Le Bernardin’s summer tasting menu will feature several new desserts using the Fy protein. With Nature’s Fynd Dairy-Free Cream Cheese, the chef will add a cheesecake plated in a Fy-filled squash blossom with blackberry sorbet and apricot. The restaurant will also serve guests an apricot sorbet chamomile ice cream.

Le Bernardin’s new menu items will mark the first time Fy Protein is featured in a fine dining or food service menu. The easily adaptable, highly nutritious protein source is able to provide a base for meat-free and dairy-free foods. Ripert will also join Nature’s Fynd as the company’s new Culinary Advisor. The legendary chef will help the brand improve its commercial offerings as well as expand its foodservice partnerships.

“I’m delighted to join the Nature’s Fynd team as its new Culinary Advisor and to take part in developing products that spotlight this innovative new protein option,” Ripert said in a statement. “I look forward to working closely with their team to showcase the versatility of Nature’s Fynd’s Fy in a variety of dishes from everyday breakfasts to the fine dining desserts we’ve added to Le Bernardin’s tasting menu. The possibilities are endless.”

Protein From the Hot Springs

Nature’s Fynd is not an ordinary plant-based protein company. Stemming from NASA-funded research in Yellowstone National Park, Nature’s Fynd is the brainchild of founder Mark Kozubal, Ph.D. The scientists discovered a nutritional fungi protein on the outskirts of the hot springs in Yellowstone that requires a fraction of the energy and materials of conventional animal agriculture. After isolating the microbe, Kozubal and his company developed a proprietary fermentation technology that allows them to produce massive quantities of this microbe.

Since its founding in 2012, Nature’s Fynd has secured $500 million to improve its production and distribution capabilities. The company is aiming to expand its commercial offerings within the coming years. Currently, shoppers can find several retail products nationwide including the Original and Maple Flavored Meatless Breakfast Patties and Original and Chive & Onion Dairy-Free Cream Cheese.

The company’s signature Fy is a nutritionally dense, easily adaptable, complete protein. Unlike several rivaling protein alternatives, the Fy protein contains all 20 amino acids, high fiber, and several other essential nutrients. The company intends to help major food establishments improve their sustainable, healthy options.

“There is no one more respected and admired in the culinary world than Chef Eric Ripert,” Nature’s Fynd CEO and co-Founder Thomas Jonas said in a statement. “He has set the highest culinary standards for decades at Le Bernardin and we couldn’t be more humbled to partner with him on our journey as a new brand. His unwavering standards will help us deliver the most delicious Fy-based foods to nourish people and nurture our planet.”

Launching Fungi Protein Into Space

This month, SpaceX announced that Nature’s Fynd microbe-based protein is intended to replace traditional “space food” in the company’s revived space program. Nature’s Fynd just sent a protein-growing incubator into space on the SpaceX-25 mission this week. Once in orbit, the astronauts will test the incubator to see how the protein reacts to low-gravity and low-orbit conditions.

“We’re thrilled to announce our role in the revolutionary NASA research to develop a safe, efficient, and robust system for producing fresh food in space,” Jonas said in a statement. Our connection to NASA is deep — Nature’s Fynd started as a research project for NASA, which led us to discover a remarkable microbe with origins in Yellowstone National Park,”

31 Delicious, Plant-Based Recipes to Make on Repeat

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The post Le Bernardin Introduces Vegan Desserts to Its Michelin-Starred Menu appeared first on The Beet.

Led by social commerce giant Richelieu Denni’s New Voices Fund and Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer’s Enlightened Hospitality Investments, the most recent funding round will propel Slutty Vegan to new heights, planning to expand to 10 additional locations by the end of 2022 as well as 10 more storefronts by the end of 2023.

“To have the New Voices Venture Fund and the GOAT of the restaurant industry, Danny Meyer himself, to have them a part of this team is a recipe for success,” Cole said. “I’m excited about the people I’m involved with.”

Pinky Cole Gives Back to the Community

This Series A funding round will put Slutty Vegan at a valuation of around $100 million. By the end of 2023, the plant-based burger restaurant is projected to have at least 25 locations nationwide. Cole is also dedicated to supporting the communities where Slutty Vegan is located: The restauranteur has started funds dedicated to giving scholarships to 30 juvenile offenders and to help the children of Rayshard Brooks – who was killed at the hands of police in 2020 – attend college.

“When people see that you are not only building a profitable company, but you are building an ecosystem, people respect that,” Cole told Inc. “They continue to want to support you. It feels so good to know that level of growth can come beyond money, and funnel back out to our communities.”

The entrepreneur’s Pinky Cole Foundation is also dedicated to giving back to the community, helping underserved communities and people of color succeed in the face of discrimination across the board. The foundation helps empower economic progress in communities of color, providing the capital and education to help promote Black-owned businesses.

“It’s about partnering with these incredible entrepreneurs and their businesses to drive real scale and growth and create wealth for those founders,” Dennis told Forbes. “And that’s what Pinky has done here and continues to do. This new round of investments will rapidly transform not just the vegan restaurant industry but will drive an incredible amount of health initiatives and food options for the Black community that may not have existed yet.”

Shake Shack’s Slutty Vegan Burger

Shack Shack’s Danny Meyer first gave Slutty Vegan a shot last April when the massive burger chain unveiled the SluttyShack Burger stacked with lemon ginger kale, caramelized onions, vegan ranch, vegan mayo, and topped with Pinky’s secret Slut Dust. The partnership was a part of Shake Shack’s “Now Serving” collection that features smaller businesses at selected restaurants nationwide for a limited time offer.

“I had never seen vegan food presented in such a fun way,” Meyer told Forbes. “Leaders are often defined by the degree to which people want to follow them, and I saw people following the leader.”

