Business
RFK Jr.’s new food guidelines could boost beaten down fast-casual chains like Chipotle and Sweetgreen
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends a briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 7, 2026.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
New federal dietary recommendations have sparked mixed reactions from the embattled restaurant industry, as changing guidelines could encourage Americans to dine out less often or choose from a smaller pool of restaurants when they do leave home.
The Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture unveiled the nutrition guidelines on Wednesday. The recommendations, which are updated every five years, pushed for higher consumption of protein and full-fat dairy and reduced intake of processed foods and sugary drinks.
The guidelines are primarily a public health tool for federal agencies, health-care providers and nutrition experts, so it’s unclear how much they will influence individual consumer choices. Although the recommendations largely focus on eating at home, they lightly touched on the restaurant industry as well.
“When dining out, choose nutrient-dense options,” the guidelines advise.
While the recommendations could discourage Americans from spending at restaurants — especially at a time when high inflation has curbed trips to dine out — some pockets of the industry had a positive reaction to the changes. The changes could give a particular boost to struggling fast-casual chains like Sweetgreen and Chipotle, which have long touted the type of natural ingredients championed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make American Healthy Again” movement.
One lobbying executive who represents restaurant companies, whose organization was involved in meetings with the White House on the new guidelines, said the outcome could have been “far worse” for the sector. The person, who declined to be named because their organization was involved in private discussions, said the end result was better for the industry than proposed guidance from earlier in 2025 was.
However, the executive said they are still concerned the guidelines could encourage Americans to eat at home when diners have affordable options to incorporate those foods at restaurants. That implication could also ruffle feathers among restaurant chains and their franchisees.
Despite those potential concerns from some, industry lobbying group the National Restaurant Association backed the new guidelines.
“Now, more than ever, restaurant operators are offering a wider variety of options, allowing consumers to choose what best fits their dietary needs, preferences, and lifestyles. We congratulate Secretary Kennedy and the Trump Administration on the release of the new guidelines and look forward to continued collaboration with policymakers to ensure that nutrition guidance remains practical, flexible, and supportive of access and innovation,” National Restaurant Association spokesman Sean Kennedy said in a statement to CNBC.
Restaurant franchise lobbyist the International Franchise Association, called the approach “nuanced” and said it may limit the number of price increases restaurants have to make.
“Fortunately, the more nuanced approach of these guidelines helps ensure our members will not have to raise prices and that consumers can continue to make their own choices,” the group said. “Any future regulations or guidance must keep potential cost increases top of mind, as restaurant owners already face numerous regulatory burdens and supply chain challenges, which most often disproportionately affect small business owners, like franchisees, and ultimately, American consumers.”
How fast casual could benefit
Some of the most supportive reactions came from chains that had been beaten down in 2025, including Chipotle and Sweetgreen. Both fast-casual names saw pullbacks from younger consumers who continue to struggle in a K-shaped economy, where spending has concentrated more among the highest earners.
Sweetgreen, which was the biggest restaurant sector laggard last year with a nearly 80% stock decline, cheered the new guidelines.
A spokesperson told CNBC in a statement: “We keep ultra-processed ingredients and added sugars out of our restaurants, source transparently from partners we know and trust, and cook our food from scratch. That is why we are excited to see the new Food Pyramid so clearly emphasizing whole, real, and unprocessed foods.”
Sweetgreen founder and CEO Jonathan Neman wrote on X, “The U.S. government is for the 1st time urging Americans to avoid highly processed food, added sugar, and refined carbohydrates. Today, the government finally told the American people the truth. Avoid highly processed food (which is 70% of a child’s diet). Avoid refined carbohydrates. CELEBRATE REAL FOOD… LFG!”
Chipotle will debut a High Protein Menu on Tuesday, December 23, with items ranging from 15 to 81 grams of protein per item.
Source: Chipotle Mexican Grill
Similarly, Chipotle, which recently debuted a high protein and GLP-1 friendly menu, told CNBC it has already catered to similar dietary guidelines.
