Fast Food and Vegan are not two words you usually see together. My sister Kelley was driving down to the Keys years ago with her daughter Kate and a friend of Kate’s, who was vegan. After stopping at three Fast Food restaurants on the road with no vegan options, they gave up.

But folks, it’s a whole new world these days, with Vegetarian and Vegan eating being given serious consideration in the food world. I know for a fact, I will never be Vegan. Me and cheese could never break up, I love honey and she loves me and, every now and then, I crave a juicy (not Impossible) burger. But, even so, I’ve been trying to eat a Mediterranean style diet lately, with more plant-based meals, fruit, whole grains, seafood and less red meat.

So, I was thrilled to read an article in Katie Couric’s Wake Up Call newsletter of “Best Vegan Dishes at Fast Food Restaurants”. This is the perfect time, with 2021 being the summer of Road Trips, to find out what healthy options there are when you have no other choice than Fast Food.

Burger King

• Impossible Burger
• Garden Salad with Vinaigrette dressing

Starbucks

• Sprouted Grain Bagel with Avocado Spread
• Hearty Blueberry Oatmeal

Chick-fil-A

• Market Salad (without cheese)
• Waffle Fries
• Fruit Cup

Dunkin Donuts

• Beyond Sausage Breakfast Sandwich
• Toasted Bagel

Chipotle

• Tacos
• Salads
• Burrito Bowl

Taco Bell

• Bean Burrito, Fresco Style
• Black Bean Crunch Supreme, Fresco Style
• Black Beans and Rice

Panera

• Baja Bowl
• Mediterranean Bowl
• Strawberry Poppyseed Salad (no Chicken)
• Ten Vegetable Soup
• Smoothies

And since this is Foodie in Miami, I couldn’t leave out a Miami favorite for Fast Food- Pollo Tropical. They have a surprising number of options for Vegans and Vegetarians, if you can resist their grilled, citrus marinated chicken!

Pollo Tropical

• Vegan Tropichop
• Vegan Wrap
• Black Beans and rice (white, brown or yellow)
• Red Beans and rice (white, brown or yellow)
• Boiled Yuca with garlic sauce
• Balsamic Tomatoes

So, there you have it. Your “cheat sheet” for clean and healthy Fast Food dining this summer!

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