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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 fast food options: Subs, pitas and falafels

Chains that sell submarine sandwiches or pitas tend to be great places for vegetarians, especially if you each cheese. Worst comes to worst one can just order a sandwich with all the veggie fillings and condiments. 

Multi-cultural citys like Toronto have numerous independent falafel places that offer excellent fast food. Falafel sandwiches are good and cheap vegan fare. Falafel is a signature Middle Eastern pita sandwich filled with crispy balls of deep-fried chickpea batter, veggies and tahini sauce (for the best falafel in Toronto, check out podcast 103's write-up). These places also offer vegan dishes like baba ganoush (eggplant dip), hummus, foul and stuffed vine leaves.

Arby's

Over 3,600 locations in the U.S and Canada

The only vegetarian options at this roast beef sandwich chain are curly fries and potato cakes. Both are vegan, but may end up being fried with meat when the place is busy. Ask before ordering. There is also a Chopped Italian Salad that contains cheddar.
www.arbys.com

Extreme Pita

Over 150 locations in Canada and 11 U.S. states

Vegan meal options include: Falafel pita sandwich and the Market Fresh Veggie Pita. Pitas are available in a 6 or 9 inch size. There are also flat baked pitas (read: pizza) that can be made to order. Choice of white or whole wheat, several veggie toppings including black olives and pineapple, and a choice of one of three cheeses. For a snack try the vegan Pita Chips with Hummus, Salads can also be made to order. Their Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing is vegan.
www.extremepita.com

The Pita Pit

Over 220 locations across Canada and the U.S.

Vegetarian pita sandwiches include the Falafel, Babaganoush (eggplant dip), Hummus, Garden (veggies only), Feta, American Swiss and Cheddar. You can also order any pita as a fresh salad for the same price (at least in the U.S.) See their website for nutrition info.

Update: Marci wrote us Jul 18, 2007, "A girl that worked there told me to always request that falafel be heated up in the microwave and not on the grill, as it is not meat-free."
www.pitapit.com and www.pitapitusa.com (U.S.)

Quiznos Sub

Over 5,000 locations in the U.S., Canada, the UK and other countries

Limited vegetarian options include the Veggie Sub (guacamole, black olives, lettuce, tomato, red onion, mushrooms, mozzarella, cheddar, Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing), a smaller version on folded flatbread called the Veggie Sammie (only in the U.S.) and a garden side salad. They do have a Broccoli and Cheese soup and in Canada, a Hearty Vegetable soup with carrots, tomato chunks, potatoes, green beans, peas, onions, spinach and celery. But the website doesn't say what the soup stock is made of.
www.quiznos.com (Canada: www.quiznos.ca )

Subway

Over 30,000 locations In 87 Countries

On the menu, they have a vegan salad sandwich called the Veggie Delite. It is described as: "a crunchy combination of garden fresh lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, olives and pickles and your choice of condiments served on freshly baked bread." All of Subway’s breads are egg and diary-free except three cheese breads that contain rennet of unknown origin. Their special sauces all contain egg yolk and/or milk ingredients except for the fat-free Sweet Onion Sauce. Their cookies all contain egg and milk products but are otherwise vegetarian.

Some location also have veggie patties. But you may have to ask for them.

May 2006. Leette emailed us to say: "Here in the U.S., in some random locations ... there are veggie patties." I called their toll line, (800) 888-4848, and was told that they are testing these new products in rotating locations. Some Toronto locations are carrying them. The two new additions are the round Gardenburger that contains cheese and egg white and the rectangular VegiMax that contains egg white. Subway emailed us the ingredients (see this blog post). There is no mention of the new veggie products on their website, but a google search reveals that they are made by MorningStar Farms (which is owned by Kellogg's). Oct. 2006: Dwayne emailed to suggest that people in Canada should try asking for the veggie patty. "I've noticed that its almost never on the menu, but still available, which makes no sense to me." I noticed the same thing, but had not been able to find out the ingredients by asking the servers. Many places have VegiMax patties stored in a freezer. There is nothing mentioned on the website. –Steve

June 2006: Stacy emailed that "in the U.S. (specifically, Florida where I live) Subway restaurants serve a black bean sub. It's fabulous, although I have no idea if it's vegan."

See the AllergenChart.pdf (Canadian version at AllergenChartCAN.pdf) and ingredient list (Canada | U.S.) for more information. See their website for more regions. You can call them at (800) 888-4848 to request more veggie options in your home town, and they have a  Customer Service Form on their website – "Your comments and questions are welcomed."

U.S. only

Blimpie

Over 1,500 franchises in the U.S.

Vegetarian options include: The VegiMax (Veggie patty with melted provolone, tomatoes and lettuce with creamy Italian dressing), the Veggie Supreme (Provolone, American and Swiss with banana peppers, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, vinegar, oil and oregano) and a garden salad. You can also request a vegan sub made to order. Fillings include roasted red peppers, guacamole (vegan?), olives, and more. Their nutrition pdf also mentions a plain Bluffin (muffin) that is dairy and egg free.

Note: VegiMax patties contains egg white. Subway also offers these (see this blog post for the ingredients). They are made by MorningStar Farms (which is owned by Kellogg's). Searching Blimpie's website Jan 2009, they appear to also offer MorningStar's Gardenburger that contains cheese and egg white.
www.blimpie.com

Canada only

Mr. Sub

Over 400 locations across Canada

Options include the Veggie Sub and Veggie Wrap. Three of their rotating soups have zero cholesterol (Garden Vegetable, Minestrone and Paste Fagioli) so there is a chance that these may be vegetarian. Ask.

Several year ago, Mr. Sub sent me an email with some ingredient listings for their buns and toppings. The multigrain, white, and whole-wheat submarine buns were vegan and contained surprisingly few chemicals. The “fresh” vegetable toppings contained a yummy mix of preservatives but were otherwise vegan. The green olives and the dill pickles contained lactic acid but this is likely from a vegan source. The cheese, spinach, sun-dried tomato and whole-wheat tortilla wraps all contained skim milk powder. Mr. Sub slipped up and sent me their secret sauce recipe. So the secret’s out but at least it’s vegan. –Thom
www.mrsub.ca



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

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 11 February 2009 )