“Our menu of real ingredients makes it easy to follow the new dietary guidelines that prioritize high-quality protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—while limiting highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates,” Chipotle spokeswoman Laurie Schalow said in a statement. “With real food made from wholesome ingredients—without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives—Chipotle offers choices that fit a balanced, modern approach to eating.”
The company’s stock was down nearly 40% in 2025, but some Wall Street analysts have pointed to it as a potential winner in the new GLP-1 landscape, where users of the drugs often opt for smaller portions with more protein.
Kennedy has spearheaded the MAHA platform, championing a diet based on whole foods to prevent chronic disease. At times, his beliefs, like his advocacy for beef tallow and encouragement of more red meat in diets, have run afoul of both public health experts and industry players, like McDonald’s.
Kennedy’s criticism of processed foods has put fast-food chains on the defensive, although President Donald Trump is a vocal and loyal fan, particularly of McDonald’s.
Pinnacle Blooms Network, the pediatric therapy venture of Bharath Healthcare Laboratories, has secured $70 million (Rs 630 crore) from Global Healthcare Fund to fuel its expansion plans.
The two-tranche Series A round, advised by Yukon Capital, is set to become one of the largest early-stage investments in child development infrastructure across Asia, reported Hindu Business Line.
The funding will be deployed in two phases. The first tranche of $70 million will support rapid domestic expansion and technology upgrades. A second follow-on tranche is planned as the company enters markets in Southeast Asia and the GCC.
Capital deployment will enable Pinnacle to scale its network from 70 to 300 multidisciplinary therapy centres within 24 months. It will also accelerate R&D for home-based TherapeuticAI solutions, support large-scale manufacturing of TherapySphere sensory rooms, and fund regulatory submissions for international market access.
At the core of the platform is the proprietary Pinnacle Child Development Operating System—a multi-patent-filed digital therapeutic ecosystem that measures, predicts, and personalizes every aspect of a child’s developmental journey across speech, motor, cognitive, and behavioral domains.
Aneesh Madhav, Chief Executive Officer, Yukon Capital, said, “Pinnacle has solved the fundamental problem in developmental health — how do you make therapy measurable, scalable, and accessible without losing the human element.”
Dr. Koti Reddy Saripalli, Founder G Chairman, Bharath Healthcare Laboratories, said, “The world has finally recognized that developmental health is not charity; it’s essential infrastructure. We’re not raising capital to grow. We’re raising capital to ensure that every child on earth who needs measurable therapy can access it.”
Elon Musk’s platform X has limited image editing with its AI tool Grok to paying users, after it came under fire for allowing people to make sexualised deepfakes.
There has been a significant backlash after the chatbot honoured requests from users to digitally alter images of other people by undressing them without their consent.
But Grok is now telling people asking it to make such material that only paid subscribers would be able to do so – meaning their name and payment information must be on file.
The BBC has approached X for comment.
Those who do not subscribe can still use Grok to edit images on its separate app and website.
“Musk has thrown his toys out of the pram in protest at being held to account for the tsunami of abuse,” said Professor Clare McGlynn, an expert in the legal regulation of pornography, sexual violence and online abuse.
“Instead of taking the responsible steps to ensure Grok could not be used for abusive purposes, it has withdrawn access for the vast majority of users.”
It comes after the government urged regulator Ofcom to use all its powers – up to and including an effective ban – against X over concerns about unlawful AI images created on the site.
Addressing concerns that sexualised images of adults and children had been generated by Grok, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was “disgraceful” and “disgusting”.
He said Ofcom had the government’s “full support” to act on the content.
“It’s unlawful. We’re not going to tolerate it. I’ve asked for all options to be on the table,” he said in an interview with Greatest Hits Radio.
Government sources told BBC News: “We would expect Ofcom to use all powers at its disposal in regard to Grok and X.”
Ofcom’s powers under the Online Safety Act include being able to seek a court order to prevent third parties from helping the Elon Musk-owned platform raise money or be accessed in the UK.
The BBC has approached the regulator for comment.
