Get the Vegan Whopper! PETA’s Cow-lossal Message Rises Above Sunset Boulevard Burger King

From peta.org

Hollywood, Calif. – Diners in search of a fast-food fix on Sunset Boulevard this month are in for an udderly unexpected sight: with two enormous cows staring accusingly down from above and asking, “Would It Kill You to Get a Vegan Burger?” The message is directly across from Burger King, where customers can choose the kind option – a vegan Whopper topped with tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and pickles—and swap the mayo for ketchup, mustard, or barbecue sauce, making it 100% animal- and artery-friendly. PETA notes that the fast-food chain’s French fries, onion rings, hash browns, French toast sticks, and syrup are also vegan. Additional photos are available here.

“Burger King’s vegan options make it easy to order kind meals that are full of flavour and free from animal exploitation,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA encourages everyone to consider who went into that burger and let animals live in peace by simply ordering vegan.”

Cows have friends and mourn when a loved one dies or when they’re separated from each other. In the meat industry, they’re crammed into filthy sheds and feedlots, endure routine mutilations including tail docking, castration, and dehorning with no painkillers, and are slaughtered at just a fraction of their natural lifespan.

Each person who chooses vegan foods spares nearly 200 animals every year and reduces their own risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity. PETA’s free vegan starter kit is filled with tips to help anyone looking to make the switch.

PETA’s billboard is located near 7107 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness.

https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/get-the-vegan-whopper-petas-cow-lossal-message-rises-above-sunset-boulevard-burger-king/ 

Burger King Austria Ditches Dairy for Oatly’s Oat Milk in All Hot Drinks

From greenqueen.com.hk

By Anay Mridul

Burger King Austria has announced that all hot drinks will now be made exclusively with Oatly’s Baristamatic oat milk, phasing out cow’s milk while retaining the price.

                                                                                     Courtesy: Burger King/Green Queen

In a move intended to encourage the uptake of sustainable options, Burger King Austria is dumping the cow for oats.

The fast-food chain is now offering Oatly’s Baristamatic oat milk as the default option for hot drinks in all stores across the country, whether it’s a cappuccino or a hot chocolate. Dairy is no longer available as a choice for these menu items.

The decision is part of Burger King’s drive to offer more climate-friendly offerings to customers without a compromise on flavour. “Following the popular plant-based burger variations, the conversion of the entire coffee offering is another milestone that demonstrates that sustainable enjoyment and great taste are not mutually exclusive,” the company said in a press release.

Burger King lauds Oatly’s climate credentials

                                                                                                                   Courtesy: Oatly

Explaining the change, Burger King noted that Oatly’s oat milk delivers on the taste frontier, with much fewer emissions than cow’s milk.

The Baristamatic version was unveiled at the Anuga Alternatives fair in Cologne this month, and is made specifically for automatic coffee machines. The product is optimised to reduce sedimentation and retain the foamability, full-bodied mouthfeel, and taste of the company’s standard barista oat milk.

Developed for the out-of-home market, Oatly Baristamatic comes in larger 1.5-litre packs, enabling efficient use for the hospitality industry and cutting down on packaging waste.

Life-cycle analysis has shown that a litre of the new product is responsible for emitting 0.53kg of CO2e, around half of the climate footprint of the average cow’s milk product in Austria.

Burger King also nodded to Oatly’s status as the world’s first climate solutions company in the food sector, which confirms that at least 90% of the oat milk maker’s revenues come from products with a 50% lower emission footprint than standard market options. In addition, it means Oatly has a near-term emissions target and a net-zero goal covering Scopes 1, 2 and 3.

By partnering with a climate-forward company and eliminating dairy – which makes up about 4% of the world’s emissions – from hot drinks, Burger King Austria is aiming to set a “strong example for conscious consumption” in the foodservice industry.

“With the Oatly Baristamatic Oat Drink, we are setting a new standard for plant-based drinks in the professional field in terms of functionality and taste,” said Roland Griesebner, managing director of Oatly DACH and Poland.

“Together with Burger King Austria, we have recognised the great potential for sustainable changes in the industry and made a decision on the direction for the food transition in the out-of-home market,” he added.

Burger King builds on plant-based legacy by removing dairy

                                                                                   Courtesy: Burger King/Green Queen

This isn’t the first time Burger King has put vegan options front and centre. In 2022, it conducted a trial at a store in Vienna, where customers were given plant-based options instead of conventional meat unless they specifically asked for the latter. And a year later, it made Oatly the default milk option at 10 locations in Germany for two months, at no extra cost.

