Vegetarian Fast Food and Restaurant Challenges
How to Find Meatless Meals Away from Home
Jun 17, 2008
For vegetarians and vegans, finding acceptable restaurants and fast food is a major hassle. Many avoid eating out or frequenting fast food places, but (like it or not), grabbing a bite away from home is part of modern life.
Some national (and international) chains have standardized menus that make locating vegetarian fare easy. But in a new location, what are the best strategies for finding vegetarian food, fast?
Challenges
The challenges in finding vegetarian and vegan fast foods include: :
- Hidden ingredients
- Cross-contamintamination
- Inconsistent recipes or policies
- Incomplete information
- Speed
Some vegetarians are comfortable with certain policies (like cooking meat on the same grill) while others are not. Determine your comfort level before deciding where to eat.
Unlike restaurants, fast food outlets may not have knowledgeable servers or managers around to answer questions. The focus is on fast, and no employee (or likely, customer) wants to hold up a line by scrutinizing the ingredients on a package of Kaiser buns.
Unfortunately, holding up a line may be what it takes because
- Companies change their recipes for staple ingredients (like buns or sauces) all the time;
- Policies may be inconsistent (e.g. the French fries may be cooked with the chicken, or not);
- Nutrition or ingredient information may not be available; and
- There are regional variations within the same chain.
It is hard to locate fast food that is truly vegetarian and especially, truly vegan. Hidden chemical ingredients may have undecipherable origins (L-cysteine can come from feathers, for example) and the people assuring you their sour cream is vegetarian may not know that gelatin is an animal ingredient.
Most outlets cook their vegetarian foods on the same grill as their meat products, but some will keep one corner meat-free or have alternative cooking options. If cross-contamination is a concern, be sure to ask before ordering.
Finding Vegetarian Fast Food
Do those looking for animal-free offerings have to find new places to socialize and pack a lunch wherever they go? Some do, but there are options for hungry herbivores.
If possible, check a company’s website before visiting their store. But fast food pit stops are not always planned, so use beware of the above issues and check out the full Vegetarian and Vegan Fast Food Guide to scout out the best options.
Avoid:
Fast food chains that don’t offer any substantial veggie fare, including McDonald’s and Wendy’s. Don’t count on many options at outlets offering Jamaican or German cuisine.
Seek Out:
Outlets that offer sandwiches, pitas, subs, pizza, Mexican or good-quality French fries instead. Chickpea-based falafel and vegetarian/vegan burgers are also becoming popular vegetarian staples.
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