify: fiber-rich whole grains only, with refined carbohydrates strongly discouraged. Think real oats, not instant oatmeal packets with added sugar. Think true sourdough bread, not the soft white stuff that lasts three weeks on the shelf.
Target: 2-4 servings per day — a dramatic reduction from the old 6-11.
What “Eat Real Food” Actually Means
According to the new guidelines, real food is defined as:
- Whole or minimally processed
- Recognizable as food (if your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize it, it’s probably not real food)
- Prepared with few ingredients
- Without added sugars, industrial oils, artificial flavors, or preservatives
This is not a radical concept. This is how humans ate for thousands of years before the food industry convinced us that we needed “fortified,” “enriched,” and “scientifically formulated” products.
The guidelines specifically state that added sugars are not recommended — especially for children. Not “limit them.” Not “enjoy in moderation.” Not recommended.
Why This Matters So Much for Women Over 40
Here’s where I get personal.
When I hit my 40s and perimenopause started knocking on my door, everything changed. My body didn’t respond to food the same way it did at 25. The low-fat, high-carb approach that “worked” (or so I thought) in my 30s suddenly stopped working entirely.
I gained weight eating the same foods. My energy crashed after meals. My sleep suffered. My mood was all over the place.
Sound familiar?
When I started researching — really researching, diving into the science — I discovered that women in perimenopause have very specific nutritional needs:
- Higher protein requirements to prevent muscle loss (sarcopenia)
- Adequate healthy fats to support hormone production
- Stable blood sugar to manage the metabolic changes that come with fluctuating estrogen
- Reduced processed carbohydrates that can worsen insulin resistance
In other words: the Mediterranean Clean Keto approach that I’d been developing wasn’t just a preference. It was exactly what the science supported for women in this life stage.
And now, the U.S. government agrees.
Mediterranean Clean Keto Meets Real Food
When I created Olive&Keto, I made a conscious decision that some people found puzzling: no ultra-processed keto products.
No keto bars with 47 ingredients. No protein powders with artificial sweeteners. No “keto cookies” or “low-carb bread” made in a factory. No seed oils, no maltitol, no frankenfoods.
Instead, I focused on what I call Mediterranean Clean Keto:
- Olive oil as the primary cooking fat (not vegetable oil blends)
- Real butter and full-fat dairy (not margarine or fat-free substitutes)
- Quality protein at every meal — fish, eggs, poultry, meat
- Abundant vegetables — especially leafy greens and colorful Mediterranean staples
- Nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados for healthy fats
- Herbs and spices for flavor, not artificial additives
This approach draws from the traditional Mediterranean diet — which has decades of research supporting its health benefits — while adapting it for the metabolic needs of women in perimenopause who benefit from reduced carbohydrate intake.
The new U.S. guidelines validate this approach completely.
Look at the new food pyramid. Protein, dairy, and healthy fats at the base. Vegetables and fruits in the middle. Limited whole grains at the top. No processed foods. No added sugars.
This is Mediterranean Clean Keto. We just got there first.
What Real Food Looks Like in Practice
Let me paint a picture of what eating real food actually looks like in my kitchen:
Breakfast: Two eggs cooked in butter with sautéed spinach and cherry tomatoes. A small handful of walnuts. Black coffee.
Lunch: Greek salad with cucumber, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and grilled chicken, dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted broccoli and a side of cauliflower mash made with butter and a touch of cream.
Snack (if needed): Full-fat Greek yogurt with a few berries, or a small portion of cheese with some almonds.
No packages. No barcodes. No ingredient lists that read like chemistry experiments.
Every single item on these plates is recognizable as food. Your grandmother would know exactly what you’re eating. And your body knows exactly what to do with it.
The Shift We’ve Been Waiting For
For years, those of us who advocated for real food, adequate protein, and healthy fats were treated as outliers. We were told we were “too extreme.” We were warned about the “dangers” of saturated fat and told to eat more “heart-healthy whole grains.”
Meanwhile, rates of obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease skyrocketed.
The new Dietary Guidelines represent a fundamental shift in official nutrition policy. For the first time, the U.S. government is:
- Calling out the dangers of highly processed foods
- Ending the war on protein and dietary fat
- Recommending full-fat dairy over low-fat alternatives
- Prioritizing whole, real foods over manufactured products
- Setting protein targets that actually support health
This isn’t a minor tweak. This is a complete reversal of decades of misguided advice.
What This Means for You
If you’ve been following Olive&Keto, you’re already ahead of the curve. The real food principles we’ve been teaching are now officially endorsed at the highest levels.
If you’re new to this approach, here’s what I want you to take away:
- You don’t need to buy special “diet” products. Real food is diet food.
- Fat is not your enemy. Healthy fats from whole foods support your brain, hormones, and overall health.
- Protein is essential, especially after 40. Aim for that 0.54-0.73 grams per pound of body weight.
- Processed foods are the problem. Not butter. Not eggs. Not red meat. Ultra-processed foods are what made us sick.
- This is sustainable. Unlike restrictive diets that eliminate entire food groups, real food is how humans have eaten for millennia. It works because it’s natural.
A Personal Note
When I started Olive&Keto, my vision was simple: help women over 40 navigate the confusing world of nutrition with an approach rooted in real food and real science.
I faced skepticism. I was told I was being too restrictive by not including “keto-friendly” processed products. I was questioned for emphasizing Mediterranean traditions over trendy supplements.
Today, I feel profoundly validated.
Not because I need external validation to know that real food works — I see it in my own health, in my energy levels, in how I feel every single day. But because this official recognition means more women will discover what many of us already know:
Better health begins on your plate — not in your medicine cabinet.
That’s not my quote. That’s directly from realfood.gov.
The science has caught up. The government has caught up. Now it’s time for all of us to embrace what was true all along:
Eat Real Food.
Ready to start your real food journey? Olive&Keto provides weekly Mediterranean Clean Keto meal plans designed specifically for women over 40 navigating perimenopause. No processed products, no complicated rules — just real food that nourishes your body and supports your health.
Get Your Free 7-Day Clean Mediterranean Keto Real Food Plan
References:
- U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2026: realfood.gov
- Scientific Foundation for the Dietary Guidelines: Download PDF
Keywords: real food, eat real food, new dietary guidelines, food pyramid 2026, Mediterranean keto, clean keto, perimenopause nutrition, women over 40 diet, whole foods diet, anti-processed food, protein for women
