What are the FDA criteria for healthy food?

December 15, 2025 •

3 min read

In a significant update, the FDA has recently redefined the criteria for what constitutes a “healthy” food, marking the first major overhaul in three decades. This update aligns food labeling with current nutritional science, shifting the focus from specific nutrients to a more holistic, food-group-based approach. Understanding what are the FDA criteria for healthy food is essential for both consumers and food manufacturers.

Quick Summary

The FDA's updated 'healthy' criteria, effective in 2025, require foods to contain a certain amount of recommended food groups like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while limiting added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. This change ensures labeled foods are nutrient-dense, unlike previous rules which allowed some highly processed items to qualify.

Key Points

New Criteria (2025): The FDA's updated 'healthy' definition requires foods to contain a significant amount of a recommended food group, while limiting added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.
Nutrient Limits: New limits specifically target added sugars, with thresholds also in place for saturated fat and sodium based on the food category.
Food Group Focus: The updated rules prioritize products with core food groups like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and lean protein, shifting away from the old fat-focused criteria.
New 'Healthy' Foods: Nutrient-dense items like nuts, seeds, salmon, and avocados can now be labeled 'healthy,' whereas previously, they were often excluded due to natural fat content.
Phased Compliance: The voluntary compliance period began in early 2025, with manufacturers required to meet the new standards by February 25, 2028.
Consumer Empowerment: The changes aim to help consumers make more informed decisions by providing clearer, science-based information on food labels to build a healthier dietary pattern.

The New, Updated Definition of 'Healthy'

Finalized in late 2024, the FDA's updated definition of the 'healthy' nutrient content claim is a major change from the 1994 standard. These new voluntary criteria require manufacturers using the 'healthy' claim to meet stricter guidelines based on current nutritional science. The compliance date is February 25, 2028, with voluntary compliance starting in early 2025.

Two Core Requirements for the 'Healthy' Claim

For a food product to be labeled 'healthy' under the new rules, it must meet two main conditions:

Contain a Significant Amount of a Recommended Food Group: The product needs to include a specified amount from at least one major food group recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Adhere to Specific Nutrient Limits: The food must also meet strict limits for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.

Key Nutrients to Limit

Added Sugars: This new criterion generally limits most food categories to less than 10% of the Daily Value (DV), preventing many sugary products from using the label.
Saturated Fat: Limits are based on a percentage of the DV and vary by food category, allowing nutrient-dense foods like salmon, nuts, seeds, and avocados to qualify.
Sodium: Limits are category-specific, generally no more than 10% of the DV, aiming to exclude heavily processed, high-sodium products.

Impact on Previously Labeled 'Healthy' Foods

The new food-group-based approach means many products previously labeled 'healthy' no longer qualify. The old rule focused more on low total fat, allowing some high-sugar products.

Foods That No Longer Qualify: Examples include white bread and highly sweetened cereals and yogurts.
Foods That Now Qualify: Fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables (with only added water), nuts, seeds, salmon, and olive oil can now use the 'healthy' label.

Comparison of Old vs. New FDA 'Healthy' Criteria


Feature	Old Criteria (1994)	New Criteria (2025)
Basis	Low in total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.	Food-group based, with limits on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
Key Nutrients	Focused on fat and cholesterol.	Focuses on limiting saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
Added Sugars	Not a primary consideration.	Strict limits based on food category (e.g., typically ≤ 10% DV).
Saturated Fat	Required foods to be 'low fat' and 'low saturated fat'.	Limits are now percentage-based relative to the food group, allowing for inclusion of fatty fish, nuts, and avocados.
Excluded Foods	Nuts, seeds, avocados, and salmon were often excluded.	Allows for nutrient-dense foods like nuts, seeds, salmon, and olive oil to qualify.
Included Foods	Allowed some fortified, low-fat but high-sugar products.	Explicitly excludes highly sweetened products like fortified white bread and sugary cereals.

Why the FDA Made the Change

Around 75% of Americans don't consume enough vegetables, fruit, and dairy, while most consume too much added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. The updated rule aims to help consumers easily choose foods supporting a healthy diet and reduce the risk of diet-related chronic diseases. The new criteria align better with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, offering clear, accessible information based on modern nutritional science. By encouraging manufacturers to make healthier products, the FDA seeks to improve the food supply.

How Consumers Can Use the New Information

Consumers can make more informed choices by paying attention to labels. While a 'healthy' label is a good sign, it's voluntary. Checking the Nutrition Facts panel for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars is still recommended.

A Simple Checklist for Healthy Choices

Read the Food Group Equivalents: See if the product has a good amount of a recommended food group per serving. For details on specific food group equivalents and nutrient limits, refer to the official FDA guidelines on {Link: FDA website https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/use-healthy-claim-food-labeling}.
Check the Limits: Look at the % Daily Value (DV) for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label. Aim for lower percentages; generally, 5% DV or less is low, and 20% DV or more is high.
Focus on Whole Foods: Prioritizing whole foods like nuts, seeds, and avocados is a good strategy as the new rules recognize them as healthy.
Be Skeptical of Old Labels: Be aware that some products might still have old 'healthy' labels until the February 2028 deadline. Always check the detailed nutrition facts.

Conclusion

By updating what are the FDA criteria for healthy food, the agency has significantly aligned food labeling with current nutrition science and public health needs. The new rules promote nutrient-dense whole foods and limit added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. This provides consumers with more reliable information for healthier choices and motivates manufacturers to improve products.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary change is a shift from focusing only on low fat content to a food-group-based approach that also sets limits on added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.

The FDA updated the criteria to align with modern nutritional science and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The goal is to help consumers more easily identify and choose foods that support a healthy dietary pattern.

Foods like nuts, seeds, avocados, salmon, and olive oil can now qualify for the 'healthy' label, as the new rules recognize their high nutrient density despite naturally higher fat content.

Foods that no longer qualify include highly sweetened yogurts, sugary cereals, and fortified white bread, which often met the old criteria by being low in fat but were high in added sugars.

The compliance date for manufacturers is February 25, 2028, though they were permitted to begin voluntarily adopting the new labeling as of February 25, 2025.

No. The FDA emphasizes that foods not labeled 'healthy' are not necessarily unhealthy. Many perfectly nutritious foods, or foods that are part of a balanced diet, may not carry the voluntary 'healthy' claim.

For mixed products, the FDA has specific rules regarding the minimum 'food group equivalents' required. For example, a mixed dish must contain at least 3 total food group equivalents from at least three different food groups.