Two of the most influential voices in U.S. nutrition guidance are aligned on the basics, yet they diverge on two major cooking ingredients:\u00a0butter and beef tallow.<\/p>\n
As traditional cooking fats, butter and beef tallow infuse flavor into dishes and can\u00a0make meals\u00a0more satisfying, but they are calorie-dense.<\/p>\n
The 2025\u20132030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, developed by the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA), include the two as healthy cooking options.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhen cooking\u00a0with or adding fats to meals, prioritize oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil,\u201d the guidelines state. \u201cOther options can include butter or beef tallow.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201c[W]e encourage consumers to prioritize plant-based proteins,\u00a0seafood and\u00a0lean meats and to limit high-fat animal products including red meat, butter, lard and tallow,<\/a> which are linked to increased cardiovascular risk,\u201d the Dallas, Texas-based organization said.<\/p>\n In response to questions from Fox News Digital, both the AHA and HHS emphasized their shared objectives over any differences.<\/p>\n US nutrition guidance bodies, HHS\/USDA and AHA, disagree on butter and beef tallow as healthy cooking options. exclusive-design \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n The AHA \u201cis aligned with the Dietary Guidelines on the major issues: eat\u00a0real food, avoid highly processed food and limit refined grains and added sugar,\u201d Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for HHS, told Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe look forward to working collaboratively with the AHA to evangelize these core principles and reverse the diet-related chronic disease<\/a> epidemic.\u201d<\/p>\n The AHA, on the other hand, said in a statement \u201cthat lasting progress happens when we come together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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,\u201d the AHA spokesperson said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have canola oil that\u2019s been sitting in a fryer all day \u2026 it\u2019s bitter, and you can taste that old grease on the food.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTogether, we will create a future in which longer, healthier lives are within reach for all.\u201d<\/p>\n The AHA spokesperson also noted that the HHS guidelines are \u201cconsistent in many important ways\u201d with its own, including\u00a0avoiding ultraprocessed foods\u00a0<\/a>and eating whole foods.<\/p>\n Though butter and beef tallow aren\u2019t small issues, California-based\u00a0celebrity chef Andrew Gruel\u00a0said the debate misses a bigger issue.<\/p>\n The American Heart Association urges caution on butter and tallow, citing cardiovascular risks. David Pimborough \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n He said it\u2019s really about how Americans actually cook.<\/p>\n Gruel, who is part of the\u00a0Make America Healthy Again (MAHA)<\/a>\u00a0movement, told Fox News Digital the issue is that Americans already use too much fat when they cook \u2014 and that, by switching to traditional ingredients, they can actually reduce it.<\/p>\n \u201cI always encourage the saturated fats, in addition to avocado oil and olive oil,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not always, for me, butter and beef tallow or pork fat. \u2026 I use a lot of lard or even schmaltz, which is chicken fat.\u201d<\/p>\n