Steak 'n Shake gets political after switching to beef tallow fries (Nation's Restaurant News)

[pstokely]

https://www.nrn.com/quick-service/steak-n-shake-gets-political-after-switching-to-beef-tallow-fries

When quick-servicequick-service chain, Steak ‘n Shake, made the switch from cooking its fries in vegetable oil to frying in beef tallow in January, the Indianapolis, Ind.-based company cited reasons of taste and authenticity. However, two months later, Steak ‘n Shake’s social media accounts have caused a stir with a slew of politically themed posts last week that show support for the “MAHA” (Make America Healthy Again) movement connected to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. under President Donald Trump.

Seed oils have been a controversial topic as of late and have been the target of criticism by the federal government, with Secretary Kennedy claiming that they are harming our health. Foodservice chains like True Food Kitchen have proudly announced the elimination of seed oils from their ingredients list.

It should be noted that scientists and doctors have not found health risks specifically linked to seed oils. Seed oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which have been associated with better cardiovascular health, according to recent studies. However, omega-3 fatty acids are considered to be the healthier option because they have more nutrients. Seed oils are also often used in unhealthy foods like deep-fried snacks high in sodium and sugar, which might be part of the backlash against them.

Most controversially, Steak ‘n Shake’s original X post about the new “Throwback Fries” on March 5 featured an “Old English”-style typographical font, which social media users were quick to compare to the infamous Fraktur font that was used in German Nazi propaganda. Screenshots of the now-deleted X post have been circulating with the trending topic, “Steak ‘n Shake Nazis” on social media.

[claudette]

1. Personally

I would never eat fries or anything deep fried in animal fat. That is asking for a heart attack. I think it’s irresponsible for the head of HHS to promote it.

[get the red out]

28. I can't stand animal fat

I eat meat, very carefully, because I can't even stand the flavor of something fried in animal fat or containing much of it.

Also, I watched my Dad suffer and finally die from heart disease which was in part caused by a high fat diet.

[claudette]

32. Me too

And I know someone who in the 1970’s had a heart attack at a young age when he worked at a job where he ate two Dunkin Donuts with coffee every morning. Then most places stopped using animal fat and switched to vegetable oil. Fries weren’t as tasty but they weren’t poison either. Tallow is no better than lard

I only eat chicken or turkey.

[mucholderthandirt]

48. It would have been the carbs that killed him, not the fat.

Lots of false and misunderstood info about fats. High fat combined with high carbs is the killer. High fat with almost no carbs makes you healthy.

But I know, you all know better, you've read the studies, whatever. You haven't read them all, nor opened your mind to the idea that what you're told benefits the massive ag business and medical complex, and not you. Whatever.

[claudette]

49. No

It was the heart doctor who explained it. High amount of animal fat is a killer regardless of the carbs you eat. Carbs don’t clog your arteries

[get the red out]

50. Nothing wrong with fat

I don't want daily decisions made for all of us by some guy getting richer and richer from his extremism. That is the real nanny-state.

[Meowmee]

2. Ugh 😔

Last edited Fri Mar 14, 2025, 01:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Their food is not healthy any way you look at it. Tallow is worse also. Just a look at their menu, the children's shakes and desserts etc. are full of excess sugar, lol. How is that healthy? One example: kids vanilla shake- 400 calories, 13g fat/9g saturated fat, 63g carbohydrates/ 54g from sugars
9g protein, 55 cholesterol, 230 mg sodium. I can't find the specific ingredients it says contains dairy and soy, vanilla syrup, home made ice cream and whipped cream. I am guessing the vanilla syrup could have corn syrup instead of sugar which is worse.

Beverages; tea: 250 calories, 64 carbohydrates/61 sugars, 25mg sodium. Ingredients pure cane sugar and brewed tea. The amount of carbs is way more than I would eat in a meal, in one drink. The sugar is unneeded obviously.

Since when are french fries and burgers and shakes etc. healthy, lol. Theirs are high in fat and carbs. The adult specialty shakes have on average 94-112 carbs- 690 calories!! 24g of fat, 360 sodium, 111 carbs/92g sugar and 9 g protein, for the cookies and cream. The calories alone are way more than anyone should eat in one meal, the sugar is excessive.

* Adding- here is nutritional content for a strawberry shake and it does contain corn syrup & high fructose corn syrup as well as sugar, which is bad for you and which is cheaper than sugar. It's later in the ingredients list but still it's still bad to have it at all.

https://www.nutritionix.com/i/steak-n-shake/milkshakes-strawberry/55677326849f7dcb5bf12d43#:~:text=No%20Added%20Salt-,Ingredients,%2C%20CARAMEL%20COLOR%2C%20ARTIFICIAL%20FLAVORS.

