Now, several plant-based brands including Wendy’s Nutty Cheeses and Miyoko’s Creamery have developed the perfect vegan and dairy-free artisan cheeses to adorn your cheese board. There are actually enough vegan artisan cheeses to make an entirely vegan cheese board that will keep your guests happy –– whether or not they are vegan.

We all know that dairy-free cheese is no longer hard to find, but often, consumers still complain about the taste and texture of store-bought cheese alternatives. That’s why brands such as Treeline and Miyoko’s have worked to create dairy-free cheeses that give us the same experience as their animal-based counterparts.

What Is Vegan Cheese?

Despite the health and environmental, about 230 million Americans eat cheese every year. Vegan cheese had a significant but short boom coinciding with America’s interest in plant-based milk, but sales have waned in recent years. But why? One answer is taste. But now, vegan brands have doubled their efforts to create dairy-free cheeses that give consumers the same taste, texture, and look as traditional dairy cheese.

Vegan cheese is made from a wide variety of ingredients including cashews, oil, proteins, cultures, and more. Some plant-based cheeses also go through a fermentation process to replicate the funky taste of traditional cheeses. It is important to check the ingredients and nutritional information on vegan cheese because some dairy-free cheeses contain substantially more saturated fats, especially those made from coconut oil.

To accompany these brands, there are also plenty of recipes to make your own artisan cheese at home. Try a cashew-based cheese at your next dinner party. This way you can moderate your diet between processed store-bought brands and homemade whole-food options. While you’re at it, check out the healthiest vegan crackers to add to your board.

READ MORE: How to Make an Epic Vegan Cheese Board

Eating Vegan Cheese is Better For Your Health

Remember that when you switch out dairy cheeses with vegan cheese, you are providing healthier options for you and your guests. Picking healthier dairy-free artisan cheeses can help reduce the risk of several chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer, among others. Consuming more dairy significantly increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

So, when you construct your vegan charcuterie board, make sure you find a brand with less saturated fat than dairy cheese. For example, one ounce of brie cheese contains about 5 grams of saturated fat, whereas Laughing Cow Plant-Based contains 2.5 grams.

READ MORE: 8 Ways Avoiding Dairy Can Benefit Your Health 

The Best Vegan Artisan Cheeses

Boursin Dairy-Free Galic & Herbs

This creamy spread hits every high note that the brand’s dairy counterpart does. Rich, spreadable, and addictive, add this to a charcuterie board and you’ll be shocked at how fast it goes. This is a mouthwatering addition to your holiday spread, but watch out for other 5 grams of saturated fat per serving!

Calories 90

Total Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 5g

Protein 0g, Fiber 0g

Miyoko’s Double Cream Sun Dried Tomato

This sun-dried tomato cheese is creamy, nicely spreadable, and very tangy. It has a good umami taste and contains the perfect-sized bits of sun-dried tomato that complement the spread instead of overwhelming them. Miyoko’s cheese is delicious, but definitely high in fat. For heart health, make sure to eat this vegan cheese in moderation. 

Calories 120

Total Fat 10g, Saturated Fat 4.5

Protein 3g, Fiber 1g

Miyoko’s French Style Winter Truffle

This truffle cheese wheel will elevate any dish. Rich, complex, and earthy, this cheese offers a great umami flavor. This cheese isn’t as tangy as other plant-based cheeses and offers a nice, round creaminess that is a great dairy-like taste, especially to serve to those who may not love other vegan cheeses. 

Calories 80

Total Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 3.5g

Protein 2g, Fiber 1g

Reine Fauxgonzola

Reine has perfected its fermentation process and consistency while using high-quality, organic ingredients free of soy, GMO, dairy, and gluten. They have eight flavors to choose from, but at the top of the list is the Fauxgonzola, which was the top pick from all the ‘cheese’ rounds in our test. It’s made with organic blue-green spirulina (which research suggests has antioxidant and inflammation-fighting properties) and its blue striations make a beautiful display.

Calories 160

Total Fat 12.5g, Saturated Fat 2.6g

Protein 5g, Fiber 1g

Treeline Goat-Style Herb Goat Cheese

If you love tangy cheese, this one is for you. It’s zesty and creamy and pairs well with any kind of crackers. Our samplers tried to melt this cheese on a pizza and it got a bit hard, so stick to using this in salads or as a topping. This vegan cheese is packed with 3 grams of protein and only contains 1 gram of saturated fat per serving.

