In short, there is nothing vegan at Mcdonald’s, at least nothing worth a visit sadly. However, It doesn’t mean you will starve to death at the well-known fast-food restaurant as a plant-eater. There are some vegan menu items besides McPlant which is unfortunetaly gone for good. Let’s see how to order as a vegan at Mcdonald’s!
What is vegan at McDonald’s?
In brief: almost nothing, but let’s see the details. There are some items that are cruelty-free at least, still, it won’t satisfy you for sure.
Baked Apple Pie
The apple pie is McDonald’s best vegan option, which tells a lot. The pie itself contains a lot of things, more than it should however the only risky ingredient is palm oil, which is a grey area for vegans.
Fruit & Maple Oatmeal
Many guides advise that you should avoid oatmeal at American restaurants. However, according to the official site, the Oatmeal itself is made of water and not milk. The light cream – which contains dairy of course – separate ingredient, which can be excluded. So Fruit & Maple Oatmeal can be vegan. It is made of whole-grain rolled oats, so it is quite healthy compared to McDonald’s.
Apple Slices
Well, you would assume it’s only apple, so how it cannot be vegan? Well, it could happen. However, not this time. According to the Mcdonalds, it contains: Apples, Calcium Ascorbate, which is plant-based at least, but… If I have to list apple slices as a vegan option, then it must be very disappointing, right?
Sauces
Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce, Tangy Barbeque Sauce, Mustard, and Ketchup are vegan, however, there is absolutely nothing to dip into it. French fries are no-go in Mcdonald’s since their seasoning contains dairy, neither the hash-browns. Many website list hash-browns as a vegan option, however, they use the same “natural beef-flavor seasoning” which is only vegetarian.
Coffee
Black coffee is naturally vegan, so it is always a choice and luckily, McDonald’s usually has at least one milk alternative. So latte, cappuccino, and Ice Latte are perfectly plant-based if you order them with a milk substitute.
Are the flavored coffees vegan? Well, unfortunately only one of them. French vanilla is the only flavor without animal ingredients. Chocolate and caramel syrup contain dairy. So Caramel macchiato, Cappuccino, Latte, Iced Latte, and Frappé aren’t vegan. Mocha Frappé, Latte, and Iced Mocha are also only vegetarian. Hot chocolate also contains the same chocolate syrup which has dairy in it.
Drinks
There is nothing extra vegan menu item there, only the basically plant-based stuff: Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Diet Coca-Cola, Diet Fanta, Frozen Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Frozen Fanta Blue Raspberry (the food color is vegan), Lemonade, Iced tea, Water, Apple, and Orange Juice.
Unfortunetaly, they make Mango Pineapple Smoothie and Strawberry Banana Smoothie with yogurt which make them non-vegan.
Disclaimer
McDonald’s cannot guarantee that the items listed above will be certainly vegan since non of them are dedicated vegan items. Cross-containment will be an issue at the fast-food restaurant.
Are there more vegan options at Mcdonald’s outside the United States?
To be honest, the American fast-food chain has the shortest vegan menu at home. In the United Kingdom, there are plenty of vegan options: McPlant, Vegetable Deluxe, The Spicy Veggie One (wrap), Veggie Dippers, Melon Fruit bag, and even the fries are vegan there. Also, all of them are dedicated to vegan items.
Finland is also a vegan Mcdonald’s heaven. You can choose from Rye McVegan, Nacho Chili Veggie, Vegan Burger, and McVegan. Sweden, Germany, and Norway also have dedicated vegan menu items. In general, most European countries can enjoy the McPlant.
Is there any better vegan-friendly fast-food restaurant than Mcdonalds’?
Certainly yes. Even Burger King – which is a traditional rival to Mcdonald’s – has way better plant-based options like Impossible™ Whopper. Is Impossible Whopper 100 percent vegan? Check out! But, if you are craving real plant-based junk food, then Slutty Vegan is your place to go. There are more than 10 totally plant-based burgers with tasty sides. Check out the Slutty Vegan menu!
