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If you are aware of a fast food place with good vegetarian options please let us know. Send new listings or updates to directory@veg.ca. Your feedback is appreciated.

General notes and scope


Verify vegetarian options when ordering – Menu items can change over time and between locations. Also, if you are looking for vegan options, ask about condiments and sauces. (i.e.: some places may automatically add mayonnaise to a veggie burger.)

Cross-contamination – Some chains do a good job of keeping vegetarian items separate, but many don't and there can be variations between locations. Veggie burgers are often cooked on the same grill as the meat, and French fries may be deep-fried in the same oil as the chicken. Ask before ordering if this is a concern.

Unhealthy fats – Most chains use liberal amounts of saturated fat, hydrogenated (trans fats) oils, and palm oil (a naturally-saturated vegetable oil that has been associated with rainforest destruction).

Caesar salad – Assume the dressing contains anchovies (fish) and egg, unless mentioned as otherwise.

Chemical additives and preservatives – These are very prominent. For example the ingredient lists for many of the items at Burger King are over 50 words long. Many of the big chains use dimethylpolysiloxene and TBHQ. Here is a quote from the Omnivore's Dilemma about the presence of these "toxic" ingredients in McDonald's Chicken McNuggets:

"...Then there are "anti-foaming agents" like dimethylpolysiloxene, added to the cooking oil to keep the starches from binding to air molecules, so as to produce foam during the fry. The problem is evidently grave enough to warrant adding a toxic chemical to the food: According to the Handbook of Food Additives, dimethylpolysiloxene is a suspected carcinogen and an established mutagen, tumorigen, and reproductive effector; it's also flammable.

But perhaps the most alarming ingredient in a Chicken McNugget is tertiary butylhydroquinone, or TBHQ, an antioxidant derived from petroleum that is either sprayed directly on the nugget or the inside of the box it comes in to "help preserve freshness." According to A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives, TBHQ is a form of butane (i.e. lighter fluid) the FDA allows processors to use sparingly in our food: It can comprise no more than 0.02 percent of the oil in a nugget. Which is probably just as well, considering that ingesting a single gram of TBHQ can cause "nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse." Ingesting five grams of TBHQ can kill.

Animal or plant source additives? – Many additives, such as sodium stearoyl lactylate, can come from either. Rennet can be from an animal (calf stomach) or non-animal source. According to Wikipedia, Microbial rennet is used more often in North America today because it is less expensive than animal rennet, whereas cheese from Europe is more likely to be made from animal rennet due to tradition. Lipase is another ingredient frequently found in cheese that can be from a vegetarian or non-vegetarian source. One additive called L-cysteine is frequently found in bread products at fast food places and is commonly derived from duck feathers. A synthetic version is available but not commonly used. It would be near impossible to verify the source of all the additives at fast food restaurants. Our investigation has mainly focused on the obvious animal, milk and egg derived products such as whey (dairy), modified milk ingredients, egg whites, cholesterol (meat, dairy or eggs) gelatin (animal bones) or beef flavouring and fat.

Allergen info – Many chains now have allergen charts that you can view as pdfs. They tend to err on the side of caution (or avoidance of lawsuits). For example if a vegan product is made in the same facility where products with milk or egg are made, they may be flagged for "milk" or "egg" due to the chance of cross contamination. Ask to see an ingredient list before ordering if you are concerned.

Scope – Ingredient information is geared to fast food chains in Canada, the United States, and to a lesser extent, the UK. Information may be different in other countries, and is subject to change over time. For more information about options in the United States see Vegan Eating Out (75 fast food chains researched). 

[rest.] – this symbol indicates a full service restaurant chain. Such places typically have waited tables, larger menus, longer wait times, and more natural, less processed meals.

This report is not meant as an endorsement of fast food eating. We recommend that you support local vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants whenever possible. For an extensive list in Toronto, see our Vegetarian Directory and for other places, see our World links page.

Originally researched and written by Thom Oommen. Updates by Stephen Leckie.
[Our vegetarian nutrition page -- protein, iron, calcium, D, iodine, omega-3, zine, B12.]

