When it comes to eating healthier, particularly when swapping processed foods for more natural options, it's not unusual to feel a little lost. For example, if you want to reduce or eliminate seed oils from your diet, consider beef tallow as a replacement fat. But before you start cooking with this animal fat, you may wonder, is beef tallow healthy? This article will answer that question and shed light on beef tallow's health benefits and uses. We aim to empower you to make informed decisions about incorporating this natural fat into your clean, balanced lifestyle.
As you explore your options for reducing seed oils in your diet, check out Seed Oil Scout’s resources for finding seed oil-free restaurants. They'll help you achieve your health goals with delicious, satisfying meals that avoid harmful ingredients.
What is Beef Tallow, and Why is Everyone Talking About It?
Beef tallow is fat from beef, typically derived from the suet around the animal’s kidneys and loins. The fat is melted, clarified, and separated from impurities through rendering.
- First, the fat is cut into small pieces and slowly heated until it liquefies.
- Next, the liquid is strained to remove leftover solids and cools to form a white or light yellow solid at room temperature. Beef tallow is solid at room temperature.
Traditionally, beef tallow was used for high-temperature cooking, such as deep frying and roasting, but it has fallen out of favor. Still, there’s been a resurgence in using it for cooking, especially among people on paleo and keto diets.
Why the Sudden Interest in Beef Tallow?
In recent years, beef tallow has become a healthier cooking fat option. The renewed interest comes as folks have started to avoid seed oils like canola, corn, and soybean oil. Proponents of beef tallow, like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., suggest that seed oils are to blame for the obesity epidemic in the U.S. “Did you know that McDonald’s used to use beef tallow to make their fries from 1940 until phasing it out in favor of seed oils in 1990?”
Kennedy wrote in a recent Instagram post. “This switch was made because saturated animal fats were thought to be unhealthy, but we have since discovered that seed oils are one of the driving causes of the obesity epidemic.”
What Makes Beef Tallow Unique?
What sets beef tallow apart from other cooking fats and has it currently trending in the wellness community is its unique fat profile. Like other solid cooking fats such as butter and coconut oil, beef tallow is primarily saturated. Liquid fats are mainly unsaturated fats, such as:
- Olive oil
- Peanut oil
- Canola oil
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 is considered healthier, which also contains:
- Monounsaturated fats
- Polyunsaturated fats
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). More research is needed about the effects of conjugated linoleic acid.
Beef Tallow Nutrition
Here’s what you can expect for nutrition when you have a tablespoon of beef tallow, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA):
- Calories: 115
- Protein: 0 g
- Fat: 12.8 g
- Saturated fat: 6.37 g
- Cholesterol: 14 mg
Is Beef Tallow Healthy?
Experts stop short of calling beef tallow a healthy food. “As with many foods, it really depends on how much someone is using and what the rest of their diet is like,” Cording says. “It’s all about frequency and having the right variety of foods in our diet.”
But Gans says the saturated fat content in beef tallow is concerning. “Beef tallow has around 50% saturated fat, which, due to its inflammatory properties, has been linked to an increase in heart disease, high total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, and other chronic diseases,” she says.
Benefits of Beef Tallow
There are a few potential perks to using beef tallow for cooking. “The benefits are its high smoke point, rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, which support the immune system and bone health, and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), which is beneficial to skin health,” says Kimberly Prado, D.N.P., a clinical associate professor and integrative health specialist at Rutger Health School of Nursing.
Beef tallow also contains choline, which your brain and nervous system use to regulate:
- Memory
- Mood
- Muscle control, and more.
What are Other Uses for Beef Tallow?
Beef tallow is also gaining popularity for its versatility; in addition to being used in cooking, it can also be used on your skin! Since the composition of beef tallow is similar to natural oils produced by the skin, it can be used as a moisturizer and is gentle on sensitive skin.
CLA has anti-inflammatory benefits that help lock in moisture and reduce oxidation, which, along with the fat-soluble vitamins in beef tallow, may improve skin’s elasticity and overall healthy appearance when applied topically.
Benefits, Risks, and Tips for Use in Diet and Skincare
Adding a high-quality beef tallow to your diet or skincare routine has potential benefits to the inside and outside of your body. High intake of saturated fats is still linked to poor heart health, such as:
- Risk of heart
- Blood vessel disease
It is best to use sparingly as a cooking oil. If you have conditions that warrant a fat-restricted diet, specific skin conditions, or allergies, always consult your healthcare team to ensure this new trend works for your needs.
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Is Beef Tallow Healthy? How Does It Compare to Other Oils?
For years, health experts demonized dietary fat, particularly saturated fat. We are learning that not all fats are created equal and that some, like those found in whole foods, can be beneficial. Much of the controversy centers on beef tallow, a type of animal fat that’s made a comeback as health researchers discover the downsides of seed oils. Seed oils are highly processed industrial oils extracted from the seeds of plants.
Common examples include:
- Canola oil
- Corn oil
- Soy oil
- Sunflower oil
The Controversy Over Health and Inflammation
These oils are ubiquitous in processed foods and fast food restaurants. Experts now say their high omega-6 fatty acid content may contribute to inflammation and other chronic diseases. The American Heart Association still claims that seed oils are heart-healthy, but many health experts disagree.
