Finding vegetarian and vegan foods outside specialty restaurants and a home kitchen is still challenging, despite some companies’ increasing efforts. Defining and finding vegetarian fast food is a challenge, but as a bonus to the extra effort, it is often healthier than the regular fare. Veggie burgers are almost always lower-fat than hamburgers, for example.
But don’t worry – fast food doesn’t have to be just salads and baked potatoes, either.
Good Vegetarian Fast Food Options
The offerings and claims of vegan/vegetarian are based on current Canadian menus. There may be regional variations in ingredients or other reasons ingredients could change.
Mexican Food
Mexican cuisine offers a variety of cheese- and bean-based dishes to satisfy vegetarian cravings. Some chains even have vegan options. Taco Bell, for example, offers totally vegan refried beans and the option to substitute the beans for meat in any dish “for no extra charge”. Don’t expect any discount for making the switch, but let’s just be thankful there are meatless options.
One caveat: beware traditional Mexican foods that sound vegetarian – like refried beans – but that can be cooking in animal fat or lard.
- Potential vegetarian options: bean burrito, cheese quesadilla, nachos and cheese sauce
- Potential vegan options: bean burrito (no cheese, no sour cream), nachos with salsa, taco salad with beans and salsa (no cheese, no meat)
- Healthier choices: seek out soft flour tortillas rather than hard corn tortillas, which are made using hydrogenated vegetable oil. Other calorie-dense offerings include cheese sauce and sour cream.
Sandwiches
Sandwiches were some of the first foods to “go veg” in the mainstream market. Gourmet offerings like roasted vegetable with hummus are nearly ubiquitous at small sandwich shops and mainstream chain operations, but probably not at delis.
Subs
Nearly all sub shops carry at least one “veggie sub”: a predictable blend of fresh vegetables and optional cheese. Not all dressings are vegetarian or vegan. Regionally, big chains like Subway offer a veggie patty (mushroom-based) which may or may not be on the menu. Gourmet sub shops (Quizno’s) have a single vegetarian sub on the menu, though at least it contains avocado and fresh veggies. Not exciting, but passable.
Pitas
Pitas are the best meatless sandwich option. Many offer a separate vegetarian menu board with less typical (and more enticing) offerings like falafel, tofu burger, baba ganoush or hummus. Some toppings may be vegan.
- Potential vegetarian options: baba ganoush (eggplant spread), hummus, vegetarian patty, falafel, cheese, Greek salad, gourmet veggie, grilled cheese, egg salad
- Potential vegan options: baba ganoush (may contain dairy), hummus, vegetarian patty (may contain eggs/dairy depending on brand), bean patty, falafel, gourmet veggie with no cheese
- Healthier choices: Skip heavy mayonnaise or oil-based dressings and keep portion sizes reasonable. Spreads may be oil-based and falafel are usually fried. Top sandwiches with as many fresh vegetables as possible.
Salad Bars
Most offer far fewer vegetarian/vegan options that it sounds like from a name like “salad bar”. Watch out for pre-made salads or those that don't allow substitutions.
- Potential Vegetarian Dishes: Asian noodles salad, Greek salad, macaroni salad, Cobb salad or California salad (if no meat), egg salad
- Potential Vegan Dishes: Look for vinaigrette dressings, beans, and load up on the veggies.
- Healthier choices: Avoid excess dressing (or choose a low-fat variety) and limit cheeses. Otherwise a very healthy choice. To round out a meal-sized salad, serve with whole grain bread.
Burgers and Dogs
More restaurants are jumping on the veggie burger band wagon. Don’t expect them all to be good, though. For vegan options, check to be sure patties do not contain cheese, milk or eggs. Often they do. Instead of making their own, most restaurants use patties from major companies like Yves Veggie Cuisine or Boca. "Street meat" vendors usually sell veggie dogs, though they are cooked on the same grill as sausages and regualar dogs.
- Potential meatless burgers: Lucky patrons in the Toronto area can visit Lick’s for a quarter-pound “Nature” burger (vegan) or try Harvey’s (vegan), A & W (contains dairy), Burger King (vegan), private chains.
Avoid burger joints like McDonald’s and Wendy’s that have obviously not caught on to the benefits of carrying vegetarian options (McDonald’s also cooks their fries in beef fat). For those in the mood for something uninspired, Wendy’s does carry a baked potato with broccoli and cheese.
Pizza
One of the original meatless fast foods, pizza can be customized to vegetarian tastebuds. Vegan (cheeseless) pizzas are harder to find. It may be worth asking whether their sauce contains chicken or meat stock.
- Potential vegetarian pizzas: look for Greek, Mediterranean, classic vegetarian, cheese lovers or other meatless pizzas.
- Potential vegan pizzas: cheese-free pizzas do not seem to have caught on yet. A few specialty shops may offer one or two such slices or will make to order.
- Healthier choices: Order a thin, whole wheat crust and nutrient-dense toppings like broccoli or spinach. Avoid extra cheese.
Fries
Fry trucks and shops that cook in vegetable oil may be a welcome treat for vegetarians, but beware of those that cook their fries in lard (animal fat) or in the same vat as meat products.
Some chains offer cheesy or vegetable toppings, like New York Fries’ “Veggie Works”. Anyone lucky enough to find a vegetarian poutine (a Canadian treat, usually made with meat gravy) should capitalize on the opportunity. Lick’s offers “Coney Fries” topped with vegetarian chili. While not a particularly healthy option, fries can still be a once-in-a-while option.
Surprises
- KFC has introduced a vegan "unchicken" at some of its outlets.
Poor Vegetarian Food Options
- Japanese and Chinese cuisine usually offer vegetable options, though some may be cooked in butter or meat stock.
- Stay away from the limited choices of Greek, German and Jamaican cuisine.
