> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://thefoodiekitchen.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Tallow vs Seed Oils at Restaurants: What's Changing - URL: https://thefoodiekitchen.net/tallow-vs-seed-oils-restaurants/ - Published: 2026-10-12T20:12:29.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-25T09:27:23.000Z - Description: Beef tallow product sales reached $1.1 billion, the new Dietary Guidelines name it as a cooking option, and younger diners say the fryer fat matters. Here's what's changing, with sources, and what the health debate actually says. - Author: Savannah Ryan - Tags: Blog, MAHA Recipes **Beef tallow is moving from niche to mainstream: US sales of foods made with it reached $1.1 billion in the year to March 22, 2026, up 275% in three years, and the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines now name butter and beef tallow as cooking options while keeping the 10% saturated-fat limit.** Restaurants and snack makers are responding, but the health debate is far from settled. **Quick answer** What's changing: big brands such as Utz and Conagra now sell tallow-cooked snacks \[1\], federal guidance lists tallow as an option for the first time \[2\], and a March 2026 survey found 52% of diners aged 18–34 say a restaurant's frying fat affects where they eat \[3\]. What isn't changing: the saturated-fat cap of 10% of daily calories \[2\]. **Jump to:** [The sales numbers](#sales) · [The new guidelines](#guidelines) · [What diners say](#diners) · [The health debate](#health) · [What it means at home](#home) · [FAQ](#faq) ## Tallow sales are up 275% in three years Food Dive reported in June 2026 that sales of food products with beef tallow as an ingredient reached **$1.1 billion for the 52 weeks ended March 22, 2026**, up 275% from the same period three years earlier, according to data from the market research firm SPINS \[1\]. The bigger shift is who is selling it. Tallow used to belong to small wellness brands. Now: - **Utz Brands** launched a version of its Boulder Canyon Classic Sea Salt chips cooked in beef tallow at select retailers, its second tallow product after Grandma Utz Kettle-Style chips \[1\]. - **Conagra Brands** twice-cooks its Rebel Roots crispy fries in beef tallow and prints the ingredient in large type on the front of the bag \[1\]. Even the companies involved are hedging. Utz's CEO told Food Dive the company will adapt if consumer attention shifts in a few years \[1\]. ## The Dietary Guidelines now name tallow, butter and olive oil The *Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030*, released in January 2026, say that when cooking with or adding fats, people should "prioritize oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil," and that "other options can include butter or beef tallow" \[2\]. The same page keeps the long-standing ceiling: "saturated fat consumption should not exceed 10% of total daily calories," and adds that more high-quality research is needed on which fats best support long-term health \[2\]. So tallow is now an accepted option, not a recommended free-for-all. ## What diners say about seed oils and tallow A national survey of 1,005 US adults, fielded February 18–19, 2026 and reported by FSR magazine in March, found that **52% of diners aged 18–34** say knowing whether a restaurant uses beef tallow or seed oils affects where they choose to eat, compared with 33% of those 55 and older \[3\]. Offered two otherwise identical restaurants, 31% of 18–34-year-olds picked the one cooking with tallow \[3\]. One caveat worth knowing: the survey was commissioned by Coast Packing Company, a supplier of animal-fat shortenings \[4\]. That doesn't make the numbers wrong, but it is a seller's survey, not an independent poll. Restaurants have noticed. Steak 'n Shake, for example, switched its frying from vegetable oil to beef tallow, a move that drew a public visit from the US health secretary \[5\]. If you want to find similar places, our guide to [avoiding seed oils at restaurants](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/how-to-avoid-seed-oils-at-restaurants/) covers what to ask. ## The health debate, fairly stated Tallow's appeal in restaurants is practical as well as cultural: it is mostly saturated and monounsaturated fat, so it holds up to repeated high-heat frying, and it gives fries a savoury, beefy flavour. Our [smoke point guide](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/cooking-fat-smoke-points/) compares it with other fats. The other side deserves equal space. The American College of Cardiology points out that feeding trials and cohort studies show saturated fats, especially butter and to a lesser extent beef fat, raise LDL cholesterol compared with olive oil, and argues that the evidence does not support promoting butter or tallow \[6\]. It also warns that following the new protein and fat advice together could push many people over the 10% saturated-fat limit \[6\]. The