Slutty Vegan’s New Locations

Cole founded Slutty Vegan as a food truck in 2018 after her first restaurant – Pinky’s Jamaican – burnt down in a kitchen fire. Since then, Cole has transformed the food truck into a multi-million dollar brand that is serving thousands of vegan burgers to hungry guests. Cole claims that 97 percent of her customers that order the vegan burgers are meat-eaters, and she aims to continue introducing guests to this late-night fast food.

“When I started this concept, I was really solving a problem for myself but what I didn’t realize at the time was I was helping solve a universal problem and that was helping people reimagine food, but in a way that they had never seen it before,” Cole told The Beet. “Historically when we talk about vegans, it’s always been a bougie lifestyle… But I wanted to create an atmosphere that was inclusive for all people no matter where you live or where you came from or what you do for a living, you can have vegan and plant-based options cruelty-free and guilt-free.”

Now, Cole aims to create an inclusive atmosphere across the entire United States. Several Slutty Vegan locations have already been announced including two storefronts in New York City (Harlem and Brooklyn), New York; Birmingham, Alabama; Athens, Georgia; and Baltimore, Mayland. With Cole’s current momentum, soon every American will be able to drive to get Slutty Vegan’s signature vegan burgers.

For more plant-based happenings, visit The Beet’s News category. 

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

1. Burger King

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

2. White Castle

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

3. Del Taco

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

4. Carl’s Jr.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

5. Taco Bell

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

6. Starbucks

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.

The post Slutty Vegan Plans 20 New Locations With $25 Million in New Financing appeared first on The Beet.

Eleven Madison Home will prepare weekly delivery boxes with plant-based meals, snacks, and desserts for $150 per person or $285 for two. The new concept kitchen will provide local Manhattan shipping as well. The upscale vegan meal kits also cater to people with busy lifestyles, making meal preparation straightforward. The inventive delivery kit will follow Eleven Madison Park’s menu and local sourcing standards.

Chef Humm revealed that he developed Eleven Madison Home to help people incorporate plant-based foods into their lives easier. The highly-acclaimed New York City restaurant opened in 2011, but it wasn’t until last year that Humm decided to roll out a mostly plant-based menu. The restaurant abandoned its staple dishes, including dry-aged duck critics raved about, in favor of plant-based foods. Humm’s decision helped usher in a greater acceptance of vegan cuisine in the fine-dining world.

“Almost every night, when I greet guests in the dining room at Eleven Madison Park, I hear a compliment along the lines of, ‘If I could eat this way, I would eat plant-based all the time,’” Humm said to VegNews. “At first, I just took this as lovely encouragement of the change we’ve made to our approach — until it dawned on me that there was something there for us to explore.

“Could we do more to bring that happiness to people outside the restaurant? Without preaching about it, could we do more to encourage people to fall in love with a plant-based lifestyle? It’s only so often you can dine at Eleven Madison Park, yet there are so many euphoric flavors that we can easily adapt for at home; so many local farmers, purveyors, and stories that we can honor.”

This meal kit service is not Eleven Madison Park’s first foray into mobile offerings. Last year, the restaurant teamed up with local non-profit Rethink Food to launch a food truck. The Eleven Madison Truck intended to provide nutritious meals to food-insecure communities. This extension of the restaurant commissary kitchen is an effort to combat food insecurity and promote a more equitable food system.

Eleven Madison Park’s delectably designed plant-based menu is introducing countless people to the potential of a plant-based menu. Now, the home delivery menu will help people learn how to eat plant-based outside of the restaurant. The delivery box could include everything from a Whole-Grain Oatmeal with Rhubarb Compote & Roasted Pecan Butter to Israeli Couscous with Roasted Carrots & Mushroom Kebab. For a snack, customers might find Chickpea Crisps & Olive Tapenade, and for dessert, Eleven Madison Park pastry chefs will provide fan-favorite baked goods.

The Era of Vegan Fine Dining

When Eleven Madison Park announced it would reopen with a 100 percent plant-based menu last May, chef Humm shocked Manhattan and the world. Despite some controversy with a private party menu featuring animal products, Humm’s impressive plant-based menu proves to fine dining guests that vegan cuisine belongs at the upper echelons of food culture.

“We have always operated with sensitivity to the impact we have on our surroundings, but it was becoming ever clearer that the current food system is simply not sustainable, in so many ways,” Humm wrote last year. “We use food to express ourselves as richly and authentically as our craft allows – and our creativity has always been tied to a specific moment in time. In this way, the restaurant is a personal expression in dialogue with our guests. It was clear that after everything we all experienced this past year, we couldn’t open the same restaurant.

“With that in mind, I’m excited to share that we’ve made the decision to serve a plant-based menu in which we do not use any animal products — every dish is made from vegetables, both from the earth and the sea, as well as fruits, legumes, fungi, grains, and so much more.”

Eleven Madison Park joined a growing plant-based movement in the fine dining community. In 2021, vegan and vegetarian restaurants received an unprecedented 81 Michelin stars. Michelin-starred chefs – who may have previously scoffed at vegan foods – have started to incorporate plant-based foods into their repertoire.

Last September, chef Alain Ducasse opened a “95 percent” plant-based restaurant in Paris called Sapid. More shockingly, Chef Gordon Ramsey is singing the praises of plant-based cuisine, slinging vegan burgers from his new Chicago restaurant. With legendary figures leaning closer to plant-based foods, upscale diners will most likely begin to recognize the value as well.

For more plant-based happenings, visit The Beet’s News category. 

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

1. Burger King

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

2. White Castle

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

3. Del Taco

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

4. Carl’s Jr.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

5. Taco Bell

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

6. Starbucks

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.

The post You Can Now Enjoy Eleven Madison Park’s Gourmet Vegan Food at Home appeared first on The Beet.

