New federal dietary guidelines — a cornerstone of U.S. health chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" movement — push for more lean proteins and whole foods while urging less reliance on cheap, processed carbohydrates.
Food pantries welcome the new 'inverted' food pyramid, but say it is also exposing major gaps in funding, storage and access to fresh food.
And Andrew Hagen, executive director of Boca Helping Hands, told WLRN the challenges are worsening after the Trump administration axed nearly $1 billion from the U.S. Department of Agriculture programs in March 2025.
These programs previously provided enough funding to allow schools and food banks to buy fresh food directly from local farmers.
Healthy items are typically costly for struggling consumers, and current hurdles in inventory and distribution already make it difficult enough to meet growing needs, said Hagen.
"When you look at our food manufacturing economy, we eat a lot of non-real food. A lot of processed food. But there really is a cost to eating real food. Real food is expensive," Hagen said. "As a result, we do have some concerns for our clients as to how we can help them with this very sensible guideline."
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An additional $420 million was cut from the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, which helped food banks source local dairy and produce. Florida received more than $20 million annually through the LFPA program before its cancellation.
Discussing changes from the past year, Hagen pointed to the loss of this crucial federal-farm partnership that once supplied "wonderful fresh produce, oftentimes right here from Florida."
The funding cuts have left food banks struggling to meet nutritional guidelines without federal support. "You cut the funding and then you come out with a food pyramid that says that's exactly what people need," Hagen said. "It's an unfunded mandate right now for us."
"I would be hopeful that federal priorities will match the food pyramid" by restoring support for fresh protein and vegetables, he added.
Hagen urged the federal government to "match the food pyramid" by aligning funding priorities with the nation's own dietary recommendations. Released this month, the visual inverted pyramid aligns with expert consensus on reducing ultra-processed foods and added sugars. However, it breaks from traditional guidelines by elevating red meat and full-fat dairy, such as whole milk.
Growing pains for seniors and young working class
Hagen explained much of the food provided to nonprofits, which tend to be processed carbohydrates such as breads, cakes and pastries, come from generous support from local stores and also from food banks.
And while the organization "distributes what it can," including produce and "a couple pounds of meat per family," Hagen said meeting the new standards will require a significant increase in funding and fresh donations.
Hagan is also seeing a shift in who is seeking help. Hagen described a growing number of seniors who "worked their whole lives" and believed they were financially secure, only to be hit by the rising costs of housing, healthcare and medication.
He adds that working families face similar strain: "They're just not making enough money and ... anything we give them fills a gap" that helps manage other expenses.
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