The New 2026 Food Pyramid: Free Printable Handout and Leader's Guide

Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

What Changed

The USDA has a new food icon, and it's a pyramid again — turned upside down. Protein, dairy, and healthy fats share the top spot with vegetables and fruits. Whole grains sit alone at the point.

But look past the shape and the serving goals barely moved: 3 vegetables, 2 fruits, 2–4 whole grains, 3 dairy. What changed is the framing — real food, minimally processed — and three numbers: protein, dairy fat, and added sugar.

Those numbers need care. The Guidelines set protein intake at 1.2–1.6 g/kg, while the RDA remains 0.8 g/kg. They recommend full-fat dairy and cap saturated fat at 10% of calories — about 22 grams. Three cups of whole milk and a 10-ounce steak already put you at 28. The math gets confusing fast. So this handout with worksheets helps everyone understand the limits on saturated fat and sugar, along with how to tell what an ultra-processed food looks like.

So we made two free downloads.

The Handout is for your clients: the new icon, the daily targets, the saturated fat and sugar math, fiber, smart sips, a worksheet — and how MyPlate still fits beautifully. We made it in English and Spanish.

The Leader's Guide is for you: primary-source quotes, the professional context, a 30-minute class plan, and an answer key.

Both are free. Print them, copy them, use them.

download the leader guide
download the pyramid PDF handout
download the spanish pyramid handout
Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII discovered her love of cooking at her grandmother's side, stirring raisin oatmeal on a Saturday morning. By 15 she had her first food service job. At 18 she was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated second in her class, then went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland to study pastry arts and baking. A decade with Hyatt Hotels followed before she founded Food and Health Communications with a single conviction: food that is good for you should taste extraordinary.

Judy holds a Master of Professional Studies in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University (Summa Cum Laude), two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and the CIA's Pro Chef II certification. She has earned the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year award.

Today she develops every recipe on this site, shoots and styles food through her food photography and motion studio, and publishes nutrition education materials for dietitians, schools, extension offices, and health professionals through nutritioneducationstore.com. She uses the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to drive her creativity — whether that means a new twist on fajitas or Italian brownies made with toasted nuts and cooked honey. Her mission has never changed: help everyone make food that tastes as good as it is for them.

https://nutritioneducationstore.com
Next

The Low-Sodium Grocery List (Free Printable PDF)