List of restaurants switching to beef tallow for fries: RFK Jr. says it's healthier, is it?

[Zorro]

Last week, new U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Fox News' Sean Hannity appeared at a Melbourne Steak 'n Shake to sample and praise its french fries. The Brevard County locations were the first in the country to switch to frying in beef tallow rather than seed oil, one of RFK Jr.'s controversial suggestions to "Make America Healthy Again."

On March 1, the company posted on the social media platform X that all locations nationwide now serve fries cooked in "100% beef tallow... No preservatives, chemicals or additives." A later post said, "Zealots cannot stop us."

Steak 'n Shake described the move as "RFK'ing" its fries after Kennedy claimed that seed oils are a major driver of the obesity epidemic and beef tallow is a healthier alternative. Since then, Kennedy has revealed that four more major chains including Popeye's and Outback Steakhouse already use beef tallow or other non-seed oils or plan to.

Seed oils have been linked to some health issues such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. However, some studies have found that solid fats such as beef tallow are worse for people's health.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2025/03/17/robert-kennedy-beef-tallow-restaurants-steak-shake-popeyes-outback/82486844007/

I did not know beef tallow fries were a coming thing...

[Irish_Dem]

1. Fast food healthier than vaccines.

Message from the guy in charge of American health.

[JT45242]

2. McDonalds changed a long time ago when I was working there in college (from beef tallow)

Vegetable/seed oils were cheaper but more importantly -- you can't have vegetarian fries cooked in beef fat.

They had to change how the fries were made to keep similar quality and mouth texture cooking in a different oil. It was a BFD back then.
Going backwards is not something that most chains are willing to do.

Makes no sense to have meat alternative burgers and then fry all of your french fires, onion rings, etc in beef fat.

[orange you glad....]

3. The evidence is damning, though.

They showed the few ingredients in McD's fries in Europe vs. here. The hydrogenated oil they use here. That is really bad for you. I am a vegetarian and I refuse to eat that.

UK fries ingredients:UK: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Rapeseed), Dextrose (only added at beginning of the season). [The restaurants use non-hydrogenated vegetable oil].
American fries:

[jmowreader]

14. That is WAY misleading

Seven of the ingredients in US fries are different oils as US fryer oil is usually a blended oil. The British use an oil branded as Crisp n Dry, which is pure rapeseed oil, in their store fryers. The reason they list oil twice in the US is all frozen french fries are partially cooked at the factory. Good fries are always cooked twice.

Also, consider the citric acid, TBHQ and dimethylpolysiloxane. Fryer oil worldwide contains those three ingredients - the first two are preservatives to keep the oil from going bad in the fryer during the workday, and the third is an antifoaming agent used to keep the oil from splashing the employees when they put food in it. It would be too hazardous to be a fry cook without dimethylpolysiloxane.

The moral of this story is, the US has far more stringent labeling requirements than the UK does. In the US, if your process uses oil in three different places you must put oil in the ingredient statement three times - and if you use a blended oil, like the US does, each oil must be listed separately. The same British food lists oil once.

[orange you glad....]

20. Hydrogenated oil is not good for us.

We were encouraged to stop eating butter in the late '70s because of heart health. What was the suggested substitution? Margarine from hydrogenated oil. No thanks!

My go-to fries when I am out and about are Five Guys. So happy to see this ingredients list. I buy the solo Cajun.
Five Guys Style Potatoes, Refined Peanut Oil, Salt.
Cajun Style (Supplier M) Potatoes, Refined Peanut Oil, Salt, Cajun Seasoning: Garlic, Spices (Including Paprika, Oregano, Red Pepper), Salt, Onion

Just goes to show that these other fast food companies could make a cleaner product if they wanted to. Granted, I pay probably almost $6 for a bag of Cajun fries but it's worth it.

[yellowcanine]

29. Peanut oil is probably healthier than tallow or hydrogenated soybean oil.

But the key word here is healthier. Fries are not a healthy food generally whatever they are fried in. It's a lot of fat and the rest is pure carbs. Not to mention often too much salt. So they should not be consumed on a daily basis. Maybe once a week. Consider them in approximately the same category as sugar, particularly if one is diabetic or prediabetic.