In fact, the chain has turned over a dozen of its restaurants meat-free worldwide, starting with a site in Cologne, and including a highly publicised month-long experiment in London’s Leicester Square.

These exploits have led Burger King to be named the most vegan-friendly fast-food giant globally, coming out on top against McDonald’s, Subway, Pizza Hut and KFC.

Now, it’s extending that legacy with the move to remove dairy and embrace oat milk instead. Doing so at the same price is a crucial lever for consumer adoption, breaking the pattern of the dairy-free surcharge that coffee shops and foodservice companies face intense scrutiny for.

Consumer research has proven the efficacy of a ‘plant-based by default’ approach, with pricing named a priority strategy. A recent study revealed that changing the ratio of animal- and plant-based dishes in favour of the latter and listing only vegetarian or vegan options on the menu by default are effective techniques to nudge sustainable consumption.

“It’s a strong signal for the entire industry that Burger King Austria will be exclusively using Oatly Baristamatic in its coffee specialties. This step demonstrates that plant-based drinks are no longer just an option, but can become the new standard, without compromising on taste or functionality,” said Oatly’s Griesebner.

“In this way, we are strengthening our pioneering role in the German-speaking market and are pursuing our goal of making the switch to oats as easy and attractive as possible.”

https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/burger-king-austria-oatly-baristamatic-oat-milk-cows-dairy-coffee/ 

The 10 Worst Fast-Food Chains for Vegan Food (USA)

From vegnews.com

From Krispy Kreme to KFC, these US chains have the thinnest vegan offerings right now

Finding vegan options at the big chains isn’t as hard as it used to be. Starbucks is leaning into oat milk for its fall menu, and it stopped charging extra for dairy-free milk. The Impossible Whopper is holding steady at Burger King, and bean-forward burritos and bowls at Taco Bell and Chipotle make grab-and-go possible without a scavenger hunt.

Yet for all the progress, many American chains still lag behind their counterparts abroad, where plant-based mains have turned from novelty into standard fare. Burger King UK publicly set a goal to make half of its menu meat-free by 2030, McDonald’s keeps the McPlant in regular rotation in the UK and Ireland, and KFC UK sells a standing vegan burger—none of which have a true US equivalent.

McDonald’s UK

Even as sales fluctuate, plant-based eating is mainstream. The Good Food Institute and Plant Based Foods Association estimate US retail sales of plant-based foods at more than $8 billion in 2023, with 60 percent of households buying into the category and plant-based milk nearing 15 percent of the milk aisle. Gallup’s 2023 polling puts identification at four percent vegetarian and one percent vegan—small shares, but persistent, and large enough to matter at a drive-thru window. Yet major chains still lag way, way, behind.

Why Europe feels further along

The contrast is not ideological so much as operational: the European market has treated plant-based as a menu pillar rather than a customization. Burger King UK writes of its “commitment to having a 50 percent meat-free menu by 2030,” and McDonald’s made the McPlant a permanent fixture in the UK and Ireland after US pilots fizzled. KFC UK’s vegan burger sits alongside chicken buckets, proving that a fast-food kitchen can carry a dedicated vegan build and keep it simple for staff and guests.

Taco Bell

For US diners, the practical playbook remains the same. Start where the options are explicit—Starbucks for an oat milk latte; Burger King for an Impossible Whopper (hold the mayo); Taco Bell for vegan builds like the Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme (certified by the American Vegetarian Association); and Chipotle for Sofritas bowls. Everywhere else, scan the allergen statements and be ready for heavy modifications.

The worst chains for vegan food

Below are the worst chains for vegan food right now—measured by whether a customer can order a substantive, inherently vegan entrée without major modifications.

Arby’s

1Arby’s

The brand’s slogan says the quiet part out loud. Arby’s offers no plant-based meat entrée in the US, and even “accidentally vegan” options come with caveats about shared fryers. Dessert turnovers and a garden salad exist, but for anyone seeking a proper sandwich, it is a hard pass.

2KFC (US)

KFC briefly tested Beyond Fried Chicken and drew headlines, but the item is not a permanent national fixture. Today, a vegan order amounts to fries, corn, or a side salad. Across the Atlantic, however, KFC UK keeps a dedicated Vegan Burger on menu, a reminder that comparable options could exist here but do not.  

Domino’s

3Domino’s (US)

Domino’s publishes a vegan- and vegetarian-ordering page in the US, but the advice boils down to skipping the cheese entirely. There is no national vegan cheese or plant-based meat topping, and sauces and crusts vary by region. Ask for a pizza without cheese and you are technically accommodated—but that is a modification, not an offering. However, demand for dairy-free cheese is growing, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals recently purchased stock in Domino’s to encourage the fast-food giant to roll out vegan cheese nationwide.

