Exciting Times! Burger King Ups Its Vegan Game
After PETA and our hungry supporters spoke out, Burger King expanded its meat-free menu to include three plant-based and vegan burgers!
Burger King’s significant move meets the demand of consumers – vegans, flexitarians, and those who are taking their first steps towards going meat-free – and PETA applauds that.
So, what’s on the menu? If you were to wander down to a Burger King now, you might find the newly relaunched Plant-Based Whopper (now with vegan mayo), the Vegan Royale (made with a chicken-style patty from The Vegetarian Butcher), and the Vegan Bean Burger (a vegetable patty topped with all the trimmings and vegan mayo), which was introduced in January.
From bun to mayo to patty, all the ingredients in the new Plant-Based Whopper and Vegan Royale are completely animal-free. Want fries with that? Go ahead – they’re vegan, too.
Are They Suitable for Vegans?
While the Vegan Royale and the Vegan Bean Burger are certified vegan, Burger King describes the Plant-Based Whopper as “plant-based” because of potential cross-contamination from being cooked on the same grill as meat.
Vegans who feel uncomfortable with this can choose one of the certified vegan options, but PETA is happy to recommend the Plant-Based Whopper, as no animals are harmed in making this burger. As Burger King CEO Alasdair Murdoch told i, the addition of the Plant-Based Whopper and other plant-based options means the proportion of meat it sells is dropping.
Why We Recommend Choosing Plant-Based
PETA believes helping animals is not about personal purity but about reducing suffering. Unless you have an allergy, insisting on having your food prepared separately from non-vegan options is unnecessary, as it doesn’t reduce animal suffering. However, it may make restaurants less likely to offer vegan options.
In a world in which animal-derived foods are almost everywhere, accepting the possibility of cross-contamination doesn’t mean we’re any less vegan, but it does show these big brands that there’s a market for animal-free foods.
Eating vegan is about achieving real change for animals suffering in the food industry. Choosing a vegan burger over a meat-based one is a win for them, the Earth, and one’s arteries.
Want to learn more? Check out PETA’s top 10 tips for being a pragmatic vegan!
Choose the Vegan Option
Burger King’s new launches show just how rapidly the fast-food industry is changing and becoming more inclusive. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, pescatarian, or just hungry, you should try one of its new vegan or plant-based options next time you’re there!
Now is an exciting time to be a vegan. Given all the innovative and delicious options on the market, why not give it a try and take part in our 30-day vegan pledge?
