Some of America’s biggest restaurant chains are signing on with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and changing how they cook your favorite fast food meals.
The new US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) revealed that Popeyes, Outback Steakhouse, Sweetgreen, and Buffalo Wild Wings have already stopped using or plan to move away from cooking with seed oils.
The chains are following the lead of burger chain Steak ‘n Shake, which credited the 71-year-old for their decision to ‘RFK’ their fries in beef tallow from now on.
Seed oils have also been linked to several health problems including diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and inflammatory bowel disease.
But some studies, including one last week, actually found solid fats like butter were worse for people’s health, confusing the matter.
RFK Jr. has been advocating for the change in the American diet, warning that frying foods in seed oils is also ‘one of the driving causes of the obesity epidemic.’
Popeyes, which uses oil to fry both their chicken and fries, has also switched to beef tallow. Similarly, Outback Steakhouse is using beef tallow to prepare wings, fried mushrooms, fried shrimp, coconut shrimp, and their famous Bloomin’ Onion.
US Secretary of Health and Human Services RFK Jr. enjoyed some beef tallow-cooked fries during an interview with Sean Hannity at a Florida Steak ‘n Shake, claiming that they’re now healthier and taste better
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met with the CEOs of several major food companies on Monday to discuss advancing food safety and product transparency
Meanwhile, Buffalo Wild Wings reportedly now uses beef shortening made from beef fat to cook their French fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, and wings.
As for salad chain Sweetgreen, they’ve switched from seed oils to extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil for roasting vegetables and proteins.
Those changes could go even further soon, as RFK Jr. also met with the CEOs of major food companies, including General Mills, Kellogg’s, Kraft Heinz, and Pepsi, on Monday.
During the meeting, RFK Jr. said the CEOs and federal officials discussed issues of ‘radical transparency’ when it comes to protecting Americans from certain ingredients these companies reportedly use in their foods.
He wrote on X that, ‘We will strengthen consumer trust by getting toxins out of our food.’
RFK Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ campaign has focused heavily on raising awareness about the products that he claims are shortening lifespans and killing Americans.
With Popeyes, Outback Steakhouse, and Buffalo Wild Wings moving to cook their chicken, shrimp, French fries, and other deep fried offerings in beef fat, consumers may actually experience a boost in heart health.
The Mayo Clinic explained that some of the saturated fat in beef tallow is known as stearic acid, which doesn’t appear to raise cholesterol levels in the same way that other saturated fats do.
Moreover, beef tallow contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which studies suggest may actually provide more heart-healthy benefits.
Sweetgreen’s switch to extra virgin olive oil means they’re cooking vegetables and proteins in the least processed form of olive oil – preserving more of the natural antioxidants and vitamins.
As for the seed oils many of these foods are cooked in at other fast food eateries, scientists have had mixed opinions on the harm these fats may do to the human body.
RFK Jr. visited a Florida Steak ‘n Shake after the company announced that it was officially switching from seed oil to beef tallow at all of their 400+ locations
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, the HHS secretary said that seed oils are the ‘principal culprit’ in the epidemic of chronic disease sweeping through the US.
RFK Jr. explained that liquid fats like olive oil, peanut oil, and canola oil are one of the main components of processed foods and ultra-processed foods.
Processed food refers to any food that has been altered from its natural state through methods such as cooking, freezing, canning, drying, or packaging.
Meanwhile, ultra-processed foods go a step further, using industrial formulations that typically contain little to no whole foods.
They are also packed with preservatives, artificial flavors, and sweeteners to enhance their taste, texture, and shelf life. This group includes fast food and junk food.
A recent study in The Journal of Nutrition revealed that more than half of the average American’s diet is now made up of ultra-processed foods.
Another report from The BMJ found that consuming large amounts of processed meat, processed foods, and ultra-processed junk food displayed a link to heart disease, colorectal cancer, and a higher risk of premature death.
RFK Jr. revealed that Popeyes, Outback Steakhouse, Sweetgreen, and Buffalo Wild Wings have already stopped using or plan to replace seed oils in their cooking methods
While the American Heart Association has argued that there is ‘no reason’ to avoid vegetable oils, other studies have found much more cause for concern.
This includes a 2023 study by the University of California that linked the consumption of soybean oil to higher rates of ulcerative colitis – a disease causing chronic inflammation of the large intestine.
RFK Jr. said that his mission as HHS secretary was to ‘inform Americans about what’s making them sick.’
The lifelong Democrat added that, on the issue of potentially banning certain foods or cooking products, he’s switched to a ‘libertarian outlook.’
‘People should be able to make their own choices. If you want to eat a donut, or seed oils, you should be able to,’ RFK Jr. added.
‘You should be able to exercise informed choice,’ he continued. ‘You should know what that product is, what’s in your food and what the health impacts are. That’s all we’re going to do.’
Along with making the cooking process healthier, RFK Jr. added that cooking foods in beef tallow would also increase the flavor of America’s French fries.
Food experts tend to agree, with WildFoods explaining that frying food in beef tallow (which is rendered beef fat) gives your meal a fuller-bodied flavor compared to most vegetable oils, which have no flavor at all.
Popeyes, the second-largest fast food chicken chain in the US (behind only Chick-fil-A), has over 3,100 locations throughout the country.
Together with Buffalo Wild Wings (1,337 US restaurants), Outback Steakhouse (675 restaurants), and Sweetgreen (over 140 locations), the chains deciding to ‘RFK’ their foods will likely mean millions of Americans will experience a completely new taste to their food in 2025.