4Pizza Hut (US)

Pizza Hut partnered with Beyond Meat for a limited run years ago, but the chain still does not carry vegan cheese nationally. Its own site suggests ordering vegetable pies without cheese for a “vegan-friendly option.” By contrast, Pizza Hut UK lists Violife vegan cheese and a clearly labelled vegan range.

5Krispy Kreme (US)

For a morning run, doughnuts remain off-limits. The company’s US nutrition page is explicit: “The only animal by-products used in our doughnuts are eggs (whites and yolks) and dairy products (including milk, butter, yogurt, whey, non-fat milk and non-fat whey).” Until the US menu adds a vegan ring (Krispy Kreme has offered vegan items in select international markets), coffee is the only reliable order.

6Chick-fil-A

There is no vegan entrée. The Southwest Veggie Wrap is topped with dairy cheese, and the cauliflower sandwich includes egg and milk in the breading. Waffle fries or a kale salad remain the default vegan pick. And while the limited-time meatless cauliflower sandwich was promising, it was not suitable for vegans as it contained dairy. Even so, the sandwich disappeared after its limited run. 

7In-N-Out

The cult burger chain still treats “veggie burger” as code for a bun filled with condiments and produce. The fries are cooked in vegetable oil, but there is no vegan patty, no dairy-free spreads, and no formal vegan entrée. 

8Sonic Drive-In

Sonic’s own allergen guide is blunt about limitations and cross-contact (and it offers no vegan main). As the document states, “we cannot eliminate the risk of cross-contact or guarantee that any item is free of any allergen and no items are certified gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan.” Tots and fries exist, but that’s about it.

Dunkin’

9Dunkin’ (US)

While it may have dropped “donuts” from its name, they’re still the chain’s biggest draw. And if you’re looking for vegan doughnut options, Dunkin’ is not the place to visit in the US, anyway. Head to the UK for a range of options. In the US, now that the Beyond breakfast sandwich has been phased out, you’ll have to stick with bagels and English muffins, which any doughnut lover knows is no substitute for a donut.

10Five Guys

This burger classic still has no vegan entrée. The standard bun is made with milk and eggs, which means even the “veggie sandwich” default is not vegan unless you turn it into a lettuce-wrapped pile of grilled vegetables—an accommodation, not a menu item. Fries are cooked in peanut oil and can round out a snack, but there is no inherently vegan main on offer.

https://vegnews.com/worst-fast-food-chains-for-vegan-food

7 Vegan Fast-Food Breakfasts to Try (Plus, Recipes to Make Your Own)

From vegnews.com

If you’re in a rush, there are a few fast-food chains that offer vegan breakfast options. Here’s what’s on the menu

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it 1,000 times: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And that’s mainly because it helps to wake you up, boost your energy, and kickstart your metabolism. But when you’re on the go, finding something vegan to eat in the mornings can be a little tricky. While it’s becoming easier to find plant-based options on fast-food main menus, when it comes to breakfast, chains are lagging behind a little. That said, things are getting better. And they’re expected to keep doing so. In fact, by 2026, market research firm Technavio predicts the vegan fast-food market will grow by nearly $19 billion.

But if you’re in a breakfast rush right now, you don’t have to wait four years to find something. There are a handful of options currently available, and we’ve rounded them up below (as well as some recipes you can bookmark for mornings with more time!). But before we get into that, let’s take a closer look at the vegan fast-food market as a whole, and examine why the future is looking promising.

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Fast-food chains are going vegan

Around the world, it’s never been easier to find vegan fast food. In the UK and Ireland, McDonald’s customers can grab the McPlant, for example, and in Hong Kong, vegan spam is on the menu. Also in the UK, KFC sells vegan chicken burgers. And across Europe, the fried chicken chain is also reportedly working on rolling out vegan buckets. Starbucks also sells vegan options in a number of markets, including a plant-based Beyond Meat Breakfast Sandwich in the UK.

But one chain has arguably stood out from the crowd when it comes to meatless offerings. And that’s Burger King. In the US, it offers an Impossible Whopper, but elsewhere, in locations like the UK, the Netherlands, Chile, and Spain, the chain has gone even further and opened up 100-percent vegan locations.

Without a doubt, there’s a plant-based shift happening in fast food. And according to Technavio, it’s being driven by the growing number of vegan consumers around the world. In the last 10 years, the vegan population has risen by about 300 percent, and quite simply, fast-food outlets want to attract their customers.