Burger King’s groundbreaking all-vegan location will start serving meat-free meals on March 14th and continue to ditch the meat until April 10th, giving Londoners a chance to experience a full-scale vegan fast-food operation. The major fast-food company has worked to develop its plant-based menu recently, incorporating Impossible Foods’ nuggets and burgers to its menus. Alongside the existing Plant-Based Whopper and Vegan Royale served in London, a Plant-Based Bakon Double Cheeeze XL and Vegan Cheeeze & Bakon Royale will join the menu. The company will also include its recently launched Katsu sandwiches during the one-month vegan trial.

Vegan fast food competition heats up

With its menu of vegan hamburgers, cheeseburgers, onion rings, and dairy-free ice cream, Burger King’s all-plant-based venue is a part of a bigger trend toward offering consumers plant-based or meat-free options, while serving up their favorite fast food items, reimagined without the meat and dairy.

This is the first major international fast-food chain to go all vegan in a location, but other smaller companies have made the commitment and are growing fast. In the western US, Plant Power Fast Food is expanding locations, and in the east, PLNT Burger, now offers a fully vegan experience in and around the DC and Maryland area, and just opened its first outpost in New York City.

The competition for plant-based fast food has recently heated up as McDonald’s announced it’s bringing the McPlant to America after testing it in the UK, and Burger King is planning to expand its plant-based offerings beyond the Impossible Whopper with chicken nuggets from Impossible.

Meanwhile, Panda Express is about to roll out vegan orange chicken from Beyond after the menu item became its most popular new offering since 1987. And Taco Bell is testing out its own plant-based meat, which has been met with excitement by its fans.

Corporate sustainability goals

BK’s new meat-free menu is a step toward achieving the company’s long-term sustainability goals, according to a statement.

“We’re incredibly proud of our new meat-free menu; it absolutely delivers on big taste with no compromises and reflects our ongoing commitment to serving our customers a diverse and innovative range of products,” Chief Marketing Officer at Burger King UK Katie Evans said. “ The limited-edition menu is a direct result of our focus on vegan and plant-based innovation and goes hand in hand with our target of a 50 percent meat-free menu by 2030, as well as our commitment to sustainability and responsible business. We can’t think of a more fitting way to re-launch our new-look flagship in Leicester Square.”

Burger King Goes Plant-Based for Sustainability

Within the United States, Burger King has launched meat-free options nationwide, but the fast-food chain has lagged behind its competitors when it comes to taking the final steps and offering a totally vegan experience. The burger chain still does not offer vegan cheese or dairy-free mayonnaise options for its Impossible Whopper, but it has recently added Impossible’s new chicken nuggets to the national menu.

Although Burger King US needs improvement, Burger King UK and Europe have set the standards high for the fast-food market. Early last year, UK’s CEO Alasdair Murdoch revealed that Burger King UK intends to transition to a menu that features 50 percent plant-based meals. The aim is to cater to the growing population of vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian diners, but also the move has been praised by activist groups including PETA.

“PETA applauds the UK’s first all-vegan Burger King – a whopping great step in the right direction for animals and the environment,” Director of Vegan Corporate Projects PETA Dawn Carr said “The planet needs a game-changing shift away from meat to combat the climate emergency, and Burger King is leading the way. We love its expanding meat-free range: from the Vegan Royale to the Vegan Nuggets, these plant-powered, protein-packed meals appeal to both vegans and meat-eaters!”

London’s vegan Burger King is the first fully plant-based storefront from the major food company, but it’s not the first plant-forward location. Last fall, Burger King temporarily opened “Vurger King” in Spain, featuring a fully vegetarian menu for one month. In partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher, Burger King Spain tested new meat-free menu items including the Long Vegetal with vegan chicken.

Now, The Vegetarian Butcher is working closely with Burger King UK to bring these vegan dishes to Londoners. The plant-based company is helping Burger King introduce unique-to-the-market vegan options that will intend to change fast-food offerings worldwide.

“At The Vegetarian Butcher, we believe that plant-based foods should be just as tasty as meat and our juicy range of meat-free products prove just that – showing that consumers don’t need to sacrifice a thing when making a plant-based switch,” Senior Brand Manager at The Vegetarian Butcher Laura Iliffe said. “We’re providing meat-lovers the chance to cut-down meat without compromising on taste. We challenge you to taste the difference!”

Burger King London’s Vegan Menu

Burgers

• Vegan Royale
• Vegan Cheeeze & Bakon Royale
• Vegan Cheeeze Royale
• Plant-based Whopper®
• Plant-based Cheeeze Whopper®
• Plant-based Cheeeze & Bakon Whopper®
• Plant-based Whopper Jr®
• Plant-based Cheeeze Whopper Jr®
• Plant-based Hamburger
• Plant-based Cheeezeburger
• Plant-based Double Cheeezeburger
• Plant-based Bakon Double Cheeezeburger
• Plant-based Bakon Double Cheeeze XL
• Plant-Based Double Whopper®
• Plant-based King Jr® Hamburger Meal
• Plant-based King Jr® Cheeezeburger Meal

Plant-Based Chicken

• Vegan Katsu Royale
• Plant-based Katsu Chilli Whopper®
• Vegan Nugget Burger
• Vegan King Jr® Nugget Meal
• Vegan Nuggets

Sides

• Vegan Fries
• Vegan Chilli Cheeeze bites
• Plant-based Onion Rings

Dessert

• Ben & Jerry’s® Cookie on Cookie Dough Non-Dairy Ice Cream

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

1. Burger King

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

2. White Castle

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

3. Del Taco

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

4. Carl’s Jr.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

5. Taco Bell

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

6. Starbucks

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.

The post This Burger King Location is Going Totally Vegan for One Month appeared first on The Beet.

A&W Canada will become one of the first North American fast-food chains to drop animal-based ingredients completely, launching the Jalapeno Lime Beyond Meat Burger at more than 1,000 locations across Canada. The limited-edition burger is made in partnership with Beyond Meat and features a dairy-free spicy vegan jalapeno lime aioli. The burger will be topped with classic lettuce, onion, and tomato served on a vegan seven-grain bun.

