There are several meatless and vegetarian options in McDonald’s that are suitable for a vegan or vegetarian diet. On the menu you can find breakfast, lunch and dinner options, salad, dessert, beverages, dipping sauces and condiments.
McDonald’s lacks vegan food, especially in the United States, but they offer slightly more options than they did a few years back. Until they come out with more plant-based options in the future, vegans are pretty limited. Vegan options are limited, but there are some tasty items in the works that might hit the vegan menu soon.
McDonald’s french fries are not considered vegan-friendly in the United States because they continue to add beef flavor to their oil which contains dairy for sure. In the United Kingdom McDonald’s restaurants offer vegan french fries.
The hashbrowns are not vegan-friendly, because it has beef flavoring like the french fries. Also the pancakes are not vegan, since they contain dairy and egg, but it is suitable in a vegetarian diet.
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What are the vegan options on McDonald’s’s menu?
They have been working on a few tasty vegan options that could be released on a permanent basis in future. One item is the juicy McPlant burger which was co-developed with Beyond Meat. The McPlant was available for a limited time at the beginning of 2022 in eight select restaurants in the United States (California, Iowa, Louisiana, Texas), but we still do not know if the burger will become more available in the future. There are rumors of vegan McNuggets becoming a part of the menu in the future as well.
Breakfast
Black coffee and a Fruit Maple Oatmeal bowl is a good breakfast option, as well as English Muffin with some grape Jelly. The vegan breakfast options are listed below:
- Fruit & Maple Oatmeal: Specify no milk or cream and request water instead.
- Apple Slices
- Filter Black Coffee or an Americano
- Orange Juice (Minute Maid)
- Plain English Muffin
- Maple Syrup
- Jelly
Lunch and Dinner
These are all of the options available at McDonald’s in the United States that are vegan-friendly.
- Baked Apple Pie
- Apple Slices
- Side Salad
- Southwest Chicken Salad: Specify no chicken
- Create a vegan sandwich: Order any sandwich with no meat or cheese and request lots of vegetables
- McFalafel: Available in some country.
- McAloo Tikki Burger: Available in some country.
Salad dressing
Not every salad dressing will be available at a McDonalds near you, but there should always be a few options on this list. Some rural locations may have none or only a few, while a prime location in a big city may have all of them. Ask the local restaurant if they have one of these vegan dressing options.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- Raspberry Walnut and Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing
- Newman’s Own Classic Oil & Vinegar Dressing
- Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
- Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Citrus Splash Dressing
Sauces
These are the plant-based sauce options on the McDonald’s menu.
- Tangy BBQ Sauce
- Spicy Buffalo Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Maple Syrup
- Jelly
Drinks
The orange juice sold at McDonald’s is Minute Maid pulp-free, so if you like pulpy orange juice, you might want to skip it. Otherwise, feel free to enjoy any of these tasty beverages on a vegan diet. These are all the vegan friendly drinks below.
- All Sodas
- Filter Black Coffee
- Iced Teas (soda-type, not fresh)
- Orange Juice (Minute Maid)
- Apple Juice
- Slushies (flavors and availability varies)
- Iced Coffee
Are McDonald’s fries vegan?
McDonald’s fries in the USA are still not vegan-friendly nor vegetarian because they continue to add beef fat to their oil. This decision is disheartening considering their fries are vegan in other parts of the world, such as the UK. The restaurant chain has not labeled their fries vegetarian in the US. The ingredients are listed below.
- Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [Wheat And Milk Derivatives]*), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (maintain Color), Salt.
- *Natural Beef Flavor contains Hydrolyzed Wheat and Hydrolyzed Milk as starting ingredients.
- Contains wheat and milk.
In which countries are fries vegan?
With tens of thousands of McDonald’s locations all across the globe, it’s no surprise that the menu items and recipes vary slightly. After some research, traveling around, and dining outs in different McDonal’d locations, I have to acknowledge that the establishment is a lot more vegan-friendly in other parts of the world than it is in the USA.
- United Kingdom: McDonald’s has become quite popular in the UK amongst vegans thanks to the McPlant burger hitting the stores across the UK and Ireland (it is a treat and worth every single cent). And it is safe to grab a side of fries next to your burger! The fries are certified vegan and even have their own fryers to make sure they are cooked separately from animal products.
- India: McDonald’s fries are suitable for vegans in India. As many Indians, especially Hindus, do not consume beef due to cultural reasons, it makes no sense to use the infamous beef flavor in the fries. The fries are cooked in vegetable oil and in a separate fryer from animal-based products.
- Canada: The fries are vegan. However, if cross-contamination is an issue for you, you are out of luck. Unlike in the UK and India, McDonald’s restaurants in Canada do not have separate frying vets for the fries.
- Australia: Like in Canada, the fries are free from animal-derived components but are cooked in the same oil as non-vegan menu items. This is a common issue at many fast-food places, including Burger King and Wendy’s.
Where can you find McDonald’s with vegan options?
The fast food chain’s offer doesn’t look that bad everywhere. For example, in Europe you can get some pretty good plant-based stuff there.
- Finland: Soy-based El Veggo and McVegan
- Sweden: McFalafel
- Norway: McVegan nuggets that made of chickpeas, onion, carrot, and corn
- United Kingdom: Vegetable Deluxe Sandwich that comes with vegan fish sticks
- Germany: Big Vegan with Incridible burger
What other fast-food restaurants offer vegan options?
There are some other restaurants which offer vegan options. Both of them provide vegan french fries, sauces and drinks, so you can have a full meal as a vegan or vegetarian in these fast-food restaurants.
What are the vegan options in Burger King?
In Burger King you can find the Impossible Burger which contains a plant-based patty and vegetables. You need to order it without Mayo. You can order french fries as they are not cooked in the same oil as the non-vegan options. In addition, there is a vegan dessert which is the Dutch apple pie.
What are the vegan options in dunkin donuts?
In Dunkin Donuts you can find breakfast vegan options such as plain English muffins, hash browns, plain bagels. There is a wide selection of coffee and refreshers.