Vegetarian options at chicken chains (or the lack thereof)

In a discussion about vegetarian fast food options at Chowhound.com, someone wrote: "I think it's unreasonable to expect a place famous for chicken, frequented by chicken lovers, to somehow break stride and create a veg option." But another commenter points out that fast food places bill themselves as "family" restaurants. "What family in their right mind is going to trek all over the block trying to feed the (usual) token veg?"

Seems to me that a [chicken] restaurant should be trying to cater to the whole family... One or two veg options shouldn't be a big deal.”

Chic-fil-A

Over 1,300 locations in 37 U.S. states

On their FAQ page (click Products) there is a question about suitable items for vegetarian/vegan diets. The only things available are a side salad, Carrot Raisin Salad (egg mayonaise) and the Waffle Potato Fries (vegan), unless you want to call in advance and order a sandwich or entree salad without the chicken (and cheese). For breakfast there are biscuits (dairy), and vegan fruit cups and hash browns. They mention that you can check the ingredients of each item at the restaurants or online.

In a discussion Dec 02, 2007 at Chowhound.com, Windsor writes: "I tried ordering a wrap "hold the chicken and cheese" which totally disrupted the kitchen. They told me that they would accommodate me this time, but in the future I should call in advance. They charged me the same as the chicken wrap and then I had to wait 25 minutes for my sandwich. ... It was absolutely amazing when my wrap arrived...NOTHING but a tortilla wrap with a few specs of lettuce in the middle."Regarding the need to call in advance he writes: "I am not going to tote around telephone directories for every city that I visit."

Someone else at Chowhound comments: "During Lent, Chik-Fil-A makes a pretty good veggie wrap." Note: The chain has Baptist roots and every location is closed on Sunday.
www.chickfila.com

Church's Chicken

Over 1500 outlets in four continents. Called "Texas Chicken' in some countries.

There are a limited number of vegetarian side dishes including corn-on-the-cob, mashed potatoes, fried okra and biscuits. The okra may contain whey. The coleslaw contains eggs.

Warning: according to older reports on the web, the collard greens may contain meat stock and the French fries may contain beef fat. But their current nutrition information page lists the greens and fries as cholesteral free. Ask before ordering. Avoid the gravies. The Cajun rice contains cholesterol and likely meat stock. www.churchs.com

KFC

Formerly named "Kentucky Fried Chicken", they shortened their name to KFC to apparently appease those who think "fried" is a dirty word.

In the U.S., KFC serves a few vegetarian sides including: Corn-on-the-Cob (vegan), Coleslaw (egg mayonaise, but you can ask for a vegan salad dressing instead), Mashed Potatoes (dairy, hold the gravy). There is also a vegan side salad with Golden Italian Light Dressing. The Potato Wedges (vegan) are fried in the same oil as chicken, so they could have traces of chicken fat in them. Warning: the Green Beans, BBQ Baked Beans and gravy contain meat flavouring.

Note: A few locations may carry Three-Bean Salad (vegan), Garden Rice (vegan) and Potato/Pasta Salad (egg). And some location may include a buffet with additional vegetarian items. Much of the above information is from a May 2008 inquiry by Vegan Eating Out. 

A reviewer at epinions.com says, "when friends pick up dinner at KFC, I often get fed. I will not go into KFC myself because the smell of grease that hangs in the air makes me physically ill." On a positive note, in 2007 KFC switched to a cooking oil with no trans fat in all U.S. locations.
www.kfc.com/contact/

In Canada, KFC agreed in May 2008 to offer vegan “unchicken” as a menu item at their Canadian locations.  This move comes in response to PETA’s decades-long and passionate Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign [Full story].  KFC Canada has also taken an additional step towards humane practices by pledging to buy chickens only from suppliers who use gas as a method of slaughter, which PETA calls “the least cruel form of poultry slaughter ever developed.”

