Americans are split on how useful dietary guidelines really are
Core finding
Americans divide almost evenly on the new Dietary Guidelines: 41% think they are at least somewhat useful for deciding what to eat, while 44% think they are not, according to a Verasight survey conducted March 6-16, 2026.
Views on both sides run more lukewarm than firm. On the useful side, 31% call the guidelines somewhat useful against just 10% very useful; on the skeptical side, 23% say not very useful and 21% not at all. Another 15% are unsure.
Topline distribution
Americans are split on how useful dietary guidelines really are.
How useful do you think the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans are for helping people decide what to eat?
n = 1,000 · Mar 6–16, 2026 · MoE ±3.5%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Mar 6–16, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.5% |
| Module | Module 5: Health, Community, & Personal Values |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044
How useful do you think the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans are for helping people decide what to eat?
Cite this question
Verasight Client Omnibus Survey #2026-044, fielded March 6-16, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.