Calories 90

Total Fat 6g Saturated Fat 1g

Protein 3g, Fiber 1g

Vromage Mozzarella

While you can’t really go wrong with any of them, the Pepperjack and Mozzarella are both impressive. You also might recall the name, Vromage, since Prince Harry and Meghan Markel had the cheeses served at the royal wedding. These artisan, vegan cheeses are freshly made using a variety of ingredients that can include organic cashews, macadamias, pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds, 

Nutritional Information Varies: Check Out Vromage’s Online Store

The post The Best Vegan Artisan Cheeses for Your Holiday Charcuterie Board appeared first on The Beet.

Chipotle launched the Veggie Full Bowl and Plant-Powered Bowl on January 3 as digital exclusives in the United States and Canada. The Veggie Full Bowl features a bed of white rice topped with fajita veggies, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, guacamole, and black beans. The Plant-Powered Bowl features a bed of super greens and white rice topped with Sofritas (the chain’s tofu protein), fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, guacamole, and fajita veggies.

To accompany the menu items, Chipotle announced an augmented reality experience slated to launch on January 13. The program will be hosted on “Quitter’s Day,” which is known as the day that most people stop following their New Year’s resolutions. The Snapchat event will encourage fans to meditate and exercise in an effort to maintain healthy resolutions. Chipotle also noted that the first 100,000 US consumers to participate in the augmented reality event will win a free small side or a free guacamole appetizer.

Chipotle’s Tenure as a Plant-Based Leader

For hungry vegans everywhere, Chipotle has established itself as a safe haven for customers looking to eat healthier at affordable prices. The chain always served plant-based beans and rice bases for burritos and bowls but added Sofritas to the menu in 2014. The tofu-based protein is flavored with chipotle chiles, cumin, and poblano pepper. In 2018, Chipotle sold 7.5 million pounds of the popular protein choice.

Last January, Chipotle added another vegan protein to its menu, showcasing its pea protein-based Chorizo. The chain decided to add this item to menus nationwide following positive trials in Colorado, Indiana, and California. The vegan chorizo is flavored with chipotle peppers, ancho chilies, tomato paste, Spanish smoked paprika, crushed garlic, and extra virgin olive oil.

“Creating a delicious plant-based protein that sizzles on the grill with the robust flavor and texture profile chorizo-lovers expect was a real challenge,” Nevielle Panthaky, Vice President of Culinary at Chipotle, said in a statement at the time. “Our culinary team has worked relentlessly for years to develop this breakthrough Plant-Based Chorizo recipe that is uniquely Chipotle and aligns with the brand’s industry-leading Food with Integrity standards.”

Read More: Everything That’s Vegan at Chipotle 

Eating to Lower Heart Disease Risk

Keeping a healthier diet into the New Year can help curb the risk of several chronic or deadly diseases, including heart disease. Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the CDC, killing over 650,000 Americans every year. And eating meat is the problem. Research shows that regularly eating red meat can increase heart disease risks by 18 percent.

With better access to plant-based foods, more Americans can choose to avoid red meat to protect their heart for longer. One study shows that a plant-centered diet adopted earlier in life can reduce the risk of heart disease nearly 30 years later. 

Read More: The Best Fast Casual Chains for Plant-Based Customers

For more plant-based happenings, check out The Beet’s News articles. 

The post Chipotle Introduces 2 Vegan Bowls to Help You Eat Healthier This Year appeared first on The Beet.

Starbucks will debut the five new menu items across the United Kingdom to celebrate Veganuary 2023, beginning with a new signature beverage: the Carmelized Macadamia Oat Latte. To accompany this espresso drink, the coffee shop will also launch the Plant-Based Breakfast Wrap filled with tofu scramble, spinach, barbecue pinto bean sauce, and Lincolnshire-style sausage.

For lunch, Starbucks unveiled the No’Beef and Red Onion Focaccia sandwich with the help of The Vegetarian Butcher. The coffee chain also debuted two new desserts to give customers a sweet treat straight from the bakery case. The two deserts include the Banana Caramel Muffin and the Raspberry & Almond Mini Loaf.

Within the United Kingdom, Starbucks dropped the surcharge for vegan milk –– a policy that remains to this day across the United States. Customers can order any drink on the menu with oat, soy, coconut, or almond milk without an extra charge.