As of July 2008, 461 Canadian KFC stores have agreed to offer the vegan chicken. Ecorazzi reports that the mayonnaise and bun are not vegan and the patty is cooked in the same fryer as the meat. According to PETA, the sandwich can easily be made vegan by ordering it in a wrap without mayonnaise. Note: the Caesar salad, which is served as an option with the vegetarian sandwich, contains anchovies in the dressing.

Parasol wrote this comment July 30 on a vegan blog: "A team of us four vegans got together and each had a sandwich this past weekend. ...I had forgotten about how deceitful fast food joints are about photographing their beautifully perfect burger ... then you unwrap it to find a bit of a hot mess with wilted lettuce. ... The reviews were mixed but overall we all loved it and would consider it a fair alternative for a road trip... P.S. None of us thought it was rendered unveg because it was cooked in the same oil. But that's just a matter of opinion."

On the rest of the Canadian menu, the only things remotely vegetarian (other than desserts) are a potato salad, a pasta salad and coleslaw. None of these are vegan. Their French fries contain zero cholesterol, so they are likely vegetarian if not vegan. The Canadian website has very little information. www.kfc.ca

In the UK, KFC has very few vegetarian items - only corn-on-the-cob and a side salad. The BBQ Baked Beans and gravy likely contain meat flavouring.

Full service restaurant chains

[rest.] Nando's

Locations mainly in the UK and South Africa but has a limited number of restaurants in Canada, the U.S and several other countries.

This restaurant chain's focus is their African-Portuguese Peri Peri chicken. But there are a number of vegetarian options (at least in the UK) including a portobello sandwich, a veggie burger and Beanie Nando's LogoBurger. The latter two are available in a burger bun or in pita bread. Different strengths of peri-peri sauce are available. They also serve rice as well as French fries. According to their website, all the marinating and bastings sauces are vegetarian.
www.nandos.com

[rest.] Swiss Chalet

Over 180 locations across Canada and three in NY state.

You may associate Swiss Chalet with whole chickens slowly roasting in their own juices, but there are a few vegetarian options behind the facade.

Update (Sept 2008): The Veggie Burger is back! It has been reinstated after it was dropped from the menu during the summer. We used their Contact Us page to send Swiss Chalet a message asking for them to bring it back or a mock-chicken option. They listened. We received an email from them saying: "We value your feedback and for this reason have brought the veggie burger back." Thanks to Kate who tipped us off on this. She wrote us July 10, 2008: "I used to eat there every Wednesday at lunch and earlier today when I went, was informed that it's off the menu." The burger is made from soy and is totally vegan*

The Vegetable Stir-fry, another entree option, appears to be vegan.

Among the side dishes, there is a lot of choice. For appetizers, most of the salads are vegetarian. The vegan option is a garden salad (you could also hold the feta in a Greek salad).  The vegan dressings are no-fat raspberry vinaigrette, chalet dressing, balsamic vinaigrette and Greek dressing. The fries are vegan and cooked in vegetable oil, but they may share the same deep fryer as the chicken fingers – ask your server to check as this practice varies with location. The corn and sautéed mushrooms have butter in them but the other vegetables are prepared with olive oil. The mashed potatoes are vegetarian but contain milk products and chemicals and their gravy contains beef fat.

Warning: Swiss Chalet's famous dipping sauce contains chicken fat. The Caesar salad may contain bacon bits and the dressing appears to contain fish (thanks for the tip, Kelly). The other sides seem to be vegetarian but most have milk or egg in them. Lastly, there are no vegan desserts (not that you expected there to be).

My thanks go to Kate Richards, a dietitian with Swiss Chalet, for replying to my queries promptly and for going out of her way to get me all the information I asked for. –Thom

Update (Oct 2006): Dwayne emailed to say "Swiss Chalet has a perogies option." They are stuffed with potato and cheese and served with Cajun dipping sauce. On the allergens page they are flagged for eggs.

www.swisschalet.com. They have a Nutritional page and Allergens page.

* Note: The kaiser bun is vegan, but because milk products are used on the same line where they are made, they are flagged for milk on the Allergens page due to the chance of cross contamination.



See our main Fast Food page for a full list of cuisines and vegetarian-friendly chains.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 11 February 2009 )