Words by Smiley Team
Going vegan is said to be the “single biggest way” to reduce your environmental impact as an individual, according to researchers. Generally, food crops are less damaging than meat and dairy farming, which emits 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas contribution.
So it’s at least a step in the right direction if fast food multinationals are replacing meat options with plant-based alternatives. By moving towards vegan menus, they're starting to show signs of understanding how the food industry impacts the planet.
[Read more: Introducing the vegan cafe with a social purpose]
Here are some of the chains that’ve begun waking up to the reality of climate change by offering vegan options.
One of the first food chains to introduce vegan options, Subway offers the most variety in this area. Their plant-based sandwich fillers include the Meatless Meatball Marinara, a Plant Patty, their T.L.C (Tastes Like Chicken) and much more.
After a brief trial period in January 2020, Burger King’s Plant-Based Whopper relaunched nationwide in April 2021. More recently they introduced their Vegan Royale, made from soy and wheat. It later emerged they were cooking the burgers in oil used for meat, but they have since assured their customers that they’ve now enforced a strict cooking process.
Since October 2020, Nandos has offered a Peri Peri chicken alternative, the Great Imitator, made from pea protein and available in a wrap. However, they aren’t yet 100% sure it won’t come into contact with any animal products while going through the cooking process.
[Read more: The vegan wine brand removing plastic from our oceans]
Taking baby steps towards a greener menu, McDonald’s will introduce a meat-free burger, McPlant, to some of its restaurants in Coventry from 29 September. It’s other vegan options include their Spicy Veggie Wrap, Hash Browns, Veggie Dippers and Happy Meals.
It’s perhaps a stretch to believe that KFC also caters for vegans. But they have done so since January 2020, when they launched their first vegan burger. Made in collaboration with Quorn, it’s the only vegan option on the menu other than their drinks, because their fries are cooked in the same oil as their Popcorn Chicken.