Starbucks Tests Vegan Food in the United States

Starbucks’ Veganuary celebration is exclusive to UK customers, but the slow-to-act coffee chain began testing 18 new menu items in the United States last October –– and six are fully plant-based. Starbucks teamed up with Daring and JUST Egg to debut three signature plant-based food items including:

• Plant-Based Chicken Sausage and Pepper Sous-Vide Bite: Special plant-based breakfast featuring a never-before-seen Daring jalapeño chicken sausage paired with JUST Egg’s signature egg replacer.
• Plant-Based Smoky Poblano & Black Bean Sous-Vide Bite: A small bite with a base of high-protein JUST Egg mixed with black beans, lime zest, sweet corn kernels, roasted poblano peppers, and smoky chipotle chili.
• Plant-Based Chicken Sausage & Pepper Sandwich Mini: Starbucks’ first-ever vegan chicken sandwich in the U.S., featuring the Daring chicken and JUST Egg’s mung-bean plant-based egg.

The restaurant also tested out three vegan pastry items including a Warm Oatmeal Bite with Granola Crunch, a Golden Ginger Coconut Boba Bite, and a Mocha Coconut Boba Bite.

Starbucks debuted several plant-based or plant-forward food items in the past, including the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich. However, this sandwich cannot be ordered vegan due to its eggs and cheese. Last year, Starbucks introduced a vegan lunch option with the Chickpea Bites and Avocado Protein Box.

Despite commitments to reduce its carbon, water, and waste footprints by 2030, the international coffee chain is moving slowly to permanently add plant-based menu items to its food menu. However, Starbucks’ signature drink menu continues to expand, debuting the Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato last Fall.

Starbucks Vegan Food Available Outside the U.S.

Starbucks is expanding its vegan menu at a much higher rate outside of the United States. Within the UK, Starbucks has debuted several food items including a Tu’NAH Sandwich and a Chick’n & BBQ Bean Hot Wrap. The UK bakery case has featured Pecan & Caramel Brownies, Carro Cake, and Chocolate & Caramel Muffins made with exclusively plant-based ingredients.

In Hong Kong, Starbucks has partnered with OmniFoods to offer several plant-based menu items featuring vegan fish. The menu items have included a Thai Style Crab Cake Salad and Omni Golden Fillet Ciabatte –– showcasing OmniFoods’ OmniSeafood Golden Fillet.

READ MORE: 7 Coffee Chains with the Best Plant-Based Options

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

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 Starbucks Just Added 5 New Vegan Items to Its Menu. Here’s Where appeared first on The Beet.

With the help of YouGov, Veganuary found that committing to a New Year’s resolution makes people happier and more hopeful on average at the start of the new year. The poll found that those adopting a vegan or vegetarian diet at the beginning of the year feel better about the year than those who opted out of a resolution (78 percent versus 59 percent).

“The fact that I learned about Veganuary on the radio just driving down the road makes me hopeful that plant-based living is becoming more and more thought about, normalized, and easy to achieve,” Veganuary 2022 participant Anne, age 52, of Watkinsville, Georgia, said in a statement “Learning the numbers Veganuary shares with us about the impact it makes on the environment and the people it reaches and how many people participate makes me feel very hopeful as well!”

Veganuary intends to encourage people worldwide to try eating healthier and more sustainably at the start of the year. Now, the global movement has enlisted over 2.5 million since its founding in 2014. Nearly every country in the world has been involved in Veganuary. The poll also noted that 85 percent of non-vegan past participants have reduced their animal-based consumption since their first Veganuary.

Participants receive 31 days worth of coaching emails including nutrition guides, a meal plan, discounts, and plant-based recipes. The movement also compiled a celebrity e-cookbook with recipes from Dr. Jane Goodall, Venus Williams, Alicia Silverstone, and more.

Vegan New Year’s Resolutions

Veganuary’s recent poll also reveals the most common resolution for 2023. The YouGov survey found that 34 percent of resolution-makers hope to eat healthier overall; 28 percent intend to budget better; 28 percent wish to reduce stress; and 39 percent aim to exercise more. Veganuary primarily intends to instill hope in consumers everywhere, helping encourage people worldwide to fulfill their resolutions.

“Many of us could use a little hope right now,” Wendy Matthews, Veganuary’s US Director, said in a statement “But hope isn’t just wishful thinking –– it’s taking steps that lead to the changes we want to see. Participating in Veganuary is a powerful way to start the year off with positive action, no matter what your resolution.”

Following last year’s Veganuary challenges, 49 percent and 48 percent of participants recorded having improved energy and enhanced mood, respectively.

