New Dietary Guidelines Praise Whole Foods, But Can More Meat Raise Cancer Risk?
Health ConditionsCancer

​​What Do the New Dietary Guidelines Mean for Cancer and Cancer Risk?

​​What Do the New Dietary Guidelines Mean for Cancer and Cancer Risk?
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for Awaken Your Wellness
Published on February 12, 2026
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Everyday Health Blogs

There’s been a lot of debate and confusion over the latest dietary guidelines. Let’s talk about what these updated guidelines mean specifically for cancer thrivers, survivors, and those of us at high risk for it.

What the New Guidelines Got Right

For the most part, the guidelines (the written ones, at least) are not new, and the old ones weren’t wrong.

Overall, I was encouraged to see the new written guidelines continue to emphasize eating whole foods. This includes eating an abundance of fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and beans (including soy), while limiting ultraprocessed foods, added sugars, excess sodium, and saturated fat.

I loved seeing lentils, beans, legumes, and soy clearly included in the written guidelines (despite being missing from the visual pyramid, which we’ll get to next). Soy is a powerful and often misunderstood super bean that is significantly associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence.

 I was happy to see the updated protein target of 1.2 to 1.6 grams (g) per kilogram (kg) of body weight, which is even more important for people navigating cancer due to their higher protein needs during recovery and healing.

I especially appreciated the shout-out to frozen and canned produce. When you’re undergoing chemotherapy, recovering from surgery, or navigating treatment-related fatigue, accessibility and convenience matters. Frozen and canned fruits and veggies are nutrient dense, affordable, and easy to use when energy is low.

For cancer survivors and previvors, this dietary pattern aligns with the American Cancer Society (ACS) lifestyle guidelines, which emphasize plant-forward eating to reduce recurrence risk, cardiometabolic disease, and overall mortality.

The Disconnect: The Visual Food Pyramid

Here is one important detail that deserves everyone’s close attention: The flipped food pyramid does not fully reflect what is written in the guidelines.

And the reality is that most people will not read the written guidelines.

The newly flipped food pyramid gives the impression that animal foods rich in saturated fat deserve more space on your plate, while plant proteins are minimized and whole grains are pushed to the bottom, subtly suggesting they need less space. This is concerning because diets higher in saturated fat are associated with a higher risk of dying from cancer.

 Research also shows that red and processed meats are associated with increased colorectal cancer risk.

Simply swapping saturated fats for poly- and monounsaturated fats (for example, using olive oil instead of butter) is associated with a reduced risk of dying from cancer and heart disease.

The written guidelines, however, remain unchanged, recommending that saturated fat be kept below 10 percent of your total daily calories, roughly less than 20 g a day for adults — and for good reason. People easily exceed this daily limit eating the Standard American Diet with just a few common foods. For example, 1 tablespoon of butter, one beef burger, and one slice of cheese can easily add up to roughly 16 to 18 g of saturated fat.

Current research supports prioritizing plant-based protein sources over animal proteins to improve cardiometabolic health and longevity.

 Replacing just 3 percent of daily calories from animal protein with plant protein can reduce the risk of dying from cancer and heart disease by 10 percent.

Simply put, the visual pyramid is misleading. I love visual graphics to simplify complex topics, but in this case, it doesn’t represent the detailed nuances and evidence provided in the written guidelines. For cancer thrivers, survivors, and previvors, these details matter.

The Bad: Just “Drink Less” Alcohol

One major area of disappointment was the removal of a clear daily alcohol limit. This was replaced with a vague suggestion to “drink less.”

Alcohol is a known carcinogen and linked to at least seven types of cancers, including breast, colorectal, esophageal, and liver cancer.

 For cancer previvors, thrivers, and survivors, it’s important to recognize that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption if the goal is cancer risk reduction.

It is best not to drink at all. If you are going to have an occasional drink, I recommend following the ACS guidance of no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men (one drink = 12 ounces (oz) beer, 5 oz wine, or 1.6 oz spirits). Read my blog on how I celebrate and have fun without alcohol as a previvor.

Four Foundational Dietary Principles for Long-Term Health

I follow a plant-based vegan lifestyle, guided both by science and lived experience as a BRCA1 previvor navigating premature menopause and cancer risk while raising two kids who may or may not have this mutation.

From my perspective as a lifestyle medicine physician and Canadian, I want to give a shout-out to the evidence-based Canadian Food Guide. Similar to the previous MyPlate, it’s practical, clear, and grounded in science. Here are four foundational principles that support cancer risk reduction while optimizing health span and longevity:

  1. Aim to eat at least 5 to 7 servings of fruits and veggies daily, including fresh, frozen, or canned.
  2. Swap refined grains for whole grains like quinoa, farro, brown rice, or steel-cut oats.
  3. Build meals around plant proteins first, like beans, lentils, soy, nuts, and seeds, then add in lean animal proteins in smaller amounts.
  4. Minimize ultraprocessed foods, red and processed meats, and alcohol as much as possible.

