“Eat real food.” That new message, a key pillar of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, isn’t controversial. Nutritionists, scientists, politicians and lunchbox-packing parents all generally agree that’s a solid goal. You’ve heard this statistic before: More than half of the calories Americans consume — 53% for adults and 62% for children — now come from ultra-processed foods, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new guidelines, issued in January by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, directly address this problem. They emphasize a return to whole foods, prioritizing protein while discouraging the consumption of highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates. They also reflect growing scientific consensus that overall diet quality, rather than single nutrients alone, is central to preventing and reversing chronic diseases. But strong guidelines are only one part of the solution. Here’s the challenge: While “Eat real food” isn’t difficult to understand, it is difficult to actually do. It’s difficult at 6 p.m., after a double shift, when there’s a fast-food meal …