The debate around seed oils and beef tallow has become so contentious that it has spilled into social media. Some influencers and political figures, like Robert F. Kennedy Junior, have made it their mission to warn others about the dangers of seed oils while promoting the benefits of beef tallow.
What are Seed Oils?
Seed oils derive from the seeds of plants rather than their fruits. Examples include:
- Canola oil
- Corn oil
- Sunflower oil
- Peanut oil
- Sesame oil
- Pumpkin oil
- Chia seed oil
These oils have a high smoke point and are suitable for high-temperature cooking. Seed oils are also generally cheaper than animal fats, which is another reason restaurants may choose them.
Though it may appear that seed oils have been “canceled” on social media, experts say demonizing them is an oversimplification. “Seed oils offer pros and cons,” Kristen White, RDN, a private practice dietitian in Springfield, Missouri, told Health.
Benefits, Risks, and the Debate Over Omega-6 Fats
“They’re rich in polyunsaturated fats and vitamin E, which are beneficial in moderation.” Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of Health Shots, points to a 2024 study that found that consuming seed oils high in unsaturated fat was associated with numerous health benefits, including reduced risk of:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Type 2 diabetes
Seed oils aren’t perfect. “They’re high in omega-6 fats, which may promote inflammation if consumed in excess, and they can become unstable at high heat, forming harmful byproducts,” White said. She explained that when highly refined, seed oils may also lose nutrients and contain traces of trans fats—known for increasing bad cholesterol and decreasing good cholesterol.
Is Beef Tallow a Healthier Cooking Fat Than Seed Oils?
According to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the answer is a resounding yes. On Oct. 21, Kennedy took to Instagram to say that “seed oils are one of the driving causes of the obesity epidemic.”
Kennedy, an environmental lawyer whom Trump has promised to let “go wild” on public health, explained that the rise in American obesity correlates with fast food restaurants’ switch from beef tallow to seed oils in their fryers—particularly McDonald’s, which he says cooked its fries in beef tallow until the 1990s.
Social Media Debate on Health Risks and Benefits
Kennedy isn’t the only one on social media to claim that using seed oils can harm health. Influencers like That Crunchy Mom Kate, who has over 220,000 followers on TikTok, have also railed against seed oils. “I think we should be banning canola oil and vegetable oil,” she said in a TikTok video from September. “These are not heart-healthy, and if you just go YouTube how canola oil is made, you will literally throw up.” She tells her followers that if she “had to pick” something to cook with, it would be ghee, beef tallow, or avocado oil.
Meanwhile, The American Heart Association maintains that there’s “no reason” to avoid seed oils and encourages their consumption for heart health benefits. So what’s the truth? Can you stick to seed oils without concern, or is it time to “Make Frying Oil Tallow Again,” as Kennedy suggests?
How Do Seed Oils and Beef Tallow Compare for Nutrition and Health?
Is one superior because seed oils and beef tallow potentially benefit nutrition and high-heat cooking? “Choosing one over the other is nuanced and is dependent on a person’s lifestyle, behavior, and environmental circumstances,” Emma Laing, PhD, RDN, FAND, a clinical professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Georgia, told Health.
Beef tallow and seed oils like canola or soybean have similar calorie counts, Laing said. “However, beef tallow has more choline, vitamin D, cholesterol, and saturated fat,” she said, “whereas seed oils have more vitamin E, vitamin K, and unsaturated fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids).”
Choosing the Right Oil Based on Health Goals
These nutritional features may carry different weights depending on your health goals. “People who frequently cook at high temperatures or want to reduce omega-6 intake might find tallow useful, while those needing to limit saturated fats may do better with seed oil use or oils rich in monounsaturated fats,” White said.
Amidor emphasizes, however, that frying food in beef tallow has notable drawbacks for cardiovascular health. “Frying food is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” she said. “Adding more saturated fat just compounds the ill effects of using beef tallow on a regular basis.”
Is Beef Tallow Healthier Than Butter?
Beef tallow and butter are different but have a few similar qualities. “From a saturated fat perspective, they are almost equal, and both should be consumed moderately,” Gans says. But Cording says you’re okay with using beef tallow “or good, high-quality butter” over a lot of margarine, which is heavily processed. “I wouldn’t tell someone to convert all of their cooking to beef tallow, though,” Cording says. “I don’t think that would have nutritional benefit.”
Related Reading
- Is Beef Tallow Healthier Than Butter
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- Does Wingstop Use Beef Tallow
Find Seed Oil Free Restaurants with Seed Oil Scout − Download for Free Today
Seed Oil Scout helps health-conscious diners locate restaurants that cook without seed oils. The app offers detailed information about cooking fats and restaurant ingredients nationwide. From finding beef tallow fries to grass-fed beef and raw milk sources, the app makes it simple to discover and verify restaurants that align with your dietary preferences.
As the only comprehensive database for seed oil-free dining, it eliminates the guesswork for those seeking alternatives to conventional restaurant cooking oils. Find seed oil-free restaurants with Seed Oil Scout − download for free today.
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