Plant-Based Debuts For Veganuary 2023

Similar to last year’s campaign, several major brands including Wicked Kitchen, Beyond Meat, Aveda, Violife, and more are debuting vegan items to celebrate the movement. In the United Kingdom, pub chain Hungry Horse unveiled a menu with Meatless Farm burgers, OmniFoods fish and chips, and Impossible Nuggets.

Across the UK and Ireland, McDonald’s is doubling down on its McPlant with the newly imagined Double McPlant, complete with two Beyond patties. Burger King joins in with a collaboration with La Vie and Violife, debuting the Bakon range –– vegan iterations of its classic bacon burgers.

New York City is celebrating Veganuary with its first-ever vegan dining month. Several restaurants will participate in the event hosted by the food and travel website Vegans, Baby. Restaurants featuring plant-based deals and spotlight include Lady Bird, Avant Garden, PLNT Burger, and more.

“I am so excited to launch Vegan Dining Month in NYC after running it for six years in Las Vegas,” Diana Edelman, Vegans, Baby’s founder told Forbes. “The city has such a dynamic vegan dining scene and I am thrilled to create an event here that encourages people to dine out during the month and give restaurants –– both vegan and vegan-friendly –– a try for a good cause.”

Read More: Make 2023 your year of health with The Beet‘s Healthy Plant-Based Diet Cooking Course. 

For more plant-based happenings, check out The Beet’s News articles. 

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 One Person Decides to Go Vegan for Veganuary Every 2.4 Seconds appeared first on The Beet.

This week, Starbucks revealed that its testing 18 new menu items at three stores in Washington, D.C., and Virginia, and six of the menu items will be fully plant-based! Starbucks customers will be able to order lunch items featuring Daring’s signature vegan chicken and JUST Egg’s famous mung bean-based egg replacer for the first time. These plant-based lunch items include:

• Plant-Based Chicken Sausage and Pepper Sous-Vide Bite: Special plant-based breakfast featuring a never-before-seen Daring jalapeño chicken sausage paired with JUST Egg’s signature egg replacer.
• Plant-Based Smoky Poblano & Black Bean Sous-Vide Bite: A small bite with a base of high-protein JUST Egg mixed with black beans, lime zest, sweet corn kernels, roasted poblano peppers, and smoky chipotle chili.
• Plant-Based Chicken Sausage & Pepper Sandwich Mini: Starbucks’ first-ever vegan chicken sandwich in the U.S., featuring the Daring chicken and JUST Egg’s mung-bean plant-based egg.

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“Starbucks continues to transform the way we drive innovation for the future of the company,” a Starbucks spokesperson told VegNews. “One of the ways we do this is by focusing on elevating the Starbucks Experience through testing and expanding our food menu.

“Testing is a way of life at Starbucks, and we continue to introduce new drinks and food to menus globally while innovating across key platforms like espresso, cold brew, refreshment, food, and more,”

Starbucks is also testing three additional plant-based pastry items in the new menu. The three bakery items are labeled with a “V” for vegan ingredients.

• Warm Oatmeal Bite with Granola Crunch: Bites inspired by morning oatmeal, topped with crunchy granola.
• Golden Ginger Coconut Boba Bite: A sweet treat inspired by Taiwanese boba tea featuring tapioca pearls, ginger, and turmeric.
• Mocha Coconut Boba Bite: Another bit inspired by boba tea complete with coconut milk and chocolate.

Starbucks Testing Vegan Food and Drinks

This August, Starbucks debuted its first plant-based autumn-inspired drink with the Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato. The dairy-free espresso drink joined the menu on August 30. However, fans expected to see a plant-based version of the iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte, which features a dairy-based syrup.

Despite commitments to reduce its carbon, water, and waste footprints by half by 2030, Starbucks’ vegan menu lacks a variety of plant-based options. The company partnered with Impossible Foods in 2020 to release the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich. But this sandwich cannot be ordered vegan because it features dairy cheese and chicken eggs.

Last year, Starbucks added a vegan lunch option with the Chickpea Bites and Avocado Protein Box. This plant-based lunch item comes with avocado spread, carrot sticks, dried fruit, nuts, snap peas, and chickpea bites. When Starbucks initially tested the chickpea bites in 2021, the company also unveiled a Plant Powered Breakfast Sandwich made with vegan sausage and mung-bean egg, but the vegan sandwich has not appeared on national menus.