[hlthe2b]

21. Haven't had them in years (anywhere)... Can't say I miss them

When I do, I have an occasional baked potato with a crispy crust, sour cream (or yogurt) and chives. Satisfies my urge.

I will admit to occasionally having fish and chips (wild caught) from a very popular food truck vendor in this region. So, I haven't totally given up the fried "delicacies."

To those arguing about what to fry in, maybe consider an air fryer and (largely) skip the controversy.

[W_HAMILTON]

40. Umm, here is the ingredients for both, taken from their respective McDonald's websites:

US (https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/small-french-fries.html#accordion-c921f9207b-item-283bee7dbd):
Potatoes
Vegetable Oil
Natural Beef Flavor
Dextrose
Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
Salt

UK (https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/product/fries-medium.html#accordion-195fbb6d4a-item-fdf905567c):
Potatoes
Non-Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils
Dextrose
Salt

The evidence isn't damning, but the misinformation -- disinformation? -- sure is.

[Polybius]

11. I remember hearing that Julia Child was a fan of McDonald's beef tallow French fries

[regnaD kciN]

58. If I recall correctly, they changed because of a lawsuit...

…McDonald’s never officially announced they used beef fat, but it was the “secret ingredient” that made their fries so loved in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The problem came when they got sued by a Hindu family who had been eating at McDonald’s for years and later found out that they had been consuming beef, which is forbidden according to their faith. The suit attracted lots of attention from the public, which had a very negative reaction to the revelation that what made the fries so tasty was beef fat. McDonald’s responded by switching to vegetable oil, accompanied by an imitation-beef flavoring that actually had no animal content.

[Luvcatz14]

4. Short answer: no

As a dietitian, I don’t approve.

[Happy Hoosier]

5. I can only speak for myself....

I stopped using seed oild when I was diagnosed with T2D. I also dratically cut carbohydrates.

My dietician told me that PUFAs (a type of fat that is prevalent in seed oils) can cause an inflamatory reponse, which combined with high insulin levels in a diabetic, could cause Fatty Liver Disiease, and possibly oxidation of LDL cholestoerol in a way that can contribute to arterial plaques.

She cited some contemporary studies demonstrating that Saturated fats (animal fats), were better for diabetics, and associated with lower heart disease rates IF the diabebtic was also restricting carbohydrate intake.

Dunno if that helps. So, in my experience, beef tallow CAN be better for you in SOME circumstances, but not necessarily all circumstances.

[hlthe2b]

22. Okay, I deal with enough patients to know I have to translate: T2D refers to type-2 diabetes,

PUFAs = polyunsaturated fatty acids
It is fine if you are posting on a diabetic forum, but I think we need to be more generalists here. I usually post on infectious or general medical/surgical issues (where I try hard to make it less technical), but know that chronic disease issues are a big area of interest (confusion) for a lot of DUers.

And yes, PUFAs (that are largely omega 6 fatty acids) ARE pro-inflammatory. There might be some reduction of those inflammatory effects if your diet includes sufficient omega-3 FA-containing fish--but your dietician and/or endocrinologist is not wrong.

[Happy Hoosier]

34. Correct Type 2 diabetes.

I am not a dietician, of course, but I read a TON of studies on the subject since I didn;t want to just fall in to the trap of trtying to medicate my way out of Typer II, unless that was my only option. T2D isn;t a problem of blood sugar so much as it is insulin insenitivity. And insulin is pro-infmmation too. So my goal was to reduce inflammation as much as I could.

It DID work for me.... my A1C plummeted, and I control the T2D without drugs or insulin. BUT... I am a data driven guy. I'll keep my eye on ongoing research. IMO, Americans have more issues with sugar intake than fat. But there ya go.

[Johonny]

6. I believe the MAGA have a seven deadly oil list

Because reality has no bearing in MAGA

[bif]

7. If RFK Jr. says it's healthier

Than the opposite is true.

