Vegan Fast Food
Posted by Beans and Greens on Apr 26, 2007 · Member since Apr 2007 · 169 posts
I used to sometimes get a BRC at El Pollo Loco without the 'c' (cheese) but a while back I remember thinking that their rice tasted chickeny-- I called their headquarters and a restaurant and they insisted their beans and rice are vegetarian. I have since not eaten there because I don't really like fast food anyway. The main reason I've ever gone there is their amazing salsa bar (fresh serranos!)
Sometimes I'll get a veggie burrito at Chipotle and they're pretty good, kind of heavy though. I think next time I'll just get black beans and no rice or very little. Anyways, just wondering if you all eat vegan fast food sometimes? (Baja Fresh, Rubios, places like that? )
I don't even really consider it fast food in the McDonald's sense, but I will eat Chipotle on rare occasions (I guess they used to be partly owned by McDonald's, but anyway...) I get a taco salad with vegetarian black beans and veggies. The lettuce is romaine, and the veggies include peppers and onions. I top it off with lots of salsa, and sometimes guacamole. I think it's pretty healthy for fast food, and it's definitely not as heavy as a burrito. Their website is really clear about ingredients and which items are vegetarian. They even mention that their cheese is made with vegetable rennet, which is pretty cool of them, even though I don't eat cheese.
I can't remember the last time I went anywhere else for fast food, and I don't think I will until they open up a vegan place someday...
I love Qdoba. I don't know how wide the chain is, but we have a few in the Philadelphia area. They also list clearly what is vegetarian. On top of that, they have a "vegetarian" choice of rice and beans in a burrito or taco or a "grilled vegetable" choice that is also vegetarian. Everything is vegan, at least to my understanding, unless you add cheese or sour cream. They also have a to die for tortilla soup, which is vegetarian. You can add chicken, but I love that they make it without chicken broth, so it's veg. Other fast food restaurants, if my DH insists, I'll just get a salad.
I just discovered this the other day. Should be helpful when I'm travelling for work: http://www.vegcooking.com/ChainRestaurants.asp
I love Taco Bell!
When we are traveling in the US, it is one of the best fast options, and cheap :)
They fill my need for legumes - which is hard to find in other fast food or restaurant fare, and they quit using lard years ago just to suit us veg*n-types.
I get the 7 layer burrito, no cheese, no sour cream.
Or, the Pintos and Cheese, hold the cheese.
They are very good to customize anything on their menu to suit your needs, and they answer vegan inquiries nicely on their 800#.
Oh, and of course, Subway! The Veggie DeLite on Italian is vegan ("wheat" has honey, but no other animal products). Hold the cheese and it's vegan. They have an optional veggie patty at some locations - I just emailed to see if it's vegan :)
The only place I eat "fast food" is Subway. I get the veggie delite with italian dressing, or one of their salads. Only because i CAN choose what goes on my sub and/or salad. There's hardly any "guessing" what's vegan (most of the time, that is).
Oh, and of course, Subway! The Veggie DeLite on Italian is vegan ("wheat" has honey, but no other animal products). Hold the cheese and it's vegan. They have an optional veggie patty at some locations - I just emailed to see if it's vegan :)
i emailed wwhile back....the veggie patties have egg productss in them.....
i think they're actually morningstar farm supplied....perhaps not, but
nonetheless, they aren't vegan :'(
I think Chipotle and Qdoba are almost identical. I also really like Qdoba...mm-mm Mexcian food! And everything is labeled so nicely! Subway would be my second choice, the veggie sub is good. Is the sweet onion sauce vegan? It's like a sweeter, spicier Italian dressing.
A local HFS has barbeque seitan sandwiches, eggless egg salad, thai tofu wrap, etc. If I'm out and about, I either try to fill up on water until I can get home to eat or I swing by the HFS to pick up something.
Taco Bell tacos and tortillas contain dairy (I think whey powder).
I just heard back from Subway, here's the veggie patty facts :-\ (BTW the Veggie DeLite has no patty - just veggies and cheese on bread, and you can omit the cheese):
Friday, April 27, 2007
In response to your question the Ingredients and nutritional
information for
the Gardenburger and VegiMax are as follows:
Gardenburger:
Mushrooms, brown rice, onions, rolled oats, part-skim mozzarella,
cottage
cheese curd, egg white, cheddar cheese, bulgar wheat, natural
seasonings and
spices, autolyzed yeast, sea salt, olive oil, tapioca starch, and
vegetable
gum.