Starbucks Keeps the Plant-Based Milk Surcharge

Starbucks currently offers four different plant-based milk to cater to its plant-based or lactose-intolerant customers, including coconut, soy, oat, and almond. However, the Seattle-based coffee chain refused to discard the vegan milk surcharge. This April, Paul McCartney authored a letter that demanded the leaving Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson finally remove the surcharge. The letter was not met with a response.

Shortly after, Succession star James Cromwell teamed up with PETA to protest the vegan milk surcharge. The actor superglued his hand to the counter of a Midtown Manhattan Starbucks, where he advocated against Starbucks’ dairy-free milk surcharge on a Facebook live stream.

“My friends at PETA and I are calling on Starbucks to stop punishing kind and environmentally conscious customers for choosing plant milks,” Cromwell said in a press release from PETA. “We all have a stake in the life-and-death matter of the climate catastrophe, and Starbucks should do its part by ending its vegan upcharge.”

Ordering dairy-free milk at Starbucks can cost up to $1 extra for espresso drinks and regular coffee. While Starbucks US has kept the surcharge, the company removed the surcharge at 1,000 locations in the United Kingdom, following a prank press release conducted by Switch4Good.

To see what’s vegan at Starbucks, check out The Beet’s Guide to Everything That’s Vegan at Starbucks. 

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 Starbucks Just Launched Plant-Based Chicken and Eggs. Here’s Where appeared first on The Beet.

“You asked. We listened,” McDonald’s wrote on the company website announcing the new menu item. The Double McPlant is the second iteration of McDonald’s’ partnership with Beyond Meat. The original McPlant features a Beyond Meat burger with ketchup, mustard, vegan special sauce, onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and dairy-free cheese on a toasted sesame bun. The Double McPlant will feature an additional Beyond patty.

“It’s no secret that people went wild for the taste, with many taking to Twitter to express their desire for a doubled-up version,” McDonald’s said.

Within the United Kingdom and Ireland, McDonald’s guarantees that the plant-based burger is prepared on a separate grill from the traditional beef burgers. This vegan burger is developed under the three-year partnership deal between McDonald’s and Beyond Meat.

One enthusiastic customer tweeted: “I know it’s 7 am, but when [is] @McDonaldsUK going to allow a Double McPlant?? All I want is the option to have two patties. This is the important stuff I need addressed.”

McDonald’s Meatless Fast Food

McDonald’s sells more burgers than any other fast-food chain, and now, its plant-based burger provides customers everywhere with an affordable and appealing sustainable option. The original McPlant is offered in Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Australia, and the U.K. Most recently, the signature vegan burger became a permanent menu item in the Netherlands.

“We’re so pleased that our McPlant is now officially ‘everywhere’ and available for more of our customers to taste and enjoy,” Michelle Graham-Clare, chief marketing officer at McDonald’s U.K. and Ireland said in a statement last year. “We saw a remarkable response to the trial period back in October. And, now McPlant is on the high street, in retail parks and service stations all over the U.K. and Ireland.”

Although the burger has had several trial runs in the United States, the company has yet to release information about a national launch stateside. Last February, McDonald’s rolled out the McPlant at about 600 locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth and San Francisco Bay areas. Before that, the burger was tested at eight select locations across the entire U.S.

McDonald’s aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and the McPlant is a central component in reducing methane emissions related to beef. The meat and dairy industries are responsible for about two times the greenhouse gas emissions caused by plant-based diets.

Hungry for Plant-Based Burgers

Before McDonald’s debuted its McPlant, Burger King broke into the plant-based market with the Impossible Whopper, featuring an Impossible Foods patty topped with the signature tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, and onions from its animal-based counterpart. This burger is fully vegan without mayo. Now, Burger King offers the plant-based classic at over 7,000 locations in America.

An estimated 1.6 million Americans have purchased vegan products in the last few years, which can be partially attributed to fast-food burger chains. Local chains including Plant Power Fast Food and Noomo join fast-food giants such as Carl’s Jr. and Fatburger in the plant-based shift. One report shows that plant-based is showing up on menus nearly 3,000 percent more than four years ago. 

READ MORE: The Best Fast Food Chains for Plant-Based Customers 

For more plant-based happenings, check out The Beet’s News articles. 

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 McDonald’s Serves Up Double McPlants at 1,400 Locations appeared first on The Beet.

