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

KFC Vegan Menu: What Plant-Based Food Options Are Available?

From plantbasednews.org

What can vegans eat at fast-food chain KFC? Here are the plant-based menu items in the US, Canada, and UK 

A few years ago, the idea of a vegan being able to eat a meal or burger at KFC – in the UK, USA, or anywhere else – would have seemed laughable. Despite a growing number of plant-based diners, many takeaway chains have maintained a meat-heavy menu with limited vegetarian (let alone vegan) food options.

Anyone who’s followed a plant-based diet for any length of time will likely have sad memories of ordering a fruit bag at fast food chains, while hastily Googling if their chips are vegan-friendly.

Thankfully, though, times have changed. A recent study suggests quick service eateries were the most likely of all restaurants to offer vegan options to customers. KFC – along with competitors including McDonald’s, Burger King, and Pizza Hut – has been increasingly embracing the ever-growing vegan and flexitarian market in recent years, and increasing their meat-free menus accordingly.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to eat vegan at KFC.

How to eat vegan at KFC in the UK

Vegan mains

KFC’s plant-based journey in the UK started in January 2020 with the launch of its “Imposter Burger.” The burger saw huge success in its one-month trial run. This prompted it to be made a permanent menu fixture with a new name: the “KFC Vegan Burger.”

At present, the burger is the only vegan-friendly main option available at KFC.

What’s the KFC vegan burger made from?

The plant-based burger uses Quorn (made from Mycoprotein) as its meat replacement. The meat alternative comes coated in KFC’s famous secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. The burger also comes served with vegan mayo and iceberg lettuce.

Is the vegan burger cooked in the same oil as meat?

A number of fast food chains opt to cook their plant-based burgers on the same grill as meat. This means they are often deemed by many to be unsuitable for vegans. This isn’t the case for the KFC vegan burger in the UK, however, which is cooked in vegetable oil and separately from animal products.

Speaking about its policy on cooking vegan food options, KFC said in a statement: “Our Team Members are trained to use separate utensils and storage units to make sure vegetarian and vegan ingredients don’t
come into contact with meat products. We’ve also trained our teams on how to cook and prepare the Original Recipe Vegan Burger to reduce the risk of cross contamination.”

What KFC sides are suitable for vegans?

Currently, only the BBQ beans and corn on the cob are vegan-friendly.

Are KFC chips vegan?

In the UK, KFC’s fries are cooked in the same oil as the Popcorn Chicken. As such, many do not consider the chain’s chips to be vegan-friendly.

Which KFC sauces are suitable for vegans?

Condiments suitable for vegans include Real Tomato Sauce Dip, Kentucky Smoky BBQ Sauce Dip, Original Hot Sauce Dip, and Heinz Tomato Ketchup Sachet. 

What KFC drinks are suitable for vegans?

The following drinks are suitable for a plant-based diet in the UK: Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Pepsi Max Cherry, 7Up Free, Robinson’s Apple & Blackcurrant, Tango Orange Sugar Free, Bottle of Water, Robinson’s Fruit Shoot, Lipton Peach Iced Tea, Tropicana Orange Juice, Espresso, Black Americano, and Black Tea.

KFC UK launched its vegan burger in 2020                                                                KFC

KFC vegan menu in the USA

In news that may come as a disappointment to vegans in the US, the plant-based KFC menu is currently pretty limited.

KFC did launch Beyond Meat vegan fried chicken in 2019, but this option has since been discontinued. In terms of sides, the sweet kernel corn and secret recipe fries are vegan-friendly. Suitable drinks include Capri Sun Fruit Punch, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Sierra Mist, Lipton Brisk Teas, SoBe Lifewater, Tropicana lemonade, fruit punch, and Twister.

KFC Canada vegan menu

The Canadian branch of KFC offers a plant-based fried chicken sandwich, which is made using Lightlife meat-free filets. However, it does warn that it “may be” cooked in the same oil as chicken. Vegans may wish to double check at their local KFC branch if this is the case.

