ORLANDO, Fla. – Fast food can be an easy option if you are on the go or pressed for time. However, vegans and vegetarians have limited choices.
In 2019, fast-food chains are growing their vegan menus, aiming to be more inclusive to those with dietary preferences. Here are some locations and menu options here in Central Florida.
Del Taco
This fast-food chain doesn’t just provide modifications but offers special vegan tacos. Their Beyond Avocado Taco is made from Beyond-meat and has slices of avocado instead of cheese. Their Beyond Tacos can be made vegan if ordered without cheese. Other vegan options include their Avocado Veggie Bowl, Hashbrown Sticks and fries.
To find locations in your area, click here.
Subway
This sandwich spot has many options if you’re vegan or in the mood for a meatless lunch. They offer a Beyond Meatball Marinara sub, which can be ordered without cheese. Those craving a meatless alternative can also order a Veggie Delite and also ditch the cheese. Veggie patties are an option but not available at every location.
To find locations in your area, click here.
Chipotle
Chipotle changed the bowl and burrito culture in 2014, by adding sofritas. Sofritas is drained shredded tofu with chipotle chili and chili peppers. Before this, the only vegan option was beans. Now, vegans and vegetarians can customize their bowl, burrito, taco or salads with this meatless option. If you’re not a fan of the sofritas, you can order the vegetarian option. The perk is there is no additional charge for guacamole.
To find locations in your area, click here.
Burger King
Whether you are craving meatless fast food for breakfast, lunch or dinner Burger King has options. The french toast sticks are vegan, and the new Impossible Whopper is good for lunch or dinner. Burger King’s Impossible Whopper is completely vegan when you opt-out of the mayo and cheese. Burger King’s garden salad without cheese and a dairy dressing is another good meatless option. Other choices include hashbrowns, french fries and even the apple pie.
To find locations in your area, click here.
Taco Bell
Craving meat-free tacos? Taco Bell has you covered. This fast-food chain offers a vegetarian menu and allows you to modify nearly all of the options by simply saying “fresco style,” which replaces cheese and dairy with pico de gallo. The vegetarian menu includes options like the Black Bean Crunchwrap, fresco style, the fresco style Black Bean Quesarito, 7-Layer Burrito without the cheese and sour cream, cheese-free Bean Burrito and even the cinnamon twists are vegan. A little bonus, the guac is also vegan-friendly.
To find locations in your area, click here.
Chick-fil-A
Surprisingly, a fast-food chain with the word chick in it does offer several meatless alternatives. Chick-fil-A’s hashbrowns, waffle fries, and sunflower bagel are all vegan friendly. Costumers have the option of ordering the spicy southwest salad, grilled market salad and the grilled chicken cool wrap all without chicken and cheese.
To find locations in your area, click here.
Blaze Pizza
Pizza can be for vegans and vegetarians too. This pizza chain has its famed Life Mode pizza which is a vegetarian and vegan style pizza with vegan cheese and spicy vegan chorizo.
To find locations in your area, click here.
Panera Bread
This fast-food chain does offer vegan and meatless alternatives, but there aren’t any meat substitutions. You can order a variety of salads without cheese or chicken. However, Panera’s Seasonal Greens salad does have vegan customization like quinoa. Customers can also choose from the Ten Vegetable Soup, Mediterranean Veggie without feta or the Soba Noodle Broth Bowl with edamame blend.
To find locations in your area, click here.
Dunkin'
Craving some coffee, but you don’t want to drink it black? Dunkin’ Donuts offers almond milk and other milk substitutions. As for food, the bagels, English muffins, hash browns and oatmeal are all vegan, but now you can order the Beyond Sausage Breakfast Sandwich without the egg and cheese.
To find locations in your area, click here.
Although fast-food restaurants are aiming to be more accommodating, not all physicians believe vegan and vegetarian fast food alternatives are necessarily healthier. Michelle Parlo, a physician assistant and clinic director at the U.S. Stem Cell Clinic, said these vegan options still contain chemicals and additives.
“They are no healthier than the chicken or the burgers that are offered in fast food restaurants now,” Parlo said. “But people aren’t going to fast food for healthy options, they are going for cheap and easy quick. If you want healthy fast-food, you could go into a grocery store.”
Although Parlo believes vegan burgers aren’t the healthiest, she still acknowledges it does provide more options.
“I think you should have options,” she said. “I think the con is it’s being sold as healthy.”
Remember, vegan and vegetarian options can be for everyone, but not everyone may like them. Give us your opinion in our poll below.