Vegan-friendly probably isn’t the word one might use to describe McDonald’s because it may be hard to find vegan options in this fast-food restaurant’s menu. But when the number of people who have plant-based diets are growing, food establishments must adapt to meet this need.
Let’s see how the fast-food giant is keeping up against other fast food chains, like Taco Bell, Carl’s Jr., and Burger King. Read on to find out what your McDonald’s vegan options are.
McDonald’s: Vegan Or Not
You may think that you’re just limited to McDonald’s salads or french fries on the McDonald’s menu. We hate to break it to you -- McDonald’s fries are not vegan.
The good news is, there are more creative vegan options for you on the menu!
Other countries like McDonald’s India have the McAloo Tikki, a plant-based patty made from potatoes and peas; McDonald’s UK has the Spicy Veggie Dippers, a blend of red pepper and sundried tomato pesto, all coated in crispy golden breadcrumbs; McDonald’s Norway carries the vegan Vegetable Nuggets, and McDonald’s Finland offers the McVegan and El Feggo.
So, what about us vegans in the United States? Well, the famous fast-food chain has started to offer the McPlant [1] in some locations (which we’ll talk more about below), and we’re all just waiting for the rollout. So if you find that the McPlant is not yet available in a McDonald’s near you, here’s what you can order in the meantime.
McDonald's Vegan Options You Should Try
Breakfast Menu Items
Fruit and Maple Oatmeal
McDonald’s Fruit Maple Oatmeal is made with diced apples and served with some brown sugar and a dollop of light cream, but you can ask the staff to use vegan-friendly maple syrup instead.
This is a wholesome menu item that is vegan-friendly, hearty, and delicious, and can fill your tummy up until it’s time for lunch.
Premium Roast Coffee
McCafe’s Premium Roast Coffee is made with 100 percent Arabica beans and filtered water and is completely A-okay for vegans. It’s also freshly brewed every 30 minutes! We recommend adding a bit of sugar to each black coffee cup and avoiding the creamer as McDonald’s doesn’t carry plant-based milk.
Americano
If you want a stronger pick-me-up, McCafe Americano is a great option. This bold black coffee is made from their signature McCafe Espresso and hot water.
Orange Juice
McDonald’s carries Minute Maid orange juice as a great breakfast drink option for those who aren’t big coffee fans.
Lunch & Dinner Menu Items
Side Salad
While it’s not the most appetizing option on the menu, McDonald’s Side Salad is perfectly safe for vegans to eat as it’s made from only baby kale, lettuce, and tomato. It’s also only the menu option that is vegan right off the bat -- no tweaking required.
Southwest Chicken Salad
Let us say first and foremost that McDonald’s Southwest Salad is NOT vegan. It can, however, easily be tweaked and is a much better alternative to the side salad. Aside from lettuce and tomato, you’ll also have black beans, corn, poblano peppers, cilantro lime glaze, chicken, and good-old American cheese. Ask the server to omit the chicken and cheese, and choose from McDonald’s vegan dressing options.
Salad Dressing Options
Thankfully, McDonald’s has partnered with Newman’s Own to carry vegan salad dressing options. Here is the complete list of salad dressings that the fast-food restaurant has for vegans:
- Newman’s Own Creamy French Dressing
- Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette and White Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Newman's Own Classic Oil and Vinegar.
- Citrus Splash Dressing
- Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Zesty Italian Dressing
- Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
Side Options
Apple Slices
McDonald’s Apple Slices may be on the kids’ menu, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get them as an adult! This healthy snack is a great way to add crunch to your salad or oatmeal bowl.
Baked Apple Pie
Taking a bite out of McDonald’s Baked Apple Pie is like your palate going through a flavor and texture explosion. The pastry shell housing the warm filling is crisp and flaky, while the apple and cinnamon filling is lightly sweet and satisfyingly warm. The apple pies are, hands down, the best vegan option on the McDonald's menu!
Pro tip: these go extremely well with a little bit of peanut butter (or any nut butter) or maple syrup!
Drinks & Beverages
Unfortunately, McDonald’s smoothies and shakes are not a good fit for vegans as they contain plenty of dairy, like ice cream and yogurt. Here’s everything else you can order vegan:
- Fanta Orange
- Diet Coke
- Dr. Pepper
- Coca Cola
- Hi-C Orange Lavaburst
- Sprite
- Iced Tea
- Minute Maid Strawberry Watermelon Slushie
- Minute Maid Pink Lemonade Slushie
- Minute Maid Blue Raspberry Slushie
- Minute Maid Premium Orange Juice
- Apple Juice
What’s Not Vegan at McDonald’s?
Aside from the obvious non-vegan items like the burgers and McNuggets, here is a list of food that may have seemed vegan, but unfortunately are not:
- French fries: contains milk, natural beef flavor, and fried in beef tallow (animal fat)
- Hash browns: similar to fries
- Donut sticks: contains milk
- Shakes: contains milk
- Fruit smoothies: contains yogurt
- Chocolate chip cookies: contains eggs and milk
What’s The Vegan McPlant Burger?
McDonald’s announced that they would be partnering with Beyond Meat to launch the McPlant, to the joy of vegans! The plant-based burger starts with a sesame seed bun, a pea protein-based patty, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, mustard, ketchup, vegan sandwich sauce, and -- get this -- coconut oil-based vegan cheese!
And if that’s not enough, McDonald’s will also be cooking these bad boys in a grill separate from their other meats and cheese to put other vegans’ worry about cross-contamination to rest.
The Beyond Meat burger patty is certified vegan by the UK’s Vegetarian Society. The McPlant Burger will be test-released in eight McDonald’s locations across the United States, namely: Irving and Carrollton, Texas; Cedar Falls, Iowa; Jennings and Lake Charles, Louisiana; and El Segundo and Manhattan Beach, California. In the meantime, you might enjoy munching on this Trader Joe turkeyless burger recipe.
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FAQs
Unfortunately, no, McDonald’s fries are not vegan. Unlike other restaurants that serve vegan fries, McDonald’s can’t say the same as their fries and hash brown are fried in animal fat.
Yes, McDonald’s apple pie is great vegan food! This crunchy snack has no animal products and is deep-fried to golden perfection in pure vegetable oil.
Key Takeaways
While McDonald’s has yet to include more variety for those leading a plant-based lifestyle in their menu, vegans will still come out of the establishment having had a pretty decent meal. It’s also great that they made an effort to partner with Beyond Meat -- we can’t wait until the McPlant becomes available in a location near us!
Reference:
- https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/14/business/mcdonalds-mcplant-burger/index.html
About Author
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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