Luckily, national coffee shops are scattered across the United States, prepared to serve up energy boosts and affordable breakfasts. And now, most major coffee shops offer both plant-based beverages and food. These plant-based options allow major chains to lower their environmental footprint while providing all customers with a healthier option.

These coffee shops feature a wide selection of plant-based milk to choose from including oat, coconut, soy, and almond. Occassionally, select locations will offer more experimental milk alternatives as well. Drinking coffee is healthy, but dairy consumption can present unnecessary health risks. One study revealed that drinking two to three cups of coffee a day may help you live longer whereas milk consumption can lead to higher rates of diabetes, prostate cancer, and breast cancer, among others.

This plant-based movement is largely driven by younger generations. One survey showed that 49 percent of Gen-Z consumers are ashamed to order dairy milk in public. Also, plant-based diets adopted earlier in life can prolong life expectancy by over 10 years or more. So, these coffee shops have introduced plant-based menu items to pair with dairy-free coffee. Dunkin’ partnered with Beyond Meat; Starbucks teamed up with Impossible Foods; and Peet’s Coffee collaborated with Violife, Beyond, and JUST Egg.

Here are the top coffee shops to visit when you need a pick-me-up, offering plenty of signature dairy-free drinks, juices, and affordable meals.

The Best Coffee Chains for Vegan Food and Drink

1. Au Bon Pain

Menu Highlight

Chipotle Black Bean Burger with Avocado: Au Bon Pain’s signature black bean burger topped with pickled red onions, tomatoes, and avocado served on fresh ciabatta. Make sure to ask for no cheese or chipotle Aioli.

Locations: 171

Read More: Everything Vegan at Au Bon Pain

2. Dunkin’

Menu Highlight

Avocado Toast: This breakfast item consists of an avocado spread made with avocado, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, served on Dunkin’s toasted Sourdough Bread, and topped with everything bagel seasoning.

Locations: 9,532

Read More: Everything Vegan at Dunkin

3. Einstein Bros Bagels

Menu Highlight

Avocado Veg Out Sandwich: This lunchtime staple features tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, spinach, lettuce, and the signature avocado spread. This sandwich is served on a sesame bagel. Ask for no Garden Veggie Shmear.

Locations: 684

Read More: Everything Vegan at Einstein Bros

4. Peet’s Coffee

Menu Highlight

Everything Plant-Based Sandwich: This fully plant-based menu item features a Just Egg plant-based egg and a Beyond Meat breakfast sausage that’s topped with a slice of Violife cheddar cheese. This sandwich is served on a thin everything bagel.

Locations: 338

Read More: Everything Vegan at Peet’s Coffee

5. Pret A Manger

Menu Highlight

Meatless Meatball Wrap: Pret A Manger’s first American meatless option comes stuffed with meatless meatballs from Meatless Farm, tossed in marinara sauce. The wrap contains red peppers, red onions, and crispy onions in a 7-grain wrap, packed with 24 grams of protein per serving.

Locations: 83

Read More: Everything Vegan at Pret A Manger

6. Starbucks Coffee

Menu Highlight

Chickpea Bites & Avocado Protein Box: The box is a quick, easy, and filling to-go meal. The pre-packaged meal brings a nutritious and protein-heavy option for any Starbucks patron. The meal box is perfect if you need a cheap lunch or a mid-afternoon snack.

Locations: 15,836

Read More: Everything Vegan at Starbucks

7. Tim Hortons

Menu Highlight

Avocado Toast: This May, Tim Hortons launched an Avocado Toast featuring a creamy avocado spread and everything bagel seasoning at select stores across the United States.

Locations: 623

Read More: Everything Vegan at Tim Hortons

For plant-based food in your area, visit The Beet’s Find Vegan Near Me articles. 

The post 7 Coffee Chains with the Best Plant-Based Options appeared first on The Beet.

The term “plant-based” is appearing on restaurant menus 2,800 percent more than four years ago, and a significant portion of these menus can be attributed to fast food eateries nationwide that have pivoted their menus for their plant-based customers.

About 54 percent of millennials are eating more plant-based, identifying as “flexitarians.” The study noted that health was the main driver for the respondents looking to introduce more plant-based foods –– and ordering a simple vegan alternative like an Impossible Burger can help introduce consumers to plant-based eating. Whereas other chains such as Just Salad and Sweetgreen offer healthier nutrient-packed meals that can easily be ordered vegan.

