The United States government released a new dietary guideline that signals an important change in recommended foods and diets.
The guidelines, which will be in effect until 2030, suggest a strong focus on eating whole foods, cutting back on sugar, and getting more protein. They also make room for traditional cooking fats, including beef tallow.
Beef tallow, which is fat rendered from beef, is mentioned directly as a cooking fat. This marks a change in tone from earlier advice that warned against animal fats. The new guidance focuses less on single nutrients and more on the overall quality of food.
Beef tallow is seen as a traditional fat that is stable for cooking and less processed than many modern oils.
In Kenya, although there are no official dietary guidelines that promote beef tallow, its use is becoming more common.
Some households are turning to beef tallow as a natural cooking fat, choosing it over refined vegetable oils.
According to Wanjiku Njenga, a consultant dietitian at the Aga Khan University Hospital, tallow is “essentially fat from meat”.
“You remove it, boil to render, and once cooled, it becomes usable for cooking. No additives, no chemicals, just fat in its natural form,” she says.
In Kenyan kitchens, beef tallow is used for frying, cooking beans, vegetables, and meat, and for general food preparation. Its adherents say it is filling, flavourful, and closer to traditional ways of cooking.
Ms Wanjiku says tallow provides energy and helps the body absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K when used in moderation.
“These vitamins can’t be absorbed without fat, and tallow supports that process naturally,” she explains.
The growing interest is also visible in the market. Food-grade beef tallow is now sold in butcheries, local markets, and online shops. Some products are made locally from grass-fed cattle, while others are imported. Beef tallow is also sold for non-food uses such as skin care, which has helped raise awareness of the product.
Beef has always been part of many Kenyan diets, especially in pastoral and rural communities. National nutrition advice in Kenya focuses more on protein from many sources including meat, fish, poultry, and legumes rather than specific fats. Fat intake beyond common cooking oil is not widely measured, so beef tallow use is mostly shaped by culture, cost, and personal choice.
Entrepreneurs are cashing in on the fat renaissance. Real Beef Kenya, founded by Peter and Tabitha Kang’ethe, sells tallow nationwide. Since launching in 2023, their sales have grown from 20 to over 300 kilos per month.
“Our company is certified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards,” Peter says. “We started small, but now more people are embracing tallow in their kitchens.”
Peter identifies three main customer types: health-conscious individuals, curious traditionalists, and older adults returning to traditional cooking methods. A kilogramme sells for Sh850.
With policy shifts abroad and renewed local interest, beef tallow is seeing increasing use in Kenyan homesteads as a trusted traditional cooking oil.
The US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which mentioned tallow as a cooking option, noted that healthy eating patterns should be built around whole foods and limit highly processed products.
One of the biggest changes in the new advice is protein, as Americans are now encouraged to eat more protein than before. The guidelines suggest that people should get more protein each day to support health and balance in the body. Both animal and plant sources are included, and they include beef, chicken, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds.
According to the guidelines, “Protein is important for muscle health, strength, and normal body function across all ages.”
While some experts still question whether higher protein intake is needed for everyone, the government position is clear that protein plays a key role in daily nutrition.
Another message in the new guidelines is about sugar. Added sugar is no longer seen as part of a healthy diet. The advice says people should avoid foods and drinks with added sugar as much as possible. These include sweets, sugary drinks, and heavily processed foods. The focus is on eating food in its natural form rather than refined or packaged products.
The guidelines state: “Added sugars do not support health and should be limited as much as possible.”
The most talked about shift, however, is in how fats are treated. In the past, saturated fats were often discouraged. The new guidelines take a different approach. They encourage fats that come from whole foods.
According to the guidelines, “The message is not to fear fat, but to choose fats that come from real food and use them wisely.”
The government now says these fats can be part of a healthy diet when eaten in reasonable amounts.
