So, there are times where despite our best efforts, our only options just might be fast food, especially on vacation or a trip. On a road trip or in a podunk town with little to zero options for a healthy meal, I’ve found ways to navigate the fast food menu. I do not, I repeat, do not, advocate the consumption of fast food except for in a pinch and other compromising situations. So I suggest you print this blog in case of emergency!
Here are some of the biggies:
Subway – This one of the most veg and health friendly places if you are in a bind. You can always go with a veggie sub on Italian bread (9 grain wheat contains honey), hold the cheese and mayo, while piling on the veggies, avocado and mustard. You can also get this wrap style or forgo the carbs and chomp on a salad ; ) They do have veggie patties however, if your vegan, it’s a no go as they contain egg. For allergy sensitive folks, stick to the salads.
Quizno’s – These guys aren’t far behind Subway. I do love a warm sandwich but Subway has better veggie options. Here I order a veggie sub, no cheese or mayo, add guac and vinaigrette. Toasty yumminess ; ) Also, grab a salad if you’re not doing bread! Again, for allergy sensitive folks, stick to the salads.
Taco Bell – You’d be surprised but the Taco Bell menu can be easily manipulated to bring it down to somewhat a’ight ; ) Everything is still full of high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils BUT the menu can be veganized. And again, don’t make this a habit ; ) Ok so, their new Fresco Style menu is easy to change up. Order the tacos or burritos Fresco style and swap the meat for beans and voila, veganized. The crunchwrap supreme can be veganized by tossing the meat, cheese and sour cream and subbing beans and guac. You can also have a 7 layer burrito minus the layers of cheese and sour cream, BAM, vegan 5 layer burrito! So yes, the ingredients in all of these are vegan but certainly not the best thing for you. But like I said, in a bind, it’s fine ; ) Make sure, for allergy sensitive diners, to check the site as each item contains different allergens. Their site is very comprehensive regarding allergens ; )
McDonald’s – Oh yes, the golden arches. It can be done if there is no choice. Don’t even think about the fries if you’re vegan as they contain beef and milk. Not even kosher! Although, you can go for a side salad and ask for the cilantro lime as that one, despite being chemically, is still vegan. Or opt for salt, pepper and a lemon wedge. The other salads can be veganized by picking off the croutons and cheese. And you can get their new iced coffees sans milk.
Burger King – Well, vegans, no can do on the veggie burger as it contains egg whites but the fries are fried in a separate fryer with no animal products. Not so much for the onion rings, they a cooked in a shared fryer. So allergen diets, beware of the buns as well as the croutons in the salads. I say you’re safest here with a salad and to find out before you drown your greens, what is in the dressings they happen to have available at that store. Again, there is always, salt, pepper and a lemon wedge ; )
Jack in the Box – Well, here is a place you have some ok options outside of a salad. The Teriyaki Rice Bowls are veganizable by dropping the meat out and are packed with veggies. Sugary ones, but veggies nonetheless. Sometime you just gotta take what you can get ; ) Go for a taco here by ordering it with black beans instead of meat and leaving off the cheese. Fries and hash brown sticks, while fattening, are vegan friendly and only if you must! In addition, Jack food is all made to order so you’re likely to get a fresher meal here then the burger royalty.
Carl’s Jr/Hardee’s – Well, a side salad with no cheese and balsamic vinaigrette seems to be the safest bet here. If you are so inclined to fill your tummy, make sure you share and don’t eat the whole order of fries or hash brown nuggets as those are vegan as well. You can also grab a taco salad without the meat, cheese or sour cream.
Wendy’s – oddly enough, they are great to gluten free diners. As for vegans, we can have their side and regular salads so long as we pick of the meat and/or cheese and choose an appropriate dressing. The baked potatoes can be ordered plain so you can add salt, pepper, chives and any other healthy toppings on your own. They also offer oranges as a combo side too so if you do happen to go for burger, grab some fruit instead of fries ; )
Arby’s – Um, its pretty tough here. You have to pick a lot off of the salads and read the ingredients on the dressing packets to be 100% safe. The market fresh sandwich bread had honey in it but is suitable to vegetarians and calories counters as you can make a lettuce, onion and tomato sandwich if you must. The subs can be made veggie as well.
Pizza Hut – Vegans, we are screwed here unless we order multigrain dough with no sauce and tons of veggies. All other sauces and doughs contain dairy ; ( For non vegans, go for the cheeseless veggie on multigrain ; )
Domino’s – Crunchy thin crust is the only vegan crust (contains soy for those sensitive to it). Pizza sauce is dairy free so pile on the veggies and order up! Salads are ok without cheese and any of the Italian dressings. Skip the breadsticks as they contain dairy as well. Go ahead and get the pasta primavera but swap the alfredo for pizza sauce (not marinara as it has cheese in it).