But it’s not just vegans who buy plant-based fast food. The number of people who identify as flexitarian is also rising. This means they don’t want to ditch animal products completely, but they are looking to reduce their consumption. In the US, more than half of young people consider themselves flexitarian.

Vegan breakfast foods

Increasingly, fast-food chains want to cater to this growing flexitarian demand. This is why Starbucks in the US, for example, does offer an Impossible Breakfast Sandwich, but while the sausage is vegan, it also comes with cheese and egg.

However, there are vegan alternatives to these staple breakfast foods. JUST Egg, for example, offers an egg alternative made with mung beans, but it cooks and tastes just like the real thing. And as the dairy-free market grows, vegan cheese options are becoming available in abundance. Both are available in supermarkets across the US, alongside the Impossible Sausage, which mimics regular breakfast sausage both in taste and texture. Plus, the vegan bacon market is also growing (if you need guidance, we’ve gathered the best bacon brands for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!).

But you don’t have to buy specialty products to enjoy vegan breakfast food. Tofu can scramble and taste just like an egg (especially if you add a little kala namak salt), and mushrooms, tomatoes, and avocado are, of course, naturally plant-based. Plus, you can usually find vegan bagels and English muffin options in most stores.

Vegan fast-food breakfast options

If you’re on the road and you’re looking for some fuel, there are a few vegan fast-food breakfast options available to you. (However, whether or not you’ll be stuck with a plain muffin or a full breakfast burrito depends on where you live!)

Peet’s Coffee

1Peet’s Coffee

If you’re jealous of the Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich, Peet’s Coffee has a very similar alternative on offer. Its Everything Plant-Based Sandwich features a vegan Beyond Meat Breakfast Sausage, complete with JUST Egg and melted dairy-free cheddar. You can wash it down with a Dark Roast coffee, a regular Americano, espresso, or one of its herbal tea options. Plus, the chain also offers non-dairy milk.
find out more

Starbucks

2Starbucks

There is no vegan breakfast sandwich option at Starbucks US right now, sadly. However, vegans are not completely without options. Its avocado spread is plant-based, and so is its range of bagels. Combine the two, and you’ve got a tasty on-the-go meal. You could also grab a vegan protein box in some locations, which features chickpea bites, veggies, and nuts. For a caffeine kick to go with it, the chain serves the usual black coffees and teas, plus it offers a range of milk alternatives (but bear in mind, you still have to pay extra for these in your drink).
find out more

@iwasintheshower/IG

3Burger King

On its daytime menu, Burger King does offer an Impossible Whopper, which can be veganized. So if you arrive at around 10:30 am for a late breakfast, you might be in luck. But if you’re heading out before that, good news! You also have options. In an unexpected twist, the chain’s French Toast Sticks are vegan, and so is the syrup served alongside. If you’re extra hungry, you can also order a side of hash browns. To drink, there’s regular black coffee or orange juice.
find out more

McDonald’s

4McDonald’s

McDonald’s breakfast menu is pretty sparse when it comes to vegan options. But, as well as coffee and juice, you can order a plain English muffin. Unlike Burger King, the chain’s hash browns are not vegan, because they contain beef flavouring.
find out more

Jamba Juice

5Jamba

A nutritious, plant-packed smoothie is a great way to start the day, particularly if you don’t have much of an appetite in the mornings. Jamba offers several plant-based smoothie options, including Watermelon Breeze, Mega Mango, and Pomegranate Paradise. But if you’re feeling peckish, you could also go for Oatmeal, a Vanilla Blue Sky Bowl, or ask for one of the other bowl options to be veganized, removing the honey or yogurt.
find out more

@plantpowerfastfood/IG

6Plant Power Fast Food

If you’re lucky enough to live near one of Plant Power Fast Food’s California locations, then you have breakfast options in abundance. There’s everything from the vegan ‘Egg & Cheese’ Muffin to the ‘Fried Egg & Bacon’ Bagel to the Breakfast Burrito. On the side, you can also enjoy a serving of hash browns. And to wash it down, there’s cold-pressed juice, iced cold brew, and hot coffee.
find out more

HipCityVeg

7HipCityVeg

For those in Washington, DC or Philadelphia, HipCityVeg also has a number of vegan breakfast options. As well as the classic Golden Hash Browns, you can order Breakfast Maple Crispy Chick’n, Wake and Bac’n (with JUST Egg on an English muffin), and Sunnyside Sausage, Egg, and Cheese. To drink, there’s Unsweetened Black Tea, Sweet Green Tea, and the BFG Smoothie.
find out more

How to make a vegan breakfast at home

When you’re not in a morning rush, it’s nice to dedicate some time to whipping up a tasty breakfast. For inspiration, we’ve gathered a few of our favourite vegan recipes below, all of which are guaranteed to get you feeling energized and ready for the day.

