Steak 'n Shake is betting on a return to simpler ingredients as part of a broader push that executives say mirrors the Trump administration's health priorities. The chain has named Michael Boes, a former senior adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services, as its first chief Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) officer.
Boes announced the move Saturday on Fox & Friends, framing the overhaul as a way to bring back what he called the "glory days of fast food." The company has already made several high-profile changes, including switching from vegetable oil to beef tallow for frying french fries, offering cane-sugar-sweetened Coca-Cola, and adopting 100% Grade A Wisconsin butter and a2 milk products.
"Our message is simple: We want Americans to eat food," Boes said. He emphasized that the chain is phasing out seed oils and microwaves, aiming for a more traditional cooking process.
When pressed on whether milkshakes would survive the makeover, Boes pushed back on the notion that they're inherently unhealthy. "Ice cream can be healthy," he argued. "If you just have sugar, egg yolks, cream, those are all great things. It's when you add all those emulsifiers and added chemicals that you get down the bad stuff."
The appointment comes as HHS, under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been reshaping federal nutrition guidelines. In January, the department released updated dietary advice urging Americans to avoid highly processed foods and added sugars, instead prioritizing whole foods, proteins, and healthy fats. Kennedy described the new food pyramid as "upside down" compared to previous guidelines.
Boes insisted the ingredient shift won't raise prices, a common barrier to healthier eating. "We're taking a long-term view," he said. "We operate as a private entity, and we believe if we do right by the customers, the market's going to reward us."
The chain's strategy mirrors a broader political push by the Trump administration to link food policy with public health. Critics, however, have questioned whether fast food can truly be part of a healthy diet, even with cleaner ingredients.
Steak 'n Shake's move has drawn attention beyond the restaurant industry, with some analysts viewing it as a test case for how consumer brands can align with the administration's health messaging without alienating cost-conscious customers.