“The Beyond Meat Burger has been a fan-favorite since day one, and we’re excited to offer our guests a new, fully plant-based option with delicious, bold flavors,” Director, Brand Communications and Digital Marketing, A&W Canada, Julia Cutt said in a statement. “We’re confident the Jalapeño Lime Beyond Meat Burger will satisfy meat-eaters and plant-based lovers alike.”

A&W’s exclusive plant-based burger will be available at Canadian locations for a limited time, but the fast-food chain offers several meatless burgers on its permanent menu that can be made vegan. While customers need to order without egg-based mayo and cheese to eat fully plant-based, A&W’s menu has included Beyond Meat patties since 2018. When the fast-food chain first launched the meatless burger, it reported selling more than 90,000 burgers within the first three days.

This heightened interest in plant-based burgers is a trend that stretches worldwide: The vegan fast-food market is expected to reach $40 billion by 2028, increasing at an 11.4 percent growth rate. The accelerated growth of plant-based interest has motivated fast-food giants to develop more vegan and vegetarian-friendly options. With the help of fast-food companies, vegan meat is now featured on menus 1320 percent more since the start of the pandemic.

“Through the debut of the Jalapeño Lime Beyond Meat Burger, we continue to excite and delight consumers with mouthwatering, no-compromise plant-based options—this time with an all plant-based build,” Marketing Director of Beyond Meat Canada Heena Verma said in a statement. “We are proud to collaborate with A&W Canada, our longtime partner, to make plant-based burgers that are better for people and the planet more widely accessible to Canadians.”

A&W’s partnership with Beyond also extends to the rest of its menu. The two companies previously debuted a vegan breakfast sandwich served on an English muffin. In 2021, A&W introduced Beyond Meat vegan chicken nugget to its menus for a limited time. While the plant-based chicken has yet to be added to the permanent menu, A&W and Beyond continue to work closely to develop plant-based menu options.

Vegan Fast-Food’s Real Impact

Major fast-food companies have started catering to the growing plant-based community while also aiming to appeal to meat-eaters. A recent report from World Animal Protection discovered that approximately 630,000 animals were saved from the food system in the United States last year. The report concluded that consumers have gravitated towards buying more plant-based food, significantly cutting into the existing animal agriculture industry.

“Restaurants are definitely trying to meet this rising demand for plant-based products by offering more meat alternatives on their menus,” Farming Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection Maha Bazzi said to USA TODAY. “The industry is expected to stay the course in 2022 as meat alternatives evolve and become more widely accessible.”

31 Delicious, Plant-Based Recipes to Make on Repeat

Want fresh ideas for meals that are healthy, plant-based, and delicious? This free newsletter is for you. Sign up to get a recipe of the day delivered to your inbox every morning.

The post A&W Launches First Vegan Burger With Beyond Meat: Here’s Where to Get It appeared first on The Beet.

Torchy’s Taco has partnered with Beyond Meat to offer vegan tacos and Tex-Mex specialties to its customers nationwide. The new menu items include The MoFaux taco and the Grande Burrito Bowl, which can be made vegan when ordered without cheese, refried beans, and sour cream. The two new vegan options aim to appeal to vegan customers, but the fast-casual taco chain ensures that all its die-hard will enjoy them.

The MoFaux is the company’s first true plant-based menu item, containing Cowboy-Style Beyond Beef, grilled corn, green chiles, peppadew peppers, cilantro, and avocado. The vegan taco will also be served on a fresh corn tortilla and topped with the company’s signature Diablo sauce. The specialty Beyond Beef is flavored to match the palette of the taco chain’s Tex-Mex cuisine. The plant-based taco will be available at all locations beginning February 9.

“Torchy’s is all about innovating to ensure we’re delivering the tastiest and most unique offerings in the game, and these new menu items hit the mark by providing a little something for everyone, whether you’re plant-based, have a sweet tooth, or just love Damn Good tacos,” Rypka said. “Our culinary team has been hard at work perfecting these new items, and we can’t wait to see our fans’ reactions.”

While the plant-based menu remains short, Torchy’s new vegan protein will allow customers to customize their orders. The company revealed that the Cowboy-Style Beyond Beef will be available as a substitute for its Grande Burrito and Airstream Salad as well as the new Grande Burrito Bowl.

Torchy’s released The MoFaux taco nationwide following its successful trial run in Austin and Columbus, Ohio. Now, Torchy’s fans can find the new vegan taco in Indiana, Arkansas, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, North Carolina, Louisiana, and Virginia.

The plant-based taco will also support the fast-casual chain’s commitments to sustainability. Although the current menu offerings lean on meat and dairy, the company works to reduce its carbon footprint by only stocking napkins, cutlery, and cups made from 100 percent renewable resources. Torchy’s also donates all its excess cooking oil to companies that reuse it for biodiesel. Now, plant-based menu development will help the company reduce its environmental impact even more.

Plant-Based Fast Food Goes Vegan

Before the last few years, vegan food was limited mostly to home cooking and grocery shopping, but now restaurants are looking to wrap their arms around plant-based eating. Plant-based meat currently appears on the menu 1,320 percent more than at the beginning of the pandemic. Local restaurants have contributed to this shift in the foodservice industry, but the most significant change has been fast food’s newfound interest in vegan options.

Vegan fast food is becoming extremely popular as people nationwide become more concerned with sustainability, sourcing, and health-related issues regarding meat and dairy production. The vegan fast food market is currently expected to reach $40 billion by 2028, signifying a drastic change in consumer behavior over the next decade. While Torchy’s new vegan taco is a big deal to regional fans, fast food giants like McDonald’s and Taco Bell have already paved the way, introducing new vegan menu items such as the McPlant and Taco Bell’s new vegan protein.