Fast food chains are effectively changing how Americans can find plant-based foods. Despite not always offering the healthiest alternatives, plant-based fast food provides affordable and accessible meat alternatives to more Americans that typically eat animal-based foods. But new data shows that 42 percent of consumers believe that plant-based foods will likely overtake meat options by 2032.

Here’s our list of the fast food chains helping pave the way for a plant-based future.

The Best Fast Food Chains for Vegan and Vegetarian Food

Bareburger

Menu Highlight

Impossible Shrooming: This Impossible Burger is topped with its wild mushroom mix, jalapeno BBQ sauce, garlic aioli, and caramelized onions.

Locations: 37

Read More: Everything Vegan at Bareburger

Burger King

Menu Highlight

Impossible Whopper: Ordered without cheese and mayo, this Impossible burger is BK’s plant-based reimagination of its most famous burger topped with lettuce, onions, pickles, and tomatoes.

Locations:18,700

Read More: Everything Vegan at Burger King

Carl’s Jr.

Menu Highlight

Beyond Famous Star Burger: The meatless patty is stacked with lettuce, tomato, sliced onions, dill pickles, and Special Sauce. Order without mayo and cheese for a fully vegan burger.

Locations: 1,500

Read More: Everything Vegan at Carl’s Jr.

Chick-Fil-A

Menu Highlight

Spicy Southwest Salad: This salad is stacked with grape tomatoes, roasted corn, poblano chiles, red bell peppers, and black beans. Order without cheese or chicken and ask for the Chili Lime Vinaigrette over the Creamy Salsa.

Locations: 2,891

Read More: Everything Vegan at Chick-Fil-A

Del Taco

Menu Highlight

Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito: This burrito is loaded with seasoned Beyond Meat, beans, cilantro-lime rice, pico de gallo, and fresh guacamole. And it’s packed with 44 grams of protein.

Locations: 700

Read More: Everything Vegan at Del Taco

Fatburger

Menu Highlight

Fatburger’s Impossible Burger: The classic burger is served with “The Works” which includes relish, mustard, onions, pickles, tomatoes, and lettuce. Ask for no mayo and a slice of vegan Daiya cheese!

Locations: 182

Read More: Everything Vegan at Fatburger

Firehouse Subs

Menu Highlight

Veggie Sub: Order hot or cold without mayo and cheese. This sandwich comes with sauteed bell peppers, raw onion, sauteed onion, lettuce, tomato, mustard, and Italian dressing.

Locations: 1,190

Read More: Everything Vegan at Firehouse Subs

Jersey Mike’s

Menu Highlight

The Veggie: Order with no cheese and choose one of the plant-based bread options or wraps. The sandwich comes packed with lettuce, tomato, onion, and green bell pepper, topped with oregano, olive oil blend, red wine vinegar, and salt.

Locations: 2,383

Read More: Everything Vegan at Jersey Mike’s 

Jimmy John’s

Menu Highlight

The #6 Original Veggie: The sole vegetarian sandwich comes with cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, and tomato. However, make sure you order this sub without Provolone cheese and mayo. Instead, add some extra veggies or your favorite condiment.

Locations: 2,746

Read More: Everything Vegan at Jimmy John’s 

Johnny Rockets

Menu Highlight

Streamliner Burger: This burger features a 100 percent soy-based Boca Burger patty topped with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mustard.

Locations: 133

Read More: Everything Vegan at Johnny Rockets

Panda Express

Menu Highlight

Beyond The Original Orange Chicken: This plant-based entree is a re-imagination of the chain’s most popular menu item made with Beyond Meat’s signature vegan chicken.

Locations: 2,213

Read More: Everything Vegan at Panda Express

Portillo’s

Menu Highlight

Plant-Based Garden Dog: With the help of Field Roast, Portillo’s first signature vegan hot dog comes with all the traditional Chicago toppings including mustard, relish, onion, tomatoes, sport peppers, and pickles.

Locations: 67

Read More: Everything Vegan at Portillo’s 

Potbelly Sandwich Shop

Menu Highlight

Veggie Melt: The Veggie Melt comes with avocado and mushroom, but you can add several toppings including lettuce, tomato, pickles, and any of the salad toppings. Order without the cheese or mayo.

Locations: 429

Read More: Everything Vegan at Potbelly Sandwich Shop

Sonic Drive-In

Menu Highlight

Pretzel Twist: Sonic’s signature Pretzel Twists come coated with butter and serve with cheese sauce. But customers can order this tasty snack without any dairy, replacing the cheese sauce with marinara or mustard.

