- Whether nursing a hangover, you're in a hurry,
or you just have a hankering for your favorite drive-through
sometimes a greasy meal is a necessity.
And yes, we're all striving to live healthy lifestyles,
but a plant-based diet
doesn't have to be just nuts and berries.
But don't worry:
there's no ham in the burgers we're about to bite into.
Here are ten conventional fast food joints
with vegan and vegetarian options.
Fried chicken is the ultimate comfort food.
Thanks to KFC,
we can now fill that craving sans the chicken.
The global brand has partnered with Beyond Meat in the US
to produce a vegan version of its iconic fried chicken.
After testing the product
in Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte,
the Beyond Fried Chicken finally landed
at over 50 locations in Southern California.
Hopefully the love will spread across the rest of the US,
and it appears it will.
Plant based meat sales will reach 1 billion dollars in 2020,
mostly due to curious meat eaters
and plant-forward munchers,
much to vegans and flexitarians' delight.
Outside of the US,
KFC has teamed up with Quorn in the UK
and Lightlife in Canada.
So, friends across the globe can partake.
In the olden days of BC,
Before COVID
we'd say this news was finger lickin' good,
but please, if you do that,
wash your hands for two "Happy Birthdays" beforehand.
Our favorite place to caffeinate
is now serving up oat milk across Canadian cafes this fall.
They've also rolled out Oatly! Oat milk beverages
to over 1,300 Midwestern cafes in the US.
While the rest of us wait for oat milk to arrive
at our local Starbucks,
they have coconut, soy and almond milks
available on their standard menu.
It just might cost you a little extra.
But the most exciting news
for those of you feeling peckish on your morning coffee run:
Starbucks is testing a plant-based breakfast sandwich
and quiche-like bite at a location in the Seattle area,
AKA the Starbucks motherland.
The sandwich retails for five dollars and 45 cents,
and is made with a mung bean based egg,
dairy-free cheese, and a plant-based meat patty.
Our mouths are watering in anticipation
of a nationwide launch.
Dunkin' Donuts has recently rebranded to just Dunkin',
and a few other things are changing for Dunkin' fans,
but only for the better.
Word on the street is that vegan donuts are in development,
and in the meantime, while you wait for those donuts,
the company is offering Beyond breakfast sandwiches,
which, without the cheese and egg, are completely vegan.
And if that's not enough,
they are now offering almond and oat milks
to go in their delicious coffee.
So fuel up, because, as the slogan goes,
America runs on Dunkin'.
Shake it off friends.
Although not the company's first foray
into the vegetarian space
for those of you familiar with the 'Shroom Burger,
they've never had a vegan option until now.
New York City locations have an in-house vegan burger
dubbed the Veggie Shack.
The burger is a throwback to veggie burgers of old,
because it's made from brown rice, black beans, and beets,
rather than a meatier substitute.
However, the company is in talks with Beyond Meat
and Impossible Foods for a wider rollout
of more vegan options at its 300 plus locations worldwide.
For now, those in the Big Apple
get to take a bite out of this tasty burger.
Vegan croissant anyone?
This popular UK establishment
now has a few offshoot locations
specifically dedicated to vegetarian foods
named Veggie Pret.
The most exciting news:
These locations are now equipped
with a completely vegan bakery counter.
But don't worry
if you can't get to one of the Veggie Pret locations,
there are a few vegan options at their regular stores.
So it's easy to grab a sandwich and go.
Who's hungry? I don't know about you,
but I'm ready to manger some veg.
The Mexican inspired fast food chain
is adding vegan meat nationwide, set to arrive in 2021.
The company has tested both Beyond Meat
and Impossible Foods,
but they have not made a decision who to go with as of yet.
Their rival, Del Taco, has already had great success
adding Beyond Meat to its menu
at all 508 locations nationwide.
For the time being,
customers at Taco Bell can also order menu items
in its Veggie Mode at their kiosks,
an easy way to make their regular meals plant-based.
Way to think outside the bun, Taco Bell.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
aren't the only royalty stateside.
Burger King has done the impossible in the US
by adding a Whopper and breakfast Croissan'wich
made from meat from Impossible Foods.
The company is also launching vegan nuggets in Germany.
So, grab that tiara, hit the drive-through,
and be on your way.
While on the subject of royals,
White Castle introduced the Impossible Slider
way back in 2018.
More recently, they have made them a permanent staple
at all their locations.
They are also the first major fast food chain
to offer vegan cheese,
which they are rolling out at select locations.
This isn't just a meal that's fit for a king or queen,
we're pretty sure that if Harold and Kumar
were to head to White Castle in 2020,
they'd opt for the vegan variety.
Fast, casual, high-temp pizza establishments
have popped up all over the place the past several years.
Blaze is special for many reasons,
including being backed by NBA champ LeBron James.
Another reason why they're a winner?
The pizza chain has added meat-free spicy chorizo
at all of its restaurants in America.
Besides that,
Blaze also offers around 20 veggie toppings and ingredients,
Daiya diary-free cheese,
and all of their red sauces are vegan.
The result? Fire.
The iconic fast food chain is late to the party,
but better late than never.
Mickey D's has plans to roll out a vegan burger
in the US soon.
And just in,
Hong Kong and Macau have just rolled out a vegetarian menu
centered around OmniPork Luncheon, a spam alternative.
We're lovin' it.
So, what do you think?
Do you have a favorite plant-based fast food?
Let us know in the comments below.
Until next time, live kindly.