Austin’s Blooming Vegan Scene

There is no city quite like Austin. Buried in the heart of Texas, the state’s capital is known for its lively music scene, Southern hospitality, and overall eccentricity that locals hope to preserve more than anything. So, it comes as no surprise that the electric city’s food scene is just as inventive and exciting as the rest of the city.

Torchy’s is just the latest of Austin’s core food scene to adopt plant-based Tex-Mex, so check out The Beet’s list of the best vegan and plant-based eats in Austin to see what restaurants paved the way for the beloved Austin-based chain.

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

1. Burger King

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

2. White Castle

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

3. Del Taco

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

4. Carl’s Jr.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

5. Taco Bell

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

6. Starbucks

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.

The post Torchy’s Tacos Debuts Vegan Cowboy-Style Beyond Beef Taco: Where to Get It appeared first on The Beet.

Soon, the McPlant burger will be available across the Dallas-Fort Worth and San Francisco Bay areas, providing thousands of more consumers with the most anticipated plant-based burger yet. Currently, the burger is not quite vegan, but with a couple of substitutions, the dairy-based ingredients can be avoided, although note that there are still risks of cross-contamination during the cooking process.

The meatless burger features a Beyond Meat patty made from potatoes, rice, and peas, topped with tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard. The McPlant also comes with dairy-based American cheese and mayo, but customers can easily ask to remove the animal-based ingredients. While not dairy-free in the United States, the United Kingdom version features a plant-based cheese and mayo that could make its way stateside.

The meatless burger initially launched at eight locations in Irving, TX; Carrollton, TX; Cedar Falls, IA; Jennings, LA; Lake Charles, LA; Manhattan Beach, CA; and El Segundo, CA. Overall, customers embraced the new McDonald’s signature burger, motivating the company to accelerate its menu expansion.

“After planting the seed with a small-scale McPlant  test in eight restaurants late last year,  McDonald’s USA is expanding the test to select restaurants in your area to help us understand customer demand,” the company said in a statement.

McDonald’s plant-based development signifies a monumental shift in the fast-food market as major players begin to realize the legitimacy of plant-based eating. A Nielson report found that 39 percent of Americans try to purchase meat and dairy alternatives whenever possible, attempting to incorporate plant-based foods into their diet. The figure is also growing at a remarkable rate. The vegan fast food market reflects this rising interest as it’s expected to reach $40 billion by 2028.

The McPlant expansion also highlights the fast-food giant’s dedication to its plant-based partnerships and research. By partnering with Beyond, McDonald’s intends to change the fast-food landscape while meeting the demands of a growing vegan and vegetarian consumer base. Ahead of the initial launch, the company claimed “It has the iconic taste of a McDonald’s burger because it is one.”

Sustainable Fast-Food with a Plant-Based Plan

While the fast-food chain primarily aims to monopolize on the growing plant-based population, the McPlant also helps meet its sustainability goals set late last year. The company announced in October 2021 that it intends to become a net-zero emission company by 2050, implementing a plant-based approach to meet its goals. The company partnered with the Science Based Targets initiative to lower its greenhouse emissions. By introducing meatless alternatives to its classic menu items, the company will work to curb its animal agriculture-related emission costs.

“We believe we have both a privilege and a responsibility to help lead on issues that matter most in communities – and there is no issue more urgent globally and of impact locally than protecting our planet for generations to come,” McDonald’s President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Kempczinski said. “By committing to net zero through the SBTi’s Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign, we are helping every community we serve to mitigate the impacts of climate change and adapt for the future.”

The Beyond Meat Empire

For many flexitarians and non-vegan customers, plant-based meat can be the most appealing entry point for vegan food. A recent study found that plant-based meat is appearing on menus 1,320 percent more than before the pandemic, noting that nearly 10 percent of restaurants in the US now incorporate vegan meat into their menu. Beyond’s mission is to make that plant-based meat affordable and accessible nationwide.

Alongside its partnership with McDonald’s, the company has also teamed up with other fast-food giants including KFC and Taco Bell. Earlier this month, Beyond and KFC jointly launched the Beyond Chicken Tenders nationwide. This product launch is one of the largest plant-based fast food collaborations to date. Taco Bell is working to develop proprietary plant-based meat that will provide customers with a sustainable plant protein substitute, available on its entire menu. Currently, the company is exclusively serving its vegan meat at 100 locations.

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

1. Burger King

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

2. White Castle

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

3. Del Taco

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

4. Carl’s Jr.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

5. Taco Bell

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

6. Starbucks

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.

The post The McPlant Is Coming to 600 More McDonald’s. Here’s Where to Get It appeared first on The Beet.

Ramsey, known as an unforgiving chef and screamer, is making sure that vegans (who he has derided the past) will be well served when they show up this Chicago restaurant, Gordon Ramsay Burger, which just opened in the River North neighborhood.

Gordon Ramsay Burger will offer eight signature burger creations developed by the TV chef, including one Vegan Burger complete with a plant-based patty made from his own recipe, bib lettuce, avocado, eggless mayo, tomato, and vegan burger bun.

Ramsay’s new vegan creation signifies a shift in the food world as formerly critical chefs begin to accept the quality and potential of plant-based cooking. In past years, Ramsay has been outspokenly anti-vegan, previously joking that he was “allergic to vegans.” Now, the chef will allow his customers to substitute the vegan patty for every burger at his restaurant with a $6 upcharge.

“As a huge fan of Chicago and its food scene, it’s an honor to now have a restaurant in this amazing city,” Ramsay said in a statement. “We can’t wait to serve Chicago residents our signature burger and some really delicious variations.”