Lauren Toyota

1Breakfast Skillet

If you’re craving a hearty breakfast, this skillet of roast potatoes, tofu scramble, hot sauces, and avocados will leave you feeling full and satisfied. It does take a fair amount of prep, and the potatoes will need to be pre-boiled, but the result is more than worth it.
Get the recipe

Hannah Kaminsky

2Scramble Sandwich

If you can’t buy a breakfast sandwich, make one! With tofu as the main ingredient, this recipe for a simple vegan breakfast scramble sandwich is easy to follow. Plus, you can customize it however you please. Fancy something meaty? Throw in a vegan breakfast sausage, too.
Get the recipe

Bailey Ruskus

3Breakfast Tacos

Tacos aren’t just for Tuesdays. They’re for every day of the week, and they make a great breakfast option. Again, the main ingredient in this recipe is tofu, alongside sweet potatoes. But for an extra spicy morning kick, it also calls for homemade ranchero sauce.
Get the recipe

Mareya Ibrahim

4Buckwheat Breakfast Bowl

If you’re after something quick, easy, and nutritious, this buckwheat breakfast bowl will do the trick. All you need is almond milk, buckwheat, dates, and some ground cinnamon (which will also make your kitchen smell delicious). Plus, it’s gluten-free!
Get the recipe

Live Eat Learn

5Strawberries and Cream Quinoa Porridge

The same bowl of porridge every day can get a little dull after a while. So if your morning dish needs some livening up, this recipe is ideal. It’s deliciously sweet, thanks to the strawberries and maple syrup, but it’s also rich in protein and fibre.
Get the recipe

https://vegnews.com/fast-food-vegan-breakfast-options-recipes

Burger King Germany reduces the price of vegan food to make it cheaper than meat

From veganfoodandliving.com

Burger King Germany has reduced the price of its vegan food below the cost of meat-based meats to make plant-based food more accessible.

In a landmark move, Burger King is slashing the prices of its plant-based products in Germany to make vegan food more accessible to everyone.

To encourage diners to eat more plant-based food and less meat, the fast food giant is slashing its prices by 10 cents.

Among the items which will cost less are its meat-free Whopper, chicken sandwich, and plant-based nuggets.

To advertise the move, it has released a new motto, “Plant-Based for Everyone”, which will push the news that its plant-based options are now more economical.

According to Burger King Germany CEO Jörg Ehmer: “Since the mid-1990s, we have been investing in vegetarian alternatives and have shown that fast food doesn’t always have to mean meat.

“As a pioneer, we offer by far the largest plant-based range in the German foodservice industry – and now even with a price advantage.

“We are thus providing a strong impetus to try out plant-based options. Our goal: to offer guests freedom of choice – without compromising on taste.”

Burger King Germany

As part of its aim pioneer in the trend toward meat-free eating, Burger King opened its first fully plant-based restaurant in Cologne, Germany in 2021. Photo © Burger King Deutschland

On top of its price reductions, the eatery is also working to make a new patty for its meat-free options.

It is collaborating with plant-based brand The Vegetarian Butcher on a flower-shaped burger, which it will use in its vegan sandwiches.

The chain has worked with The Vegetarian Butcher since 2019, sourcing its veggie chicken and beef in a number of markets.

These include UK, Indonesia, China, the UAE, Mexico and Costa Rica.

According to reports, the new shape will help differentiate between the meat-based options and veggie ones. It is set to roll out in the coming weeks.

Ehmer said: “We are the first choice in terms of plant-based options in the foodservice industry, and continue to drive the growing trend towards alternative protein sources in Germany.

“For this, we are not only developing our products and processes further, but also focusing on greater product variety and easier access.”

Plant-based meat cost

The move by Burger King Germany comes as some plant-based companies in the UK have seen sales fall.

However, while some have seen this as a sign of consumers losing interest in plant-based items, others have said the cost of alternative products (which is usually higher than standard products) is the issue.

A 2023 report by market research company NIQ suggested that the cost of living crisis is affecting the number of consumers buying meat alternative products.

It noted that some 14.3 per cent (4.1million) UK households consumed a flexitarian, pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan diet that year.

The company’s UK thought leadership activation manager Katrina Bishop said: “UK consumers are being faced with challenging economic pressures, and price is an important factor dissuading flexible eaters from buying into meat and dairy alternatives, in the current climate.”

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/news/burger-king-germany-reduces-price-vegan-food-cheaper-than-meat/