Butter, beef tallow debate isn't over as heart experts warn of risks and US guidelines differ on fats

Two of the most influential voices in U.S. nutrition guidance are aligned on the basics, yet they diverge on two major cooking ingredients: butter and beef tallow.

As traditional cooking fats, butter and beef tallow infuse flavor into dishes and can make meals more satisfying, but they are calorie-dense.

The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, developed by the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA), include the two as healthy cooking options.

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"When cooking with or adding fats to meals, prioritize oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil," the guidelines state. "Other options can include butter or beef tallow."

But when the guidelines were released in January, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued a statement urging a cautious, evidence-based approach to using butter and tallow.

"[W]e encourage consumers to prioritize plant-based proteins, seafood and lean meats and to limit high-fat animal products including red meat, butter, lard and tallow, which are linked to increased cardiovascular risk," the Dallas, Texas-based organization said.

In response to questions from Fox News Digital, both the AHA and HHS emphasized their shared objectives over any differences.

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The AHA "is aligned with the Dietary Guidelines on the major issues: eat real food, avoid highly processed food and limit refined grains and added sugar," Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for HHS, told Fox News Digital. 

"We look forward to working collaboratively with the AHA to evangelize these core principles and reverse the diet-related chronic disease epidemic."

The AHA, on the other hand, said in a statement "that lasting progress happens when we come together."

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"We are committed to working alongside government and all aligned partners across health care, academia, the private sector and communities nationwide to advance practical, evidence-based solutions that make healthy choices easier for everyone," the AHA spokesperson said.

"Together, we will create a future in which longer, healthier lives are within reach for all."

The AHA spokesperson also noted that the HHS guidelines are "consistent in many important ways" with its own, including avoiding ultraprocessed foods and eating whole foods.

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Though butter and beef tallow aren't small issues, California-based celebrity chef Andrew Gruel said the debate misses a bigger issue.

He said it's really about how Americans actually cook.

Gruel, who is part of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, told Fox News Digital the issue is that Americans already use too much fat when they cook — and that, by switching to traditional ingredients, they can actually reduce it.

"I always encourage the saturated fats, in addition to avocado oil and olive oil," he said.

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"It's not always, for me, butter and beef tallow or pork fat. ... I use a lot of lard or even schmaltz, which is chicken fat."

Using these fats, Gruel said, yields "a much cleaner, more pronounced flavor."

"And as a result, you use less of it," he said. "Using less of a higher-quality fat in the long run is a net negative in regard to how much fat you're using. And that is the key."

He offered a simple analogy: Would you rather spread butter on toast, or pour a cup of soybean oil over it?

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That difference is even more noticeable in real-world kitchens, where oils are often left at high heat for hours, Gruel said.

"If you have canola oil that's been sitting in a fryer all day … it's bitter, and you can taste that old grease on the food," he noted.

Gruel said MAHA advocates and animal fat skeptics still have a common denominator: olive oil.

"We know olive oil is good. So much of what we consume off the shelf has these low-quality industrial seed oils in it," Gruel said. "Even if you're taking something like a vinaigrette, making it at home isn't just healthier, it's also cheaper."

He continued, "There are so many ways we can cut some of these fats out of our diet just by cooking one more meal a week at home or making a condiment fresh. That's really the key."