Milkshakes, Strawberry by Steak 'n Shake
Milkshakes, Strawberry
Steak 'n Shake

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size:
11.5
fl oz (255ggrams)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 420
Calories from Fat 100
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12ggrams 18%Daily Value
Saturated Fat 8ggrams 40%Daily Value
Trans Fat 0g grams
Cholesterol 35mg milligrams 12%Daily Value
Sodium 140mg milligrams 6%Daily Value
Total Carbohydrates 74g grams 25%Daily Value
Dietary Fiber 0g grams 0%Daily Value
Sugars 74g grams
Protein 7g grams
8%Vitamin A
4%Vitamin C
25%Calcium
0%Iron
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
INGREDIENTS: SKIM MILK, SUGAR, CREAM, CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, STRAWBERRY PUREE, CONCENTRATED STRAWBERRY JUICE, WHEY, STABILIZER (GUAR GUM, CARRAGEENAN), NATURAL FLAVORS, RED #40 (ARTIFICIAL COLOR), CARAMEL COLOR, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS.
Low Sodium No Artificial Sweeteners No Added Salt

Edited to add that many here don’t seem to know that it is the combo of high fat and high carb that is bad. This happened when low fat and less animal fat/ meat was recommended and they started dumping sugar/ carbs in everything instead.

[Wanderlust988]

3. Good! The fries will taste better. No ones goes there for healthy eating

If I pay that amount of money, I want delicious fries.

[Morbius]

4. Okay.

First, the most important thing to remember about fried foods is moderation. There are no healthy deep fried foods. They taste good. So eat them once in a while, and try not to pig out.

Second, "seed oils" means vegetable oil, basically. Canola oil, corn oil, sunflower seed oil. Olive oil and avocado oil are fruit oils. Fruit oils contain more omega-3 (meaning arguably healthier) but have a low smoke point; they have very limited use in frying things. So if you are planning to fry something in oil, your options are seed oils and animal oils (tallow or lard). Animal oils contain more unhealthy cholesterol. There are some outlandish claims out there about seed oils; they're rubbish. I've been using canola oil for years. There are better oils out there but it's hard to beat for value.

Third, and most significantly: the most seed oils you're likely to consume come from ultraprocessed foods, like soda, frozen meals, premade cookies, snacks, margarine, cereals, hot dogs and so on. These are mostly unhealthy foods, but there is little reason to blame the seed oils, given that they're loaded with chemicals and sugars and sodium.

Think about what you eat. Value freshness and variety. Recognize balance as the hidden virtue.

[claudette]

33. Avocado oil

has a hot point at 500 degrees. And it’s very tasty

[flvegan]

5. So don't eat there. Seriously, I'm hard pressed to think of

something easier to avoid than Steak 'n Shake. It's owned by a Trump supporter, last I checked. It's shit food in a wanna-be throwback "diner" that even Guy Fieri would avoid at all costs.

"BuT iT tAstEs beTTeR!!1" is why obesity is hovering above 40% in this country. How many diabetes medication ads do you need to see every day to eventually say, "a-ha, I should re-think this."

Dumbest timeline ever.

[get the red out]

29. one of the words

Obesity is one of the words not permitted on Federal Documents now, LOL.

[Raine]

6. GAG, I'm a vegetarian and can't/won't eat that slop.

Years of fighting, begging and pleading to get the animal grease out of food and now it's back. I guess it's back to reading every single label again to make sure no animal products are in it.

[Retrograde]

7. I've had French Fries cooked in tallow

in the Netherlands and they were delicious. They are also an occasional treat, not something to eat daily.

[haele]

23. Fries in Duck or goose fat with garlic and rosemary

Especially when crinkle or waffle-cut. Lightly sea salted.
I always saved the fat when I made Duck or Goose for the winter holidays just to fry veggies the next day. (Rose potatoes fries, along with pub-batter coated asparagus, sweet potato, onion slices, and mushroom caps)

Yum.

[Initech]

53. Duck fat makes all the difference!

[BannonsLiver]

24. Given the amount of fries this country eats relative to the 70s and 80s...

The heart disease would explode. I had some Woo person try to tellme otherwise last week but I’m not buying it.

[womanofthehills]

38. I do most of my frying in grass fed beef tallow

It’s the fat that was used when everyone was thin.

Air fryers are the biggie for making homemade fries now. A little beef tallow on the bottom - got me hooked. I always fry my super runny eggs in beef tallow - best eggs you will ever eat. I do have chickens though.

Suddenly- most stores are carrying grass fed beef tallow - my tiny town’s small supermarket does and Walmart now carries it too.

[Retrograde]

47. I air-fry potato and sweet potato fries

when I make them at home, because I don't like to do the actual frying. I think it's a matter of height - Mr. Retrograde is a foot taller than me and seems to avoid being spattered by hot oil.