Other plant-based menu items include coleslaw, Original Recipe Corn, and mayo, as well as plum sauce. All of these are said to contain no animal-derived ingredients.

The rise of plant-based fast food

Vegan fast food has seen a staggering rise in popularity in recent years. The market was valued at $17 billion in 2020, and it’s projected to reach $40.25 billion by 2028.

Last year, a leading restaurateur predicted that the future of fast food would be vegan. 

James Lewis, who runs two successful vegan restaurants, told the Guardian that chains like Burger King, McDonald’s, and KFC were “setting the trends.”

“There’s no point starting a vegan chain because once McDonald’s figures out how to make a good vegan burger, they will think: ‘What’s the point in the cost of keeping all these animals when we can make it just as good and grow it in the ground?’” he added.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/kfc-vegan-menu/

Beyond Meat’s Vegan Steak Comes to 5,000 Stores. Here Is Where to Find It.

From vegnews.com

CEO Ethan Brown thinks Beyond Meat’s new vegan steak slices are “one of our best products to date.” You can now find them at 5,000 stores, including Kroger and Walmart

California-based company Beyond Meat just released its newest product: vegan steak. The new Beyond Steak plant-based seared tips are available at more than 5,000 stores, including Walmart and Kroger.

Beyond Meat

While Beyond Meat is best known for its plant-based Beyond Burger—a replacement for ground beef—the brand’s new product will bring it into a new category of whole-cut meat, advancing its mission of disrupting the global $1.4 trillion meat industry with plant-based alternatives. 

The new Beyond Steak is part of the company’s mission to rapidly innovate plant-based products to help consumers make choices that are better for animals, the environment, and their health. 

“Beyond Steak is a highly-anticipated expansion of our popular beef platform and we’re proud to introduce this innovative product to consumers nationwide,” Dariush Ajami, Chief Innovation Officer at Beyond Meat, said in a statement. “Beyond Steak delivers the taste and texture of sliced steak in a way that is better for both people and the planet.”

Beyond Meat’s vegan steak 

News of a vegan steak from Beyond Meat first came from CEO Ethan Brown, who spoke about the product during The Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum in June. “It’s probably one of our best products to date,” he said at the time.

The new vegan steak is just one of the new plant-based innovations from Beyond Meat as vegan Popcorn Chicken has also been spotted in stores. Further details about that launch are currently under wraps. 

Taco Bell

Taco Bell fans will be delighted to know that Beyond Meat created a bespoke vegan carne asada steak in partnership with the Mexican-inspired chain. 

On October 13, Taco Bell began testing the Beyond Carne Asada at approximately 50 locations in the Dayton, OH area. Available while supplies last, the vegan steak is marinated with Taco Bell’s signature spices and can be ordered in place of animal-derived meat in any menu item at no extra cost.

Beyond Meat builds a global plant-based protein category

Despite a turbulent year in terms of its stock prices, Beyond Meat is holding steadfast to its mission of making animal-based meat obsolete with new innovations, such as its forthcoming vegan steak. Brown founded Beyond Meat in 2009 and the brand has already revolutionized the plant-based beef, pork, and chicken categories with its analogous Beyond Burger, Beyond Sausage, and its new Beyond Chicken Tenders. 

On the foodservice side of Beyond Meat’s business, the brand has many large partnerships under its belt. It has been working with Yum! Brands to deliver plant-based options to the fast-food corporation’s properties, which, in addition to Taco Bell, include Pizza Hut and KFC. 

Panda Express

Panda Express worked with the vegan brand to develop a plant-based take on its popular orange chicken entrée which it tested in several markets. Last month, Panda Express added the Beyond the Original Orange Chicken to its more than 2,300 locations nationwide for a limited time. 

Beyond Meat is also expanding the consumer goods side of its business. In 2021, the vegan company partnered with PepsiCo in 2021 to create Planet Partnership, a venture that will result in new products that will leverage Pepsi’s extensive marketing and production networks while Pepsi can capitalize on the growth of the plant-based industry.

