(NEXSTAR) – Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined the White House press briefing Wednesday to announce new dietary guidelines for Americans, which he described as "the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy" in history. The guidance emphasizes proteins, healthy fats, vegetables, fruits and whole grains, Kennedy said, while discouraging the consumption of sugary foods and drinks. "My message is clear: Eat real food," Kennedy said. Kennedy revealed the new food pyramid, which is now an upside-down triangle. At the top, the largest part of the pyramid, are protein, dairy, healthy fats and produce. At the bottom, in the smallest tip of the pyramid, are whole grains like bread and rice. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins was also present to help unveil the guidelines, which cover 2025 to 2030. Kennedy and Rollins both railed against added sugary and processed food, saying they contribute to high obesity rates and chronic disease, raising the country's health care costs. "Today our government declares war on added sugar," Kennedy said. The guidelines advise avoiding or sharply limiting added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners, saying “no amount” is considered part of a healthy diet. No one meal should contain more than 10 grams of added sugars, or about 2 teaspoons, the new guidelines say. In general, most Americans consume about 17 teaspoons of added sugars per day, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new guidelines roll back previous recommendations to limit alcohol to 1 drink or less per day for women and 2 drinks or less per day for men. Instead, the guidance advises Americans to “consume less alcohol for better health." Another notable change in the updated guidance is an added emphasis on protein. The previous recommended dietary allowance called for 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight — about 54 grams daily for a 150-pound person. The new recommendation is 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. An average American man consumes about 100 grams of protein per day, or about twice the previously recommended limit. The old guidance, in effect from 2020 to 2025, ditched the pyramid format in favor of a plate split into roughly four quarters. The "MyPlate" nutrition plan advised making about half of your plate fruit and vegetables, a quarter of your plate protein and a quarter of it grains. It advised consuming low-fat or fat-free dairy options. In November, Kennedy had promised to end "the war on saturated fats" in the U.S, the Hill reported. The stance was at odds with public health experts, who have advised that saturated fats make up a small part of people's diet. The guidance released Wednesday doesn't exactly encourage widespread consumption of saturated fats, but rather suggests Americans should choose whole-food sources of saturated fat. Meat, whole-fat diary and avocados all contain saturated fats. The guidance says “other options can include butter or beef tallow,” despite previous recommendations to avoid those fats. The document says Americans should still limit saturated fat consumption to no more than 10% of their daily calories, which is in line with guidance from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, but more than the 6% recommended by the American Heart Association. The new document is just 10 pages, upholding Kennedy's pledge to create a simple, understandable guideline. Previous editions of the dietary guidelines have grown over the years, from a 19-page pamphlet in 1980 to the 164-page document issued in 2020, which included a four-page executive summary. The guidance will have the most profound effect on the federally funded National School Lunch Program, which is required to follow the guidelines to feed nearly 30 million U.S. children on a typical school day. The Agriculture Department will have to translate the recommendations into specific requirements for school meals, a process that can take years, said Diane Pratt-Heavner, spokesperson for the School Nutrition Association. The latest school nutrition standards were proposed in 2023 but won't be fully implemented until 2027, she noted. The Associated Press contributed to this report.