[Skittles]

8. the right lost their minds when Michelle Obama presented healthier ideas

I REMEMBER

[Aristus]

25. The right lost their minds because Michelle Obama exists.

Anything after that is just residual, performative outrage.

[Skittles]

34. tru, dat

yes indeed

[canetoad]

9. Mmmm.....

Nothing quite beats the smell of old beef dripping in a hot deep fryer. Makes your arteries contract.

[womanofthehills]

39. Not according to Mayo Clinic Press

Mayo Clinic Press. -

“While saturated fats have been demonized in the past, eating certain kinds or small amounts might not be as harmful as previously thought. In tallow, some of the saturated fat is a specific type known as stearic acid. Stearic acid appears to not raise cholesterol in the same way as other saturated fats.”

Tallow also contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are considered healthier. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is one polyunsaturated omega-6 fat found in animal fats and linked to potential health benefits such as preventing plaque buildup in the arteries (atherosclerosis). However, more research is needed about the effects of conjugated linoleic acid.

In addition to fat, beef tallow contains fat-soluble vitamins that are vital for various bodily functions, including immune support, bone health, cellular function and skin health. Animal varities that are 100% grass fed will provide a more expensive nutrient profile.
https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/nutrition-fitness/what-is-beef-tallow-is-it-good-for-me/

[Old Crank]

10. Just trying to curry favour and show their concreds.

Personally I like fried potatoes in duck or goose fat. Yum!

But as a previous posted said. Not everyday.

[Skittles]

11. that has long been my "secret" for staying slim

I can eat anything I want - I just cannot eat ALL that I want.......

[Seeking Serenity]

12. Seed oils are just bad news. I avoid anything cooked with them like the plague.

People do realise that a lot of seed oils we use in our food nowadays are an otherwise waste product that big corporations figured out how to use and sell as [bleeping] food? No, I guess not.

[Voltaire2]

16. Lol. Wtf do you think 'beef tallow' is? Nt.

[womanofthehills]

41. Well if you buy grass fed beef tallow

You are not eating seed oils - super processed & extracted with solvents.

Plus beef tallow does not produce toxins when fried to 400 degrees like seed oils do.

[ProfessorGAC]

18. Ummmm....

You do know that the chemical structure of seed oils, oils from non-seed sources, & fats from animals is identical, right?
The differences are in degrees of unsaturation & distribution of carbon chain lengths.
The basic structure (3 chains connected to a glycerin backbone at the carbonyl) is exactly the same.
What plant oils DON'T have is cholesterol.

[pcdb]

35. Seed oils contain omega-6 polyunsaturated fats which cause inflamation

There's also a correlation with the linoleic acid in seed oils and metabolic syndrome. I'm not saying tallow is any better; probably best to avoid both.

[ProfessorGAC]

40. From "Medical News Today" Magazine

There is no definitive research to confirm whether these oil supplements are helpful or harmful.

[womanofthehills]

42. Mayo Clinic Press

Has some good things to say about grass fed beef tallow . Says it does not raise cholesterol levels.

Interesting- thousands of social media people now using beef tallow as a skin cream and hair conditioner. I just started using it as a skin cream- my skin does feel soft.

A neighbor told me it worked on clearing her eczema when nothing else did. It can clog pores - so not for those who have acne.

[obamanut2012]

21. This isn't true

[eShirl]

13. gross, I'll pass

I hear tallow is kinda stinky too

[Norbert]

14. I didn't know this until the guy that talks thru a fan did the photo-op.

I limit my intake of carbs anyway. Beef tallow is a no-noso Steak and Skahe is out for me. In a way I should thank RFK Jr for shedding light on this.

Is there any way to find out what other restaurants use to fry with?

[Morbius]

15. Google "who sells fries with tallow".

You'll find Popeyes has been using it for 50 years. Buffalo Wild Wings for a shorter time.

[womanofthehills]

43. But you need to ask if they are just using beef tallow

Or beef tallow with added chemicals.

[sinkingfeeling]

17. Haven't been to one since before COVID. They now have no service and their menu was pared down to a few items.

[pstokely]

31. They've closed a lot since they went to the franchise plan

And they used to open 24/7

[newdeal2]

19. The people following the beef tallow trend do not eat at Steak 'n Shake

There is one near me that I haven't stepped foot in or thought about in 20+ years.

[womanofthehills]

44. True - I cook in grass fed beef tallow

Only eat organic - and have not eaten at a fast food restaurant in 25 years.

[Wednesdays]

20. "...the infamous Fraktur font that was used in German Nazi propaganda"

Actually, Nazi Germany abolished the Fraktur font in 1941. In part, they said, because it came from "Jewish origins."