[womanofthehills]

45. Mayo Clinic Press on beef tallow

Mayo Clinic Press
Once a staple in your grandparent’s or great-grandparent’s savory roasts, buttery-flaky pastries and greasing pans, beef tallow is making an unexpected return to households — marketed as a wellness superstar

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/

[Initech]

8. It's like these assholes sit around and intentionally try to come up with the absolute worst answer to every question.

Like you could get it right once or twice, but this shitty administration and everyone connected to it gets it wrong 100% of the time, every single time. Yeah let's put this maniac in charge of public health. This would be like recommending motor oil to fertilize your front lawn. WTF.

[Zorro]

10. Brawndo -- it's got what plants crave!

It's got electrolytes!

[Initech]

39. He got hit in the balls!!!!

[womanofthehills]

46. Remember in the old days when everyone was thin

They were eating beef tallow - not seed oils.

https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/nutrition-fitness/what-is-beef-tallow-is-it-good-for-me/

[Hassler]

52. And dying earlier. My grandmother was one. Dead at 46

[Beartracks]

56. But motor oil is healthier than toxic sludge!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Notice they call beef fat "tallow" to sane-wash it. There is a food fad against "seed oils"

I think the great preponderance of evidence is against beef fat and pro oils like olive oil, avocado oil, and canola oil.

Just what the seed oils the fadists are against is hardly ever clear. I don't know if they include corn oil and "vegetable oil" in the seed oils. Those two definitely have problems. I invited one fan on DU to make a case for the beef fat they were pushing and they got super-defensive and refused. I think the real reason is that there is not much of a case for beef fat

I take as a my own guideline that if the fat/oil is solid at room temperature it is likely to risk clogging arteries. But I don't use corn or vegetable oils. I use olive oil and avocado oil (now about the same price) despite the cost, and trim meat fat off as much as I can or buy very lean cuts. I eat beef about once every two or three weeks. I even use kitchen scissors to cut most of the fat off bacon strips.

[keep_left]

13. There isn't much evidence for beef fat. Lots of T2D in my family...

...so I asked a cardiologist and a certified diabetes educator--and got the same answer from both. Apparently if you're on a very carb-restricted diet (Atkins, keto, etc.) and you're eating only grass-fed beef and beef fat, those are looking (at the moment) to not be quite as bad as we originally thought. However, those foods should still make up a minority of one's caloric intake each day, particularly if one suffers from T2D.

Keep in mind a lot of this "seed oil = evil" garbage is being pushed by the alt-right and other extremists for some inscrutable reason. The same idiots also love their coconut oil, ghee, and other saturated fats, none of which are recommended for anyone, ever.

[jmowreader]

15. Corn oil is a seed oil.

ANY vegetable oil is a seed oil.

[keep_left]

19. I think they make some distinction between oils like avocado...

...and olive vs. vegetable oils like canola (a rapeseed cultivar), safflower, etc. Who knows if there is anything to it...their own logic is completely inscrutable. After all, the "alt-right diet" includes not only copious amounts of beef tallow, but also coconut oil, ghee, etc. It would horrify any reputable cardiologist.

[get the red out]

32. Omega 3?

Is the distinction based on Olive and Avocado oils having primararily Omega 3 oils, and the others have Omega 6 oils, which are used too much and throw things out of balance? I've just been reading. I am no nutritionist.

[keep_left]

38. Yeah, something like that. Omega-3 and Omega-6 are organic chem...

...terms referring to where the final double bond in the oil occurs. Just remember that most of the idiots advocating for beef tallow and other questionable dietary "improvements" wouldn't know organic chemistry from organic eggs. But it does appear that most Westerners have some dietary deficiencies in Omega-3s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-6_fatty_acid

[Happy Hoosier]

35. Yeah, ain't gonna argue category semantics, but I agree.

I use EVOO a lot, coconut oil and avacado oil. All are great oils. I avoid corn and canola oils.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. Cleveland Clinic list

They explicitly exclude extra-virgin olive oil and avocado oil, presenting them as alternatives to seed oils.