Papa John’s – I’m leery as they do not have ingredients listed although they do claim to be all natural. Call and ask the manager before ordering anything regarding vegan and/or allergen ingredients.
Baja Fresh – I love Baja as everything is made fresh with no lard, msg, etc. I go for the tostada salad with no meat, cheese or sour cream and pile on salsa, guac and all their cool fixin’s from their salsa bar. It’s chock full of beans, rice and crispy veggies. You can also go for the veggie burrito or tacos with no cheese or sour cream!!
Chipotle -Another great place in a pinch for healthy fast food. The beans, rice, guac, and tortillas are all vegetarian so eat away people and create you dish however you choose ; )
Del Taco – From what I can decipher, the veggie works burrito without cheese or sour cream is vegan as are their fries. Make sure you ask a manager before ordering.
Starbucks – Soy latte, soy tea latte, soy chai latte, yum ; ) If you need the extra flavors, they use syrups for most of them and they too are vegan but chemically and high fructose sugary. Also, Frappucinos can be made with soy now so have at it for a sinful treat! If you’re hungry, go for the tofu and noodle bento box or a fruit medley. Starbucks in Canada carries vegan baked goods!
Coffee Bean – Soy lattes and hot tea with soy milk here. No yummy flavored drinks as they use powders that all contain dairy ; (
Stay tuned as next week I navigate chain restaurants!! Be safe and conscious fast fooders!!
The Healthy Voyager, aka Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, is the creator and host of The Healthy Voyager web series, site, and overall brand. An award winning healthy, special diet and green living and travel expert, holistic nutritionist, plant based vegan chef, best-selling cookbook author, media spokesperson, sought after speaker, consultant and television personality, Carolyn Scott-Hamilton is a respected figure in the world of healthy lifestyle and travel as well as special diet cooking and nutrition. The Healthy Voyager aims to help people live well, one veggie at a time!
23 comments
burger king’s french toast sticks on their menu is also vegan (i learned this back in the 90’s from some other vegans)
This is a great list, Carolyn! Thanks for doing all this amazing research. I have a couple things to note:
Quarrygirl also did a post about Baja Fresh’s vegan options wherein they reveal (via a Baja Fresh representative) that their flour tortillas contain dairy. This post is from late 2010, so the information could be outdated, but in case it’s still accurate, the post is here: http://archives.quarrygirl.com/2010/11/19/vegan-chain-dining-baja-fresh/#more-10142
xoxo
I think that at Chipotle the pinto beans have bacon, so only black beans are veg…
Just heard that Starbucks recently changed their frappuccino recipe to include a dye made from bugs (cochineal extract)! Wouldn’t think that anyone, veg or not, would want that in their food!!
How do you know if the breads served at these fast food resturants do not contain L-cysteine?
This is so helpful! Thanks for compiling this…great resource for when we’re on the road
Do vegans/vegs not understand how fast food works? I am a college senior and I work nearly full time at a fast food restaurant to make ends meet. We do not appreciate you asking us to add or modify menu items. If I worked at Taco Bell and were asked to make a crunch wrap special I would refuse. The place I work consistently has a line of 40 back 10-10 every day, it’s so impractical to stop our production because someone refuses to eat one ingredient. People are not paid minimum wage to be your personal chef. I have several vegetarian friends and I avoid eating with them because of the special treatment they think they are entitled to.
It’s not special treatment when it’s corporate policy to allow substitutions. It’s just good customer service. If you don’t like doing your job then that’s your problem, not mine. And if you don’t like your pay, then that’s something you need to work on. As a college senior, I imagine there are any number of jobs you are qualified for that would pay more. There’s a reason those + / – buttons are on the cash register (and it’s not just for vegetarians and vegans). You know, Burger King’s motto? “Have it your way.” That means put on or take off whatever you want. *That* is how fast food works. If some fast food establishment refused to make something as simple as a taco with beans instead of meat for me, I wouldn’t eat there and they would not get my money. Plus my family wouldn’t eat there, so even more money they don’t get. I might complain to my friends and that would be even less money if they decided not to eat there as well. But it’s not the case that fast food establishments refuse to make substitutions. At all of the taco places I frequent, they make the change for me without issue and some will even add guacamole for free since I’m not getting costly items like meat, cheese and sour cream but am still paying the same price for them. I don’t ask for that. I am *offered* that. Several know my order when I walk in the door and they ask me if I want my “usual” and they are kind about it. Twice I’ve been warned by knowledgeable staff when I’ve tried to sub beans that they have some sort of meat or lard in them and would I like to sub something else instead like fajita vegetables. That’s just good customer service that keeps people coming back and spending money. Is it OK to add extra cheese and chili and bacon + all the other upsells? It’s no more inconvenient to take something off as to add something extra. I worked in fast food in my youth as well. That was more than 20 years ago, but I can tell you that while I started out making minimum wage, I didn’t make that for long and the raises I got were probably due to me valuing my customers and just being happy to have a job, period.
Good question