The font was brought back in 1945, but never regained widespread use.

[haele]

22. Beef tallow is actually reasonably healthy for omnivores.

Healthier than lard or butter, and has a higher burn point, allowing for crispier frying.
Not vegetarian, of course, but easily the equivalent of peanut or avocado oil in terms of health and taste. Frying food isn't the healthiest option for preparation as it is. Certainly not as healthy as a crudite option.
I honestly don't see how it can be political other than politicians wanting to make it political.

On edit - old timers can remember McD's fries were originally fried in beef tallow until Hindus, vegetarians and vegans complained that McDonald's was committing fraud for claiming fries as a vegetable serving when asked what could be eaten that wasn't beef or another meat product.

[radius777]

26. I'll stick with science.

Vegetable oil is heart healthy (lacks cholesterol and saturated fats). There's nothing wrong with eating animal fat (like tallow) once in awhile, but for most foods that require fat/oil/butter it's best to stick with vegetable oil and margarine spreads.

[womanofthehills]

45. Vegetable oil is a very processed food

Processed foods are to be avoided.

It’s rolled, bleached, washed with solvents etc

?si=AJ-nhG0UUSF39tid

[MagickMuffin]

27. I hope they are required to inform customers, a lot of vegans

And vegetarians, and religious people would need to be informed. However, those people probably don’t eat at slop restaurants.

I ate there once a while back (had a couple), the food was not to my liking. Having to resort to using coupons to generate revenue for your crappy food is very telling.

And I have nothing against coupons especially when the food is good and I wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise.

[allegorical oracle]

30. The American Heart Assn. and Cleveland Clinic's opinion of beef tallow:

The American Heart Association advises limiting saturated fat to only 6% of your daily caloric intake. To put that in perspective, a tablespoon of beef tallow is almost the FULL daily amount of saturated fat recommended within a 2,000-calorie diet.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/beef-tallow-for-cooking

[Red Mountain]

36. Little grill in Durham NC

Wimpy's.....family run (32 years) until the owner and his wife retired and sold it. Opened up again under a different name and closed forever shortly after covid. Bad timing for the new folks.

Anyway.....I ate there very occasionally. It was about the same price as but much better than fast food with a side of nostalgia. No idea what they fried with.

I'll never forget the owner saying in all seriousness to a customer he knew.......'You can't eat this stuff every day, you know that, right? It will kill you'.

Moderation in all things. Especially moderation.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ehqs1 skip to 6:27

The garbage burger was good.

[Emrys]

37. Here in the UK, many years ago, one time my mother for some reason decided to get some beef dripping

from the butcher - which you'll be more familiar with as tallow, and deep-fried the family a bumper batch of chips (fries to you) in it. They were without any distant comparison the very best chips I've ever eaten - flavour, crispness, colour, the works. I've never eaten chips fried in dripping since, but I remember it so well.

For a pre-tea time (small late afternoon/early evening meal) snack sometimes, we could choose bread and dripping - just plain bread spread with the dripping from a Sunday beef roast, complete with dark tasty bits to liven up the grease.

Somehow we survived, but then I haven't eaten any of this stuff for decades.

I do try to be choosy with oils and food nowadays. We can get cold-pressed extra virgin rapeseed (canola to you) oil very cheaply here, which does for frying, braising and most other uses and I'd happily use on salads, we also use cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil on salads, never for cooking, and we have ordinary peanut and corn oil handy for the odd frying procedure (e.g. Chinese food) where you want something lighter.

This nonsense fad about seed oils being BAD is a load of bullshit as far as I've been able to figure from quite wide reading. It's to do with garbled and sometimes wilfully misrepresented ideas about the balances of omega-3 and omega-6 oils in our foodstuffs. There's nothing intrinsically harmful in seed oils, and no evidence they cause inflammation, which is the most popular claim. Highly processed foods are another matter, but oil content is usually just one factor among many that make them a bad idea for regular consumption. If you're worried about cholesterol, empty carbs are likely to do you more harm than any amount of fat.

[LeftInTX]

46. I thought this was a joke, but it's true. Well, I won't be going there again! That's just gross!

[CousinIT]

51. I don't eat fried food or fast food shit so....

... I guess everyone else can take their chances.

Blech.

[Bluetus]

52. Understand that S&S has been teetering on bankruptcy after being taken over by

a complete crook who has looted the company's treasure and destroyed many fortunes of franchisees.

I don't know about nationally, but in the home market of central Indiana, they have already closed the majority of stores and some of the remaining ones are now drive-thru only.

This beef fat thing is just a PR stunt to try to get some free advertising.

[Initech]

54. These people are fucking vultures.

They're just circling their pray waiting for the next victim. Then they strike, loot and destroy. Fuck them.