Here are the eight seed oils most commonly used and discussed:

Canola oil (aka rapeseed oil)
Corn oil
Cottonseed
Grapeseed oil
Soybean oil
Sunflower oil
Safflower oil
Rice bran oil
Peanut oil

You might hear this group of seed oils referred to as the “hateful eight,” a reference to some people’s belief that they’re toxic and should be completely removed from your diet.

[Hugin]

25. +1

Thank you for posting the facts!

[hlthe2b]

18. Yeah. It is the beef equivalent to lard (pork)

[madinmaryland]

26. Mar-a-Tallow??

[womanofthehills]

47. The bad thing about seed oils is they are so processed

And use solvents in their processing. Let alone Roundup sprayed on many grains & seeds right before harvest. Organophosphate pesticides are also used.

Grass fed/grass finished beef is a cleaner food if you know where your cows are grazing. Lucky for me I live in the middle of lots of ranches.

Most people now agree processed foods are not very healthy. Mayo Clinic Press says beef tallow will not raise cholesterol.

https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/nutrition-fitness/what-is-beef-tallow-is-it-good-for-me/

[VGNonly]

12. RFK also touts ingesting

roadkill and raw milk, just saying.

[flvegan]

17. When I think "healthy" Steak n Shake is at the top of my list.

Just looked at the menu on their website, and confirmed the entire thing is shit. Do NOT look at the nutrition disclosure page.

[pcdb]

43. This is like a microcosm of every debate today

Get everyone arguing seed oils vs. tallow as if one of them is good for you. People should just avoid eating crap.

[Dorothy V]

23. NOT healthier, but unfortunately ...

I remember fries cooked in beef tallow from my childhood, and they were larrupin! Best tasting fries ever!
I figure most folks who eat fast food aren't that concerned about their health.

[womanofthehills]

48. No one was overweight back then

We were eating beef tallow and lard.

[Hugin]

24. The foolishness about "seed oils" is yet another dig at Canada.

"Canola was originally a trademark name of the Rapeseed Association of Canada; the name is a portmanteau of "can" from Canada and "ola" from "oil"."

- snip -

Health benefits of Canola

"In 2006, canola oil was given a qualified health claim by the United States Food and Drug Administration for lowering the risk of coronary heart disease, resulting from its significant content of unsaturated fats; the allowed claim for food labels states:

"Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 1 1⁄2 tablespoons (19 grams) of canola oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the unsaturated fat content in canola oil. To achieve this possible benefit, canola oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day. One serving of this product contains [x] grams of canola oil."

A 2013 review, sponsored by the Canola Council of Canada and the U.S. Canola Association, concluded there was a substantial reduction in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and an increase in tocopherol levels and improved insulin sensitivity, compared with other sources of dietary fat. A 2014 review of health effects from consuming plant oils rich in alpha-linolenic acid, including canola, stated that there was moderate benefit for lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, bone fractures, and type-2 diabetes.

A 2019 review of randomized clinical trials found that canola oil consumption reduces total cholesterol (TC) and LDL compared to sunflower oil and saturated fat. Consumption of canola oil has been shown to reduce body weight when compared with saturated fat.

Regarding individual components, canola oil is low in saturated fat and contains both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in a ratio of 2:1. It is high in monounsaturated fats, which may decrease the risk of heart disease."

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapeseed_oil

Yeah, they think they're so fucking clever and cute.

[womanofthehills]

49. The gross thing about US canola is 95% is GMO & heavily pesticided

Therefore sprayed with Roundup every four weeks and often sprayed right before harvest for uniform drying. (Dedication)

Plus organophosphate pesticides are also used in combo with Rounduo. Then solvents are used in the processing of canola.

Give me some chemical/pesticide free beef tallow any day from grass fed cows.

[Hugin]

51. Good luck finding some. n/t

[johnp3907]

27. So we're trying to decide which deep fried fast food is the healthiest?

Maybe not letting nutcases like RFK jr frame the debate would make more sense.

