Picture this: it’s 1am and you’ve been out with your friends for hours now. You’re all packed into one car and everyone’s getting pretty hangry. You need to find a restaurant ASAP but your choices are limited to the brightly lit fast food chains that line the sides of the interstate and the thought of having ONLY FRIES for dinner again is enough to make you want to jump out of a moving vehicle.
If you’ve been a vegetarian for a while, you are probably familiar with the nightmare that is trying to get a well rounded meal at a fast food joint. It may seem like everything that you think is safe is either cooked in lard or smothered in bacon bits, but eating at fast food chains can be easier than you might think– if you know the tricks. Through much experimentation and confused looks from employees, I have compiled a list of best meals you can get at popular fast food restaurants from coast to coast. Enjoy!
In-N-Out:
With such a limited menu, you may think that there is no hope for us vegetarians, but if you ask for a grilled cheese (Burger bun, cheese, special sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion. $2.25 + tax) you may be surprised with the results. Make sure to ask for the special sauce! It makes it 10 times better.
McDonalds:
Thank the Lord for all day breakfast! McDonalds veg options are slim, but you can still order an egg McMuffin with no bacon and leave feeling satisfied. Or, if you’re looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth a little more, order an egg and cheese McGriddle (no meat) and enjoy!
Taco Bell:
Believe it or not, Taco Bell might be the most vegetarian friendly restaurant on this list. With the simple phrase: “No meat, sub beans” you can order just about anything on the menu. There are a couple already-vegetarian options such as the cheese quesadilla, or my personal favorite, the 7 layer burrito: a burrito with refried beans, guacamole, premium Latin rice, sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese.
Chick-Fil-a:
This is probably the hardest restaurant to veg-ify because they put chicken on literally everything. However, they do have an amazing Superfoods salad (kale and broccolini tossed in a maple vinaigrette dressing and topped with dried sour cherries and roasted nuts). Make sure to ask for a large, since the normal size is pretty tiny.
Burger King:
Okay lets face it… Burger King isn’t the most popular fast food restaurant, but they are pretty much the only one with a veggie burger. They use MorningStar patties and dress it like a regular whopper, so if you can convince your friends to go to Burger King you’re good to go!
Cook-Out:
If you’re from the East Coast, you have probably made a late night cook-out run at least once or twice. If you’re looking for a well-rounded meal, you won’t find it here, but there are many delicious options to take advantage of. Order from their extensive milkshake menu, or indulge in some hushpuppies, onion rings, or a cheese quesadilla (plus, you can get 4 quesadillas for $5!).