January 10, 2026
Fat Wars: Tallow vs Seed Oil Showdown
Is beef tallow making a comeback?
Barefoot turkey, greasy politics: America brawls over beef fat
TLDR: The government’s new diet guidelines spotlight beef tallow and butter while keeping the saturated fat cap unchanged. Commenters split between cheering the “tallow era,” accusing RFK Jr. of Instagram-driven policy, joking about barefoot turkey dunking, and pushing a middle-ground of olive oil plus small amounts of animal fat
Beef tallow just went from pantry underdog to culture-war superstar, with new federal dietary guidelines name-checking tallow and butter as favored cooking fats. After Health Secretary RFK Jr. dunked a Thanksgiving turkey barefoot into boiling tallow and later hyped a fast-food chain’s tallow-only fries, the comments lit up like a fryer. Some cheered the tallow takeover, others screamed “science!” and a few just wanted him to put on shoes.
The loudest hot take? Skeptics blasting RFK Jr. for “policy by Instagram mom,” while moderates pleaded for chill: “You can have both and not clog your arteries.” DIY cooks flexed butcher-shop hacks, noting tallow’s trend tax: render cheap suet yourself, then cook with the candle-wax stuff. Confusion reigned because the saturated fat limit stays at 10% of calories—so how do you eat more meat and dairy without blowing the cap? Fitness celeb Jillian Michaels offered a middle lane: mostly olive oil, fish, nuts, and avocado, with a little tallow. Meanwhile, the American Heart Association still says nope to tallow.
Memes flew: “Footwear for deep-frying?” “Make America Healthy Again = Make America Greasy Again.” Retail drama added fuel—Costco, Walmart, and Target now sell jars, and Fat Brothers’ $20 tubs trend on Amazon. The fryer fight is on, and the comments are serving extra crispy takes
Key Points
- •New U.S. federal dietary guidelines elevate beef tallow and butter alongside olive oil as prioritized cooking fats.
- •The updated food pyramid downplays whole grains and places protein and full-fat dairy at the top with fruits and vegetables.
- •Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as health secretary, announced the guidelines and framed them as ending the war on saturated fats.
- •Medical groups, including the American Heart Association, warned that saturated fats raise heart disease risk and advised avoiding tallow.
- •Despite prioritizing animal fats, the guidelines retain the 10% of total calories cap for saturated fat; meanwhile, beef tallow sales and retail availability have surged.