[TexLaProgressive]

28. Beef and especially beef fat is a trigger for IBS for my wife

So I guess she can no longer eat fried foods
This will also eliminate Hindus, vegans and vegetarians from eating non meat fried foods.

[womanofthehills]

50. She should get an Air Fryer

Fries taste like deep fried because of circulating air & are super delicious.

[TexLaProgressive]

59. If the idiot fool of the Kennedy family (everyoone has one_ has his way

Hindus and people with bovine food triggers and allergies will no longer be allowed to eat out. McDonald's use to use beef tallow for their friers. They quit that years ago.

“I would like a fish sandwich and fries, airfry pleaase.”

[claudette]

30. No

Absolutely not

[Bluestocking]

31. Vegetable oil vs beef tallow

I did a taste comparison between Buffalo Wild Wings and Hooters Wings. Buffalo Wild Wings uses beef tallow and hooters uses vegetable oil. In my opinion the Buffalo Wild Wings are too dry and just don’t taste that good whereas the Hooters wings are absolutely the best tasting wings I have ever had.

[niyad]

33. let's see. . .tallow candles. . tallow-cooked fries. .do I just hold them

over my burning candles like s'mores?

[yellowcanine]

36. This is the same guy who claimed vaccines caused autism without evidence so why should we listen to him?

RFKjr has decided that seed oils aren't as healthy as animal fats. Based on, again, no evidence. Most nutritionists disagree. As for Steak and Shake, this feels like a hail Mary. They recently had a big corporate shake-up (pun intended) amid decreasing earnings and declining market share. Realistically, how many more customers are now going to go there for fries? And since thay have tied it to RFK jr, I would guess they will actually lose customers, as he is almost as unpopular as Musk.

[BannonsLiver]

37. A live shot of America's cardiologists

[JanMichael]

41. Comparing beef fat with seed oil in terms of health

Is like the "final four in" in the NCAA tournament

Healthwise there is very little difference - neither is health food - they are deep fried fast food. I care because I'm a vegetarian and I don't want to eat beef fat on cut up potatoes when I'm eating unhealthy.

And no West Virginia did not belong in the tournament.

[haele]

42. It's tastier. Not necessarily healthier. Frying food isn't healthy anyway.

Higher in calories and carb starches/sugars than even saute or roasting the food.

[Meowmee]

44. It's not healthier, but eat what you want etc. is my motto. It's up to you 😁

Last edited Tue Mar 18, 2025, 01:01 AM - Edit history (2)

Unlike rfk jr psychopath predator who after saying " you can eat what you want" is now apparently influencing what restaurants are doing with their food. One of those restaurants, Shakes & Steaks, has unhealthy food, due mostly to excess sugar content, and high fat. It's the combination of those two which is bad for you.

This was discovered when animal protein started being discouraged because they thought it was causing heart disease, and fat content in everything was lowered, to compensate the food industry greatly increased the sugar content in everything. Many however still had too high fat content and then had a greatly increased sugar intake.

Then years later studies showed an increase in heart disease after the sugar/carb increase as a replacement.

By the way, if you aren't aware, some starchy grains such as white wheat and other grains act exactly like pure glucose in your body. Many people have become accustomed to having drinks which contain way too much sugar, so that an appropriately sweetened drink now tastes bad to them.

I do agree with lowering sugar content in drinks and some other things. I think they did that already in my state, at least in limiting the size of a drink like soda that you could purchase.

[eShirl]

53. use it, don't use it, whatever, just don't pretend there's anything healthy about it

[Mountainguy]

54. Seems the healthier way

Would be to not eat very much deep fried food.

[Raine]

55. NO, as a vegetarian

absolutely NO, will not eat!

[pansypoo53219]

57. our PBS had a short british dr show that tested all cooking oils. it was a small study. but the only oil that DIDN'T

have cancerous chemicals was lard + butter. olive oil had the least bad.

the show also did a test for blood sugar. cold or leftovers showed the least sugars in the blood. also, eating your meat 1st + everything else after better.

i prefer pork lard tho. its pretty flavorless.