Locations: 3,547

Read More: Everything Vegan at Sonic

Subway

Menu Highlight

Build-Your-Own Sandwich: Subway’s customization allows customers to create their favorite veggie sandwiches with a huge selection of toppings.

Locations: 20,799

Read More: Everything Vegan at Subway

Taco Bell

Menu Highlight

Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme: This Taco Bell classic can be made completely vegan by asking to remove sour cream and nacho cheese sauce. When ordering ask for either the black beans, pinto beans, or potatoes as a substitute. To make up for the cheese, put some of the premium guacamole in the Crunchwrap and add the Diablo sauce.

Locations: 7,702

Read More: Everything Vegan at Taco Bell

White Castle

Menu Highlight

Impossible Slider: Featuring a meatless Impossible patty, this slider option can be fully plant-based by removing the cheese (or swapping it for vegan cheese at select locations). The slider is served with onions and pickle slices in White Castle’s signature style.

Locations: 344

Read More: Everything Vegan at White Castle 

For plant-based food in your area, visit The Beet’s Find Vegan Near Me articles. 

The post The Best Fast Food Chains for Plant-Based Customers appeared first on The Beet.

Artificial Intelligence is used by food manufacturers through several methods, helping improve the efficiency of farming, test flavor combinations, offer contactless eating experiences, and more. Dataessential’s annual report reveals that Gen Alpha –– born between 2010 and 2024 –– will likely lead the acceptance of AI-created food. By 2025, this new generation will reach 2 billion people worldwide, motivated by their climate-conscious Millennial parents.

“In the long term, AI will revolutionize many aspects of the food industry, from agriculture to food safety, concept development to production, marketing to personalization, and beyond,” the report states.

“We love the process of selecting the latest foods and flavors we think consumers will want to experience in the coming year and beyond, but these ingredients aren’t presented in a vacuum,” Mike Kostyo, Dataessential Trendologist and Associate Director, said in a statement. “We’re proud to pair our predictions for growth of items like salsa macha and pickled strawberries with a discussion on important trends in the broader restaurant industry, including the influences of Gen Alpha, AI, and improving working conditions across the industry.”

Artificial Intelligence Is Already in the Food Space

The Not Company [NotCo] developed its entire plant-based food selection with the help of an artificial intelligence affectionately named “Giuseppe.” The platform allows the company to match the flavor profiles of plant-based ingredients to animal-based counterparts. This process allows the culinary teams to create better-tasting and more accurate recipes using only plant-based ingredients for its NotMilk, NotBurger, and more.

“Since day one, our mission has been to create a more sustainable world, transforming the food industry by creating delicious plant-based food available for all tables, kitchens, and pantries,” Matias Muchnick, NotCo co-founder and CEO, said in a recent statement.

Recently, NotCo teamed up with Kraft Heinz to reinvent several signature food products including the beloved Kraft Singles. The collaboration started with the NotCheese American Style Plant-Based Slices at 30 Giant supermarkets in Cleveland, Ohio before a national expansion later in 2023. NotCo also recently announced a partnership with Dunkin, debuting three new vegan doughnuts at 106 locations in Chile.

The Future of Plant-Based Foods

More than ever, consumers are looking for better ways to purchase food, searching for tasty yet affordable sustainable options. The term “plant-based” appears on restaurant menus about 2,800 percent more than in 2018, according to another report from Dataessential from December.

However, the 2023 FoodBytes report shows that 1 in 5 consumers do not plan to continue buying plant-based meats due to concerns regarding taste and price. Despite the pressure from inflation or the increase in dissatisfied customers, Dataessential found that 66 percent of consumers feel optimistic about 2023.

This year’s report also found that several plant-based foods including yuzu, salsa macha, pickled strawberries, and mushroom-based snacks will become increasingly popular among consumers.

“With new plant-based products, categories, and menu items on the horizon, the plant-based meat industry is still growing, but a clear and compelling message and products that are priced competitively and taste just as good — if not better — than traditional meat will be key,” the report states.

Currently, about 55 percent of shoppers actively think about the environment at the grocery store, and 61 percent percent of consumers consider plant-based foods as a preferred source of protein. With the help of artificial intelligence, several plant-based companies intend to reach price parity with healthier, tastier formulas.

For more plant-based happenings, check out The Beet’s News articles. 

31 Delicious, Plant-Based Recipes to Make on Repeat

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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.

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