My mom is from Alabama, and I grew up on everything fried in bacon grease. There was also either potatoes or rice at every meal, and gravy, also made with bacon grease. She even added a bit of bacon grease to cooked vegetables. Much to her dismay, I've never been much of a gravy fan. The first change I had to make when I got out on my own was to use canola oil for frying. Second change was to quit frying! That didn't happen until about 2 years ago.
Takes time to change a lifetime of bad habits.