I don’t believe everyone needs to be vegan. But I do believe most of us are eating far fewer whole plant foods than what our bodies would thrive on. Cancer risk reduction and survivorship are not about perfection; they are about patterns. What you do eat most of the time matters far more than what you eat occasionally.

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Michael Pollan captured in seven words what decades of nutrition science continues to support today.

Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Shu XO et al. Soy Food Intake and Breast Cancer Survival. JAMA. December 9, 2009.
  2. Rock CL et al. American Cancer Society Nutrition and Physical Activity Guideline for Cancer Survivors. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. March 16, 2022.
  3. Kim Y et al. Association between dietary fat intake and mortality from all-causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Clinical Nutrition. March 2021.
  4. Ungvari Z et al. Association between red and processed meat consumption and colorectal cancer risk: a comprehensive meta-analysis of prospective studies. GeroScience. April 10, 2025.
  5. Naghshi S et al. Dietary intake of total, animal, and plant proteins and risk of all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMJ. July 22, 2020.
  6. Budhathoki S et al. Association of Animal and Plant Protein Intake With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in a Japanese Cohort. JAMA Internal Medicine. August 26, 2019.
  7. Jun S et al. Cancer risk based on alcohol consumption levels: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. Epidemiology and Health. October 16, 2023.
Meet Our Experts
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Jennifer Frediani

Jennifer Frediani, PhD, RD

Medical Reviewer

Jennifer K. Frediani, PhD, RD, ACSM-CES, is a nutrition scientist, exercise physiologist, and registered dietitian with over two decades of experience in clinical research, education, and lifestyle intervention. She's an assistant professor, research track, at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University, adjunct faculty in the nutrition and health sciences program at the Rollins School of Public Health, and a member of the Winship Cancer Institute.

Dr. Frediani earned her PhD in nutrition science from Emory University, and a master’s in exercise science and a bachelor’s in nutrition and dietetics from Georgia State University. Her doctoral research focused on body composition and dietary assessment among tuberculosis patients in the Republic of Georgia, and her postdoctoral work explored nutritional influences on pediatric liver disease.

She has published widely in journals such as Nature Scientific Reports, The New England Journal of Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, and Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases.

At Emory, she directs adult clinical studies for the NIH RADx initiative, overseeing trials on novel diagnostics for infectious diseases. She also leads the development of Emory’s fully online master of science in clinical nutrition program, designed to prepare future registered dietitian nutritionists through integrated coursework and supervised experiential learning.

Her research focuses on weight-neutral lifestyle interventions to improve cardiometabolic outcomes, with a special emphasis on dietary assessment, physical activity, and metabolomics.

Frediani’s teaching philosophy centers on creating inclusive, student-driven learning environments that foster critical thinking and professional growth. She is passionate about reducing weight stigma in clinical care and promoting sustainable, individualized approaches to food and movement.

Outside of work, Frediani is an avid runner and food enthusiast who travels the world to explore culinary traditions and cultural foodways. She believes that everyone deserves to enjoy food that nourishes both body and soul — without shame or restriction.

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Simran-Malhotra-bio

Simran Malhotra, MD

Author
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Simran Malhotra, MD, DipABLM, CHWC, is a triple board-certified physician in internal medicine, hospice and palliative care, and lifestyle medicine, as well as a certified health and wellness coach. She is currently practicing part time as an inpatient palliative care physician at Medstar Health after serving as the palliative care medical director at Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore for a little over four years.

Dr. Malhotra completed her internal medicine residency at Medstar Franklin Square Medical Center, where she also served as chief resident in 2015. She completed her fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2016. She was named Top Doc in Palliative Medicine in 2019 and 2020 by Baltimore Magazine.

On a personal note, she is a BRCA1 previvor with a strong family history of breast and female reproductive cancers, and underwent a risk-reducing bilateral mastectomy and total hysterectomy in 2020 at 32 years old. After learning about her own genetic risk of cancer, and grounded in her professional experiences in palliative care, she founded Wellness By LifestyleMD, a platform where she works with and educates women at high risk for cancer with or without genetic mutations on the powerful impact that positive lifestyle changes can have on their quality of life and even longevity.

In addition to being a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, she completed the T. Colin Campbell plant-based nutrition certification in 2019, the CHEF culinary coaching certification in 2020, and the WellCoaches health and wellness coaching certification in 2022. She is a member of the ACLM women’s health member interest group and serves as the co-chair of the breast cancer subcommittee.

Malhotra has been featured on several blogs and podcasts, where she has shared her unique perspectives and experiences from palliative care as well as from being a genetic mutation carrier who is passionate about using lifestyle as medicine.
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