practical middle ground: frying in tallow is a cooking choice, not a health food. If you have a heart condition or high LDL, follow your clinician's advice on saturated fat. ## What it means for your kitchen - **Frying:** tallow is the traditional fat for fries and fried chicken. Try our [tallow-fried fries at home](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/tallow-fried-fries-at-home/) or the classic thick-cut [tallow French fries](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/tallow-french-fries/). - **Choosing a fat:** see [tallow vs ghee](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/tallow-vs-ghee/) and [tallow vs butter](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/tallow-vs-butter/) for when each one fits. - **More recipes:** every recipe that cooks with it is on our [beef tallow recipes](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/beef-tallow-recipes/) hub. **What you'll need** - This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. [Affiliate disclosure](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/affiliate-disclosure/). [South Chicago Packing 100% Pure Wagyu Beef Tallow, 42 oz](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0881XTCR3?tag=thefoodieki0f-20) - [Fatworks Grass Fed & Finished Beef Tallow, 14 oz, 3-pack](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093P9T8C4?tag=thefoodieki0f-20) [See all our picks →](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/shop/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Are restaurants switching from seed oils to beef tallow? Some are. Steak 'n Shake switched its frying from vegetable oil to beef tallow, and big snack makers such as Utz and Conagra now sell tallow-cooked products. Sales of foods with tallow as an ingredient reached $1.1 billion in the year to March 22, 2026, up 275% in three years, according to SPINS data reported by Food Dive. ### Do the new Dietary Guidelines recommend beef tallow? The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines say to prioritize oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil, and list butter or beef tallow as other options. They keep the limit of 10% of daily calories from saturated fat. ### Is food fried in tallow healthier than food fried in seed oil? That is disputed. Tallow is stable at frying heat, but the American College of Cardiology notes that saturated fats such as butter and beef fat raise LDL cholesterol compared with olive oil. Treat tallow as a cooking choice and follow your clinician's advice if you watch saturated fat. ### How many young diners care whether restaurants use tallow or seed oils? In a February 2026 survey of 1,005 US adults commissioned by Coast Packing, 52% of diners aged 18–34 said knowing whether a restaurant uses beef tallow or seed oils affects where they eat, compared with 33% of those 55 and older. ### Sources 1. [Food Dive, Beef tallow takeover? Big food companies begin to embrace MAHA ingredient (June 22, 2026)](https://www.fooddive.com/news/beef-tallow-takeover-big-food-companies-begin-to-embrace-maha-ingredient/815598/) 2. [US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 (January 2026)](https://cdn.realfood.gov/DGA.pdf) 3. [FSR magazine, Survey: Young Diners Drive Shift Toward Beef Tallow Over Seed Oils (March 26, 2026)](https://www.fsrmagazine.com/industry-news/survey-young-diners-drive-shift-toward-beef-tallow-over-seed-oils/) 4. [Coast Packing Company, Survey Finds Cooking Oil Influences Where Americans Choose to Eat (press release, March 24, 2026)](https://coastpacking.com/wp-content/uploads/COAST%5F2026%5FSurvey%5FRelease%5FFINAL.pdf) 5. [NBC News, New U.S. dietary guidelines from Trump administration back more protein and full-fat dairy, less grains (January 2026)](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/us-dietary-guidelines-protein-dairy-fat-rfk-jr-rcna252656) 6. [American College of Cardiology, How Do the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines For Americans Measure Up For Cardiovascular Health? (January 27, 2026)](https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2026/01/27/16/22/how-do-the-2025-2030-dietary-guidelines-for-americans-measure-up-for-cardiovascular-health) **Related:** - [Tallow vs Ghee](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/tallow-vs-ghee/) - [Tallow-Fried Fries at Home](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/tallow-fried-fries-at-home/) - [How to Avoid Seed Oils at Restaurants](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/how-to-avoid-seed-oils-at-restaurants/) - [Why McDonald's Stopped Frying in Tallow](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/mcdonalds-tallow/) - [Beef Tallow Recipes](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/beef-tallow-recipes/) **Part of:** [Beef Tallow Recipes](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/beef-tallow-recipes/) · [Shop the pantry →](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/shop/)