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Steak ‘n Shake’s new chief MAHA officer: We’re going ‘back to the glory days of fast food’

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by Sophie Brams - 04/25/26 2:38 PM ET

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by Sophie Brams - 04/25/26 2:38 PM ET

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Steak ‘n Steak is revamping its ingredients and cooking methods in a move it says aligns with the Trump administration’s health agenda, an effort the chain’s new chief Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) officer said Saturday is intended to restore “glory days of fast food.”

“Our message is simple,” Michael Boes said during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.” “We want Americans to eat food, and we’re going back to the glory days of fast food when that occurred.”

Boes, who previously served as senior adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was tapped earlier this week to oversee an ongoing effort to position the restaurant as what executives have described as a “good differentiator” in fast food.

The chain captured national attention last year when it switched from using vegetable oil to beef tallow to cook fries. Other changes include offering cane sugar Coca-Cola beverages to customers and switching to 100% Grade A Wisconsin butter and a2 milk products.

Steak ‘n Shake also said it had begun transitioning away from seed oils and microwave use in its restaurants.

“You’re not removing milkshakes from the menu, right?” host Griff Jenkins teased.

“Actually, ice cream can be healthy, and I think milkshakes can be healthy too, right? If you just have sugar, egg yolks, cream, those are all great things, right?” Boes replied. “It’s when you add all those emulsifiers and added chemicals, you get down the bad stuff.”

“So we’re going to get back to normal, simple ingredients,” he added.

Boes also maintained that the changes would not lead to an increase in prices — a concern often cited as a leading barrier to healthier eating habits for Americans.

“We’re taking a long-term view,” he said. “Fortunately, we operate as a private entity, and so we believe if we do right by the customers, the market’s going to reward us.”

HHS, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has moved to reshape federal nutrition policy since the start of President Trump’s second term.

The department rolled out updated dietary guidelines in early January that advised Americans to avoid “highly processed foods” and added sugars and instead prioritize whole foods and proteins.

“The new framework centers on protein and healthy fats, vegetables, fruits and whole grains,” Kennedy said while unveiling the new food pyramid in a White House press briefing. “It’s upside down, a lot of people say. It was actually upside down before.”

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