Beyond Meat

In March, Beyond Meat and Pepsi released the first product under this partnership: Beyond Jerky. This is the brand’s first venture into the snack aisle. With its Beyond Jerky on store shelves nationwide, the brand is now exploring sliced vegan steak as the next part of its journey in creating a multi-billion-dollar plant protein category that can truly disrupt animal agriculture with more sustainable, cruelty-free products. 

Ethan Brown is building a $40 billion vegan meat company

During the WSJ event, Brown was pressed about whether the plant-based meat “bubble” has popped—or if the category is losing momentum. “The reasons to do what we’re doing and the reason for the consumer to engage with what we’re doing strengthens every day,” Brown said.

“There’s the pandemic. There’s recession. There’s gas prices. There’s all this noise out there, but what continues to strengthen is the need to do what we’re doing,” he said. “We’re getting better at that every year and with reason to do it in terms of climate, human health, the overall environment (land, energy, and water), and animal welfare … all those reasons continue to be present and increase in importance.”

Beyond Meat

During the event, he explained that disruptions to major incumbents, such as the global meat industry, do not happen in a linear fashion and he expects to go through several downturns while keeping his eye on the mission at large.

“You’re going to have disturbances and you’re going to have distractions as you build a new category,” Brown said, explaining that similar trajectories have happened when technologies such as solar power or lithium ion batteries first emerged.

“You go for a long run. You take a plateau. You go for another long run and then all of a sudden it’s mainstream,” Brown said. “That’s what’s happening in [the plant-based] sector.”

Brown often references the replacement of landlines by cell phones as a way to contextualize what he sees will happen in the food space, with new technologies (plant-based meat) replacing outdated models (animal agriculture).

“What I see is an increasing global opportunity into a $1.4 trillion market,” Brown said, touching on all of the major partnerships—from McDonald’s to Pepsi—that Beyond Meat is currently involved in as an indicator of the scale of disruption that is planned.

“All of these things are about building the next global protein company. And my vision for this is a $40 billion company, not a $4 billion company. So I don’t think in quarterly terms. I don’t think in annual terms. I think in a longer-term perspective we will deliver on this. I am absolutely certain of that.” 

https://vegnews.com/2022/10/Ethan-Brown-beyond-meat-vegan-steak

KFC Australia Launches Plant-Based Wicked Popcorn Chicken

From vegconomist.com

KFC Australia has launched its first ever plant-based option — Wicked Popcorn. The meat-free bites are made with pea protein and feature the same spice mix as the chain’s Wicked Wings.

Wicked Popcorn is available in a box, a bowl, or as a Combo option with fries and a drink. It is served with a new vegan lime ranch dipping sauce.

While the new offering is made entirely from plant-based ingredients, KFC Australia cautions that the Wicked Popcorn is cooked in the same fryers as the conventional popcorn chicken, meaning many customers may consider it to be unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans.

© KFC Australia

Plant-based at KFC

KFC has been working to offer plant-based menu items in several markets worldwide. The chain is collaborating with Quorn to launch meat-free options at thousands of European locations, and plant-based chicken is now permanently on the menu in the US and Canada. 

However, KFC has recently come under fire in the UK for an "utterly misleading" marketing campaign, with critics claiming the chain deliberately misrepresented welfare conditions at one of the farms supplying its chicken.

“We’re excited to serve up Wicked Popcorn — an innovative product that offers more choice on our menu,” said KFC Australia spokesperson Sally Spriggs. “We hope [our fans] will enjoy this meat-free option which offers that great KFC taste they know and love.”

Wicked Popcorn will be available at 14 South Coast locations from August 9 to September 5.

https://vegconomist.com/gastronomy-food-service/fast-food/kfc-australia-wicked-popcorn/ 

Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown Says Vegan Steak Is Coming This Year

From vegnews.com

Beyond Meat is working on vegan steak slices and CEO Ethan Brown thinks “it’s probably one of our best products to date.”

California-based company Beyond Meat will soon release its newest product: whole-cut vegan steak. “It’s probably one of our best products to date,” Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown said during The Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum today. The new Beyond Meat vegan steak will come in a sliced format and is expected to launch sometime this year. 