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The flagship Gordon Ramsay Burger opened inside the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas in 2012. The original location recently rolled out a vegan burger to coincide with the chef’s decision to cater to plant-based customers with his newest restaurant. Ramsay’s vegan dish indicates that the chef is warming up to plant-based cooking.

Recently, Ramsay has backpedaled significantly on his plant-based criticism: The chef first tweeted that he was going to give vegan eating a try in 2018, announcing his Charred Aubergine Pizza at his London-based Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza. The vegan pizza received positive feedback and encouraged him to continue developing vegan alternatives to his iconic recipes.

From Beef Wellington to bacon, Ramsay started showcasing vegan alternatives to meat-centric dishes. He recreated his famous Beef Wellington using beets as a meat substitute. The celebrity chef has also showcased several vegan recipes on his Tik Tok including an eggplant steak, opening the viral Tiktok by claiming that he was “turning vegan…for lunch.”

This summer, Ramsay even joined Silk for a new advertisement campaign that granted the chef with a G.O.A.T. award, claiming that its new oat milk product is the Greatest of All Time. Ramsay – dubbed the G.O.A.T. of Yelling in Kitchens – explained that he joined the plant-based milk campaign because his children inspired him to consider more plant-based options.

“Well, it took my kids getting on me, but now I really enjoy cooking more plant-based dishes at home and in my restaurants,” Ramsay said. “Let me tell you, I know greatness when I taste it, and I am loving Silk Oatmilk for both sweet and savory recipes.”

Ramsay’s plant-based acceptance also became apparent when the chef announced that Hell’s Kitchen would feature two plant-based chefs for the first time. Chefs Josie Clemes and Emily Hersh became the culinary competition’s first two vegan and vegetarian chefs, respectively. Their time on Hell’s Kitchen marked the first time that Ramsay allowed for plant-based cooking to be heavily featured on the show.

Including the plant-based chefs marks a substantial shift in the fine dining food scene as well. Upscale dining is also moving toward more plant-based foods as consumer demand makes it impossible for any chef to avoid innovating their menus. The Michelin organization revealed that it already awarded 81 Michelin stars to vegan and vegetarian restaurants throughout this year. Alongside Ramsay, esteemed chefs worldwide have started incorporating plant-based dishes as more consumers become concerned about sustainability and health, and plant-based cooking takes up more of the spotlight.

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

1. Burger King

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

2. White Castle

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

3. Del Taco

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

4. Carl’s Jr.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

5. Taco Bell

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

6. Starbucks

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.

The post Gordon Ramsay’s New Chicago Restaurant to Serve Vegan Burgers appeared first on The Beet.

The Impossible Shop will showcase the company’s iconic vegan meat products at Daug Haus locations across the United States. Currently, the company operates 39 ghost kitchens in Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Wyoming, California, New York, and Maryland. The Impossible Shop is currently a deliver-only business, which will provide customers with several plant-based options right to their doorsteps. Customers can order from multiple online delivery platforms including Grubhub, Uber Eats, Postmates, and DoorDash.

Impossible’s partnership with Dog Haus follows a long-standing history between the two businesses: Dog Haus first teamed up with Impossible when it became one of the first restaurant groups to permanently add the plant-based burger to its permanent menu. Now, the restaurant chain is helping make the virtual restaurant possible for the Impossible team.

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With fast food rapidly adopting plant-based alternatives, the vegan protein pioneer plans to capitalize on the rapidly rising market. A report from Verified Market Research found that the global vegan fast foods market was valued at $17 billion in 2020, and projects that it will reach $40 billion by 2028. The accelerated growth will be fueled by plant-based protein giants like Impossible and its market rival Beyond Meat.

The ghost kitchen will serve some of the company’s most popular products, prepared to illustrate the potential of plant-based proteins. The Impossible Shop will also help highlight the company’s newest products to a nationwide audience. The online restaurant aims to encourage plant-curious consumers to try innovative vegan protein alternatives. The plant-based menu will include:

• The Shop Burger: The signature Impossible Burger patty is topped with tomato, dill pickle chips, shredded lettuce, and the new Shop sauce.
• The Double Sop Burger: The double-decker burger featured two Impossible patties complete with lettuce, tomato, dill pickles, and Shop sauce.
• The Impossible Pat-B Melt: The quarter-pounder Impossible Burger is served with cola-carmelized onions, a new plant-based cheese sauce, and dill pickle. The vegan patty melt comes served on sourdough bread with a side of Shop sauce.
• The Chili Cheese Shop Burger: The chili cheeseburger comes with plant-based cheese and vegan chili served on a Brioche bun. The burger can also come in a Double Down variation.
• Sticky Sesame Impossible Nugget w/ Fries: Impossible showcases its new plant-based chicken nuggets covered in a sticky sesame sauce served on a bed of fries.
• Impossible Breakfast Sausage Burrito: The breakfast item features a warm tortilla filled with Impossible Sausage, plant-based egg, crispy tater tots, avocado, vegan cheese, chipotle crema, and fresh tomatoes.
• The Shop Chili Cheese Fries: A bed of fries covered in the chipotle crema, plant-based cheese, and vegan chili filled with Impossible Sausage crumbles.

Impossible’s latest $500 million funding round brought the plant-based company’s total investment valuation near $2 billion, reaching a significant milestone for the plant-based protein market. The company intends to expand its product distribution, development, and partnership with the investment capital. Through the Impossible Shop and its partnerships with Burger King, Fatburger, and other restaurants, Impossible has successfully established itself in the foodservice industry.

Now, the company is working to expand its already extensive product line to include other forms of protein. The company currently offers Impossible Burgers, the Impossible Sausage, Impossible Pork, Impossible Nuggets, and its newest Impossible Meatballs. The company expects to one day offer plant-based proteins for all protein market sectors, aiming to push development with the most recent funding capital.

