When that hunger strikes and you need a quick meal, you might be tempted to stop in at a McDonald's. However, they are not the most vegan-friendly fast food chain as they don't have any vegan burgers, don't serve salads, and even their fries contain animal products. So what are the vegan options at McDonald's? Read on for the complete guide.
All ingredients and nutritional information can be found on the McDonald's website. Not all locations have all menu items.
McDonald's is one of the worst fast food chains for vegans along with Arby's (Vegan Options At Arby's). There is not one solid option. Their vegan options center around breads, apple slices and apple pie.
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Vegan Breakfast At McDonald's
There are very few vegan options for breakfast as many of their menu items center around biscuits and eggs. The oatmeal, if modified, can be a good choice if you request it be made with water.
- Plain English Muffin
- Apple Slices
- Fruit & Maple Oatmeal - Ask to be made with water instead of cream or milk.
Vegan Breads and Rolls
There are several vegan bread products on the menu. Unfortunately, there isn't really anything to put on them as they do not have a vegan burger.
- English Muffin
- Flour Tortilla
- Sesame Seed Bun
- Regular Bun
Vegan Condiments and Sauces
The good news is that there are a few vegan condiments and sauces. The bad news is that without vegan-friendly fries, nuggets or burgers, there's not much to dip in them.
- Tangy Barbecue
- Sweet 'N Sour
- Ketchup
- Mustard
Vegan Dessert
The biggest surprise is that McDonald's has a great option for dessert. Unfortunately, there really aren't any vegan "meal options" to go with it.
- Baked Apple Pie
Drinks
There are many vegan drinks at McDonald's including:
- Frozen Fanta slushies
- Apple Juice
- Orange Juice
- Black Coffee
- Soft drinks
- Iced tea
- Hot tea
- Lemonade
Menu Items Surprisingly NOT Vegan
There are a few menu options that sounds like they should be vegan, but are not.
- Hash browns
- French fries
- Oatmeal - As is, the oatmeal contains dairy. You can order it without cream though to make it vegan friendly.
FAQs
As is, no it's not. McDonald's Oatmeal is made with oats, diced apples, cranberry raisin blend, and cream. It is not vegan as it contains dairy. However, you can ask that it be made with water instead of cream and then it would be vegan-friendly.
No, McDonald's fries are not vegan. They contain natural beef flavoring which actually contains milk derivatives...not beef.
No, they are now fried in vegetable oil. According to the McDonald's website, they use a canola-blend oil to fry their French fries in.
Unfortunately, the hash browns contain natural beef flavoring which contains milk. The hash browns are not vegan.
While the potato bun does not contain any dairy products, it does contain honey and is not vegan.
Surprisingly yes! The McDonald's Baked Apple Pies are accidentally vegan.
Ingredients: Apples (apples, Ascorbic Acid, Salt, Citric Acid), Enriched Flour (bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Palm Oil, Water, Apple Juice Concentrate, Modified Food Starch, Invert Syrup, Contains 2% Or Less: Yeast, Salt, Cinnamon, Sunflower Lecithin, L-cysteine (dough Conditioner), Yeast Extract, Enzyme, Beta-carotene (color).
Believe it or not, the fast-food chain does not have salads anymore. Not even a side salad! So those who follow a vegan diet have even less choice.
In 2022, McDonald's tested out a veggie burger in about 600 restaurants. This veggie burger, called the McPlant, could be made vegan by removing the cheese and mayo. Unfortunately, it was not a big seller and McDonald's did not move forward with it.
Summary
There are not very many food items without animal products on the McDonald's menu. While other fast food chains are adding more and more vegan-friendly options, McDonald's is falling behind. Burger King has their plant-based burger and Taco Bell has a ton of vegan food.
Without even salads or vegan fries, there is very little available to vegans at McDonald's.
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