While Beyond Meat is best known for its plant-based Beyond Burger—a replacement for ground  beef—the brand’s new product will bring it into a new category of whole-cut meat, advancing its mission of disrupting the global $1.4 trillion meat industry with plant-based alternatives that are better for human health, animals, and the environment. 

VegNews has reached out to Beyond Meat for more information about its new vegan steak and where consumers can expect to see it. 

Beyond Meat

Beyond Meat builds a global plant-based protein category

Despite a turbulent year in terms of its stock prices, Beyond Meat is holding steadfast to its mission of making animal-based meat obsolete with new innovations, such as its forthcoming vegan steak. Brown founded Beyond Meat in 2009 and the brand has already revolutionized the plant-based beef, pork, and chicken with its analogous Beyond Burger, Beyond Sausage, and its new Beyond Chicken Tenders. 

On the foodservice side of Beyond Meat’s business, the brand has many large partnerships under its belt. It has been working with Yum! Brands to deliver plant-based options to the fast-food corporation’s properties, which include Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC. Beyond Meat also entered into a three-year global strategic partnership with fast-food giant McDonald’s in 2021 that has thus far resulted in a limited launch of the McPlant, the first burger made with plant-based meat at McDonald’s. While this burger is still in its testing phase, Beyond Meat will continue to help McDonald’s build out its McPlant platform—which can include varied regional launches worldwide such as breakfast items and plant-based chicken. 

Beyond Meat

Beyond Meat is also expanding the consumer goods side of its business. In 2021, the vegan company partnered with PepsiCo in 2021 to create Planet Partnership, a venture that will result in new products that will leverage Pepsi’s extensive marketing and production networks while Pepsi can capitalize on the growth of the plant-based industry. In March, Beyond Meat and Pepsi released the first product under this partnership: Beyond Jerky. This is the brand’s first venture into the snack aisle. With its Beyond Jerky on store shelves nationwide, the brand is now exploring sliced vegan steak as the next part of its journey in creating a multi-billion dollar plant protein category that can truly disrupt animal agriculture with more sustainable, cruelty-free products. 

Ethan Brown is building a $40 billion vegan meat company

During today’s WSJ event, Brown was pressed about whether the plant-based meat “bubble” has popped—or if the category is losing momentum. “The reasons to do what we’re doing and the reason for the consumer to engage with what we’re doing strengthens every day,” Brown said. “There’s the pandemic. There’s recession. There’s gas prices. There’s all this noise out there, but what continues to strengthen is the need to do what we’re doing … We’re getting better at that every year and with reason to do it in terms of climate, human health, the overall environment (land, energy, and water), and animal welfare … all those reasons continue to be present and increase in importance.”

Beyond Meat

During the event, he explained that disruptions to major incumbents, such as the global meat industry, do not happen in a linear fashion and he expects to go through several downturns while keeping his eye on the mission at large. “You’re going to have disturbances and you’re going to have distractions as you build a new category,” Brown said, explaining that similar trajectories have happened when technologies such as solar power or lithium ion batteries first emerged. “You go for a long run. You take a plateau. You go for another long run and then all of a sudden it’s mainstream,” he said. “That’s what’s happening in [the plant-based] sector.”

Brown often references the replacement of landlines by cell phones as a way to contextualize what he sees will happen in the food space, with new technologies (plant-based meat) replacing outdated models (animal agriculture). “What I see is an increasing global opportunity into a $1.4 trillion market,” Brown said, touching on all of the major partnerships—from McDonald’s to Pepsi—that Beyond Meat is currently involved in as an indicator about the scale of disruption that is planned. “All of these things are about building the next global protein company. And my vision for this is a $40 billion company not a $4 billion company. So I don’t think in quarterly terms. I don’t think in annual terms. I think in a longer-term perspective we will deliver on this. I am absolutely certain of that.” 

https://vegnews.com/2022/6/Ethan-Brown-beyond-meat-vegan-steak