Calories 390
Protein (g) 19
Carbohydrates (g) 66
Sugar 6
Fat (g) 7
Sat. Fat (g) 2.5
Cholesterol (mg) 5
Sodium (mg) 960
Dietary Fiber (g) 9
VegiMax is as follows:
The ingredients: Vegetables (mushroom, water chestnuts, onions,
carrots,
green and red bell peppers, black olives), textured vegetable protein
(soy
protein consentrate, wheat gluten), egg whites, cooked brown rice,
rolled
oats, corn oil, calcium caseinate, soy sauce (water, soybeans, saly=t,
wheat) Contains 2% or less of the following: onion powder, cornstarch,
salt,
hydrolyzed corn, soy and wheat protein, sucrose, soy protein isolate,
spices, garlic powder, dextrose, jalapeno pepper powder, celery
extract.
Calories 390
Protein (g) 24
Carbohydrates (g) 56
Sugar 7
Fat (g) 8
Sat. Fat (g) 1.5
Cholesterol (mg) 10
Sodium (mg) 1030
Dietary Fiber (g) 7
The above values include wheat or white bread, a 3.0 oz patty, and all
the
standard vegetables. Cheese or other condiments are not included.
The above information is for a 6 inch sub which is a local product.
However,
the nutrient value may vary depending on the store's manufacturer.
Further
nutritional information on our national products can be found on our
web
site at www.subway.com
Sincerely,
Peggy Mccarthy x8201
Customer Care Representative
Seems to me like "vegan fast food" is an oxymoron. ;) There's nothing fast about the food I make at home, for sure. ;D
Taco Bell tacos and tortillas contain dairy (I think whey powder).
You worried me - I had called Taco Bell and asked, and the assured me the flour tortillas were vegan. I just double checked the ingredient list on the website and I don't see any dairy. Maybe they changed their recipe a while back? Anyway, they look completely vegan now - along with the refried beans and rice. :)
Thank you. This is very helpful information. I was pressed for time, didn't bring my lunch, so I picked up a Veggie De-Lite on Italian w/avocado. No cheese. It was great!
Homecooked vegan food is always the best, of course. But this info on Subway and Taco Bell comes in handy.
Taco Bell tacos and tortillas contain dairy (I think whey powder).
You worried me - I had called Taco Bell and asked, and the assured me the flour tortillas were vegan. I just double checked the ingredient list on the website and I don't see any dairy. Maybe they changed their recipe a while back? Anyway, they look completely vegan now - along with the refried beans and rice. :)
Yeah I'm not sure where humboldt got that information but I verified that the tortillas and tacos do not contain dairy. I got worried for a second, too!
the taco bell tortillas contain enzymes, which is are often animal based. check the source of that!
the hard shell tacos are vegan though.
also, i read somewhere that the rice at Chipotle contains a dairy ingredient in the lime mixture they put into it. i don't eat at chipotle, so i haven't emailed them to confirm or deny said rumor but someone who does might want to... you know, for reference.
I just checked out Taco Bell and you're right about the shells. I read the ingredient list on a package of Taco Bell taco shells in the grocery store and I believe they contained a non-vegan ingredient.
the taco bell tortillas contain enzymes, which is are often animal based. check the source of that!
The people at 1-800-TACO-BELL said they were vegan -
They've been good to be straight with me on other menu items - like the cinnamon things they have for dessert (I forget what they're called)- they are of vegan ingredients, but fried in the same vat with animal products. I admired them for being so specific, when they could have easily "forgotten" to mention such a detail. They even told me that they are fried pasta shapes that are tossed with cinnamon sugar while still warm (so if anyone ever wants to make a good vegan version at home . . . :))
I love being able to get something with vegan legumes when traveling. I love to cook at home, but it's not always practical, especially when we're nowhere near home for days or weeks.
taco bell is the most vegan friendly fast food chain there is.
especially with their new "Fresco" concept.
basically you can get anything on the menu and sub beans for meat. if you ask for fresco they will add pico de gallo and omit cheese and sour cream.
their flour tortillas and corn hard shells are definitely vegan.
so clutch when traveling to non vegan lands or on the road.
subway doesnt even have anything vegan other than just veggies on bread.