Grok is a free tool which users can tag directly in posts or replies under other users’ posts to ask it for a particular response.
But the feature has also allowed people to request it to edit images – and ask it to digitally strip people of most of their clothing.
Grok has fulfilled many user requests asking it to edit images of women to show them in bikinis or little clothing – something those subject to such requests have told the BBC left them feeling “humiliated” and “dehumanised“.
However as of Friday morning, Grok has told users asking it to alter images uploaded to X that “image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers”.
It adds users “can subscribe to unlock these features”.
Some posts on the platform seen by BBC News suggest only those with a blue tick “verified” mark – exclusive to X’s paid subscriber tier – were able to successfully request image edits to Grok.
Prof McGlynn said the move echoed X’s approach to pornographic Taylor Swift deepfakes on the platform last year – where it blocked searches for sexualised material generated of the popstar using a Grok AI video feature.
“He is doing this to stoke free speech arguments,” she added.
“He will claim regulation is stifling people’s use of this technology. But, all the regulation requires is that he takes necessary precautions to reduce harm.”
Last Updated:
Starting a SIP is easy, but building real wealth takes one extra habit. This simple yearly step can quietly transform an ordinary SIP into a powerful retirement corpus
By aligning your SIP with your income growth, you make full use of compounding while protecting your savings from inflation.
Nowadays, Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) are widely seen as one of the most reliable long-term investment options. Many people begin investing a small amount every month from their first job to secure their future. However, few realise that a simple SIP strategy can almost double your retirement corpus. This lesser-known method is called a Step-Up SIP.
What Is A Step-Up SIP?
In a regular SIP, you invest a fixed amount in a mutual fund every month and continue with the same contribution for years. A Step-Up SIP improves on this approach by increasing your monthly investment slightly each year, usually by 5% to 10%.
As your salary rises over time, your ability to invest also improves. Step-Up SIP allows you to increase your investment gradually, without putting pressure on your monthly budget.
How Much Can A Regular SIP Create?
Let’s assume you are 30 years old and just starting your career.
Monthly salary: Rs 40,000
Monthly SIP investment (30% of salary): Rs 12,000
If you invest Rs 12,000 every month for 30 years without increasing the amount, and earn an average annual return of 12%, your retirement corpus could grow to around Rs 3.70 crore.
While compounding plays a major role in growing your investment, many investors ignore inflation. After 30 years, Rs 3.70 crore will not have the same purchasing power as it does today. Rising medical expenses, daily living costs, and lifestyle needs at retirement can significantly reduce its real value.
How A Step-Up SIP Delivers Bigger Returns
Now consider investing the same Rs 12,000 through a Step-Up SIP, increasing the amount by 8% every year.
Year 2 SIP: Rs 12,960
Year 3 SIP: Around Rs 14,000, and so on
With the same average annual return of 12%, your total corpus after 30 years could grow to approximately Rs 7.61 crore.
Simply increasing your SIP contribution each year can nearly double your retirement fund. This is why Step-Up SIP is considered one of the most effective ways to beat inflation.
The key difference is not the mutual fund scheme, but the discipline of increasing your investment regularly. By aligning your SIP with your income growth, you make full use of compounding while protecting your savings from inflation.
Who Should Opt For A Step-Up SIP?
Step-Up SIP is ideal for:
- Young professionals whose salaries increase every year
- Investors aiming to build a large retirement corpus
- Those who want to reduce the long-term impact of inflation
- People planning for children’s education or major future goals
- Investors seeking better inflation-adjusted returns
Planning Your SIP The Right Way
If you are planning a long-term SIP for retirement, simply starting an SIP is not enough. You must begin with the right amount and increase it every year.
Choosing equity mutual funds can be a smart move, as they have historically delivered returns that outpace inflation. For instance, many large-cap mutual funds have delivered average annual returns of over 12% over the past decade.
The right plan, financial discipline, and the habit of stepping up your SIP every year can help you build a strong retirement fund and enjoy a financially secure, worry-free life after retirement.
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January 09, 2026, 16:10 IST
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