“We’re fortunate to have great investors who believe in our long-term mission,” Impossible Foods’ Chief Financial Officer David Borecky said. “The latest round of funding allows us to further accelerate our product innovation and global expansion efforts as we continue to leverage the power of the food system to satisfy consumers and fight climate change.”

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

1. Burger King

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

2. White Castle

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

3. Del Taco

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

4. Carl’s Jr.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

5. Taco Bell

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

6. Starbucks

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.

The post Impossible Foods Opens Delivery-Only Restaurants Nationwide appeared first on The Beet.

The three-Michelin starred restaurant currently offers a 22-course menu that costs 2,800 DKK ($426). The acclaimed restaurant’s menu will still offer some seafood dishes but will make a significant shift to focus on vegetable-centric fine dining cuisine. Dropping all other meat products will require leaving multiple signature dishes at Denmark’s iconic restaurant behind.

Geranium’s head chef Rasmus Kofoed stopped eating meat five years ago but maintained his meat-centric menu at his highly awarded restaurant. Finally, the chef decided that he wanted to design his restaurant’s menu to better reflect his personal diet, and the changing consumer demand in Denmark and worldwide.

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“My kitchen at Geranium has long been focused on vegetables, fish, and shellfish as the star on the plate, with small quantities of meat,” Kofoed said on Instagram. “The menu is a reflection of me, of who I am and how I am evolving as a chef and as a human being. I haven’t been eating meat for the last five years at home, so to no longer use meat on the new menu was a logical decision and a natural progression for Geranium.”

Kofoed announced that following his decision to cut meat from Geranium’s menu, he immediately had 15 plant-based dishes in mind. The chef first experimented with vegetarian menus last year when he launched his pop-up Angelika inside of Geranium. The pop-up menu provided customers with exciting upscale dishes that showcased the potential of plant-based foods in fine dining.

At Geranium and Angelika, the chef also prioritizes sustainable and local sourcing, building up biodynamic and organic farms across the region. The restaurant aims to put plant-based fine dining into the spotlight, working against tradition to create new standards for plant-based cooking.

“From my perspective, change is good, we grow from it, we learn from it, we step out of our comfort zone and often we benefit from it. Thank you for being a part of the journey, I’m excited to share this new chapter with you,” Kofoed said.

Geranium will be added to the growing list of Michelin-ranked restaurants to adopt plant-based cooking. The Michelin panel announced earlier this year that its judges awarded 57 vegetarian and 24 vegan restaurants with highly respected honors. Some Michelin-ranked restaurants that feature plant-forward menus include Milan’s Joia, Beijing’s King’s Joy, and New York’s Eleven Madison Park.

The fine-dining shift signifies a rapid change over recent years. France’s ONA (Origine Non-Animale) became the first all-vegan eatery to be awarded the Michelin star. The restaurant’s chef Claire Vallee opened her restaurants in 2016 to upturn conventions in fine dining. Vallee developed a seven-course menu to showcase innovative and delicious plant-based foods to promote sustainability in the upscale food scene.

“This goes to show that nothing is impossible,” Vallée wrote on Instagram following the news of her Michelin star in January. “We will continue on this path because this star is mine, it is yours … it is the one that definitively brings vegetable gastronomy into the closed circle of French and global gastronomy.”

Another Michelin-star chef, Dominique Crenn, is trying something completely new to promote sustainability at her restaurant Atelier Crenn. Crenn removed the meat from her menus in 2018, but earlier this year, she announced that she would be the first restaurant in the United States to offer cultivated meat, introducing a dish that features UPSIDE Foods’ innovative cell-based chicken. The San Francisco restaurant plans to serve the sustainable meat alternative in an effort to undercut conventional animal agriculture.

“When I tasted UPSIDE Chicken for the first time, I thought, this is it. This is the future of food. The look, smell, and sear—UPSIDE Chicken is just delicious,” Crenn said at the time. “People are finally waking up to the downsides of conventional meat production, which led me to remove meat from my menus several years ago.”

The 13 Best Foods to Boost Your Immune System to Fight Off COVID-19 Symptoms

Here are the best foods to eat on repeat, to boost immunity and fight inflammation. And stay off the red meat.

1. Citrus for Your Cells and Healing

Your body does not produce vitamin C, which means you need to get it daily to have enough to create healthy collagen (the building blocks for your skin and healing).The recommended daily amount to shoot for is 65 to 90 milligrams a day, which is the equivalent of one small glass of orange juice or eating a whole grapefruit. Almost all citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. With such a variety to choose from, it’s easy to get your fill.

2. Red Peppers to Pump Up Skin and Boost Immunity with Twice the Amount of Vitamin C as an Orange Has

Want even more vitamin C, add red bell peppers to your salad or pasta sauce. One medium-sized red bell pepper contains 152 milligrams of vitamin C, or enough to fulfill your RDA. Peppers are also a great source of beta carotene, a precursor of vitamin A (retinol). How much beta carotene do you need a day: You should try to get 75 to 180 micrograms a day which is the equivalent of one medium bell pepper a day. But a red pepper has more than two and a half times your RDA for vitamin C so eat them all winter long.

3. Broccoli, But Eat It Nearly Raw, to get the Most Nutrients Out of It!

Broccoli may be the most super of superfoods on the planet. It’s rich in vitamins A and C as well as E. The phytochemicals in it are great for arming and strengthening your immune system.How much lutein should you eat in a day: There is no RDA for lutein, but experts say get at least 6 milligrams.

4. Garlic, Eaten By the Clove

Garlic isn’t just a great flavor-enhancer, it’s essential for your health. Garlic’s immune-boosting properties are tied to its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin. Allicin is thought to improve your immune cells’ ability to fight off colds and flu, and viruses of all kinds. (Smelling more garlic on the subway? It could be smart coronavirus management.) Garlic also has anti-microbial and anti-viral properties thought to fight off infections. How much should you eat in a day: The optimal amount of garlic to eat is more than most of us can fathom: Two to three cloves a day. While that may not be doable, realistically, some people take garlic supplements to get 300-mg dried garlic in a powdered tablet.

5. Ginger is a Power Player for Immunity and Digestion

Ginger is another ingredient that has super properties when it comes to fighting off illness. It has been shown to decrease inflammation, which can help if you get swollen glands or a sore throat or any inflammatory ailment. Gingerol, the main bioactive compound in ginger, is a relative of capsaicin, and is responsible for much of its medicinal properties. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.How much should you eat a day: Most recommendations land on 3–4 grams of ginger extract a day, or up to four cups of ginger tea, but no more than 1 gram a day if you are pregnant. Some studies have linked high dosages to an increased risk of miscarriage.

6. Spinach, Wilted, Not Steamed (Also Kale and Dark Leafy Greens of All Kinds)

Spinach is not only packed with vitamin C but also antioxidants and beta carotene, both of which give your immune system the healthy boost it needs to fight off invaders. Don’t overcook your spinach, since the more it’s cooked the less active the antioxidants will be. If you eat it raw or lightly steamed you’ll keep more of the nutrients intact.How much should you eat a day: Aim for 1 cup fresh spinach or 1/2 cup cooked per day, but this is the right moment to try the raw or slightly wilted approach. Order warm or wilted spinach salad when you go out, or make it yourself with olive oil, pine nuts, and vegan parm.

7. Almonds for the Win, Pop Them Like Candy

Vitamin E in almonds will help ward off colds and flu and is key to your immune system humming along. It’s a fat-soluble molecule, meaning it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed, so nuts are the perfect package for E to make it into your system.How much should you eat in a day: A half-cup serving, or 46 whole, shelled almonds, provides almost 100 percent of your RDA of vitamin E. Almonds are great for you but they don’t come with a “free” pass, since 1/4 cup is a serving and has 162 calories, so double that for your RDA and you’re eating about 325 calories. Throw them into smoothies instead.

8. Turmeric to Fight Inflammation, Put it In Your Tea or Smoothie

This highly pigmented spice is known for its anti-inflammatory qualities. How it helps immunity? It decreases exercise-induced muscle damage. Tumeric bolsters the immune system by stimulating antibody formation and people with auto-immune diseases are told by their doctors to take 500 mg of curcumin daily to reduce inflammation and stave off soreness.How much should you eat in a day: Try adding extra Tumeric to your diet during periods of stress or during flu season. Or take 500-2,000 mg of curcumin to help fight inflammation and power up your immune system.

9. Green Tea by the Gallon, Skip the Coffee and Sip this Instead

Green tea has high levels of EGCG, (epigallocatechin gallate) a hard-working antioxidant that is known to boost immune function. Green tea is steamed so the EGCG is still active when you drink it.Green tea also contains L-theanine, an anti-oxidant which appears to help in the production of T-cells in your body, the killer  L-theanine may aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T-cells.How much green tea should you drink in a day: The optimal amount is three to five cups in a day, but most people won’t get to that level. Any amount is better than nothing. Swap out a usual beverage daily for green tea could improve your health.

10. Papaya, The Tropical Healer to Keep You Vacation-Healthy All Year Round

Papaya delivers over twice your recommended daily amount of vitamin C in one fruit. It also contains an enzyme called papain that has anti-inflammatory effects — and inflammation is one factor in most illnesses, so avoiding it can help your body fight off bacterial infections like sinusitis.Papayas contain potassium, vitamin B, and folate, which is a powerful cell rebuilder. Exactly how folic acid works to build immunity is linked to its role in protein synthesis, and researchers think that any mechanism in which cells proliferate can be affected (which is why it’s critical for pregnant women). People who are folate-deficient have compromised immune systems.How much folate should you eat a day: Whether you are pregnant or not, folate (vitamin B9) is a great vitamin to keep your cells healthy and strong. The recommendation is 400 micrograms a day, or get it from legumes, spinach, papayas, and avocados.

11. Kiwis, a Vitamin Powerhouse

Kiwis are full of folate, vitamin K, vitamin C, and potassium. These vitamins in combination work in the body to build healthy cells, fight infection and keep your immune system humming along. Vitamin K deficiency is rare but when people don’t have enough they suffer from weak bones and compromised immune systems. The inflammation system in the body is also dependent on vitamin K, especially your killer T cells that mobilize and fight cancer and other diseases.How much should you eat in a day: Vitamin K is one of the unsung heroes of the body. Women should get 90 micrograms a day, and men should have 120 micrograms.

12. Sunflower seeds to sprinkle on salads or eat by themselves

Sunflower seeds are especially healthy since they provide phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin B-6 as well as vitamin E. Your immune system needs vitamin E to function at full throttle. You can also get vitamin E from avocados and spinach and broccoli.How much should you eat in a day: Anywhere from 1 ounce (30 grams) per day to a healthy handful is considered healthy, but because they are high in sodium you might want to refrain from eating the entire bag. The raw seeds have 204 calories per quarter cup.

13. Miso, Soup or Paste to Add to Your Soups and Salad Dressings

The nutrients in miso — which is a soybean paste that has been fermented with salt and a koji starter — boosts immune system function by delivering healthy probiotics to the gut, making your microbiome healthier. How does Miso benefit your immune system?  It is a “sirt” food, which are foods that contain high levels of ‘sirtuins’ or proteins that regulate cells and activate metabolism. A diet high in sirts is believed to lead to weight loss, increased wellness and longevity.How much should you eat in a day? Researchers believe that consuming one bowl of miso soup per day, as is the tradition in Japan, lowers the risks of breast cancer. Other than its high sodium content there is no reason to stay away from miso with all its varied health benefits. We say cheers to that.

The post World’s #2 Restaurant Geranium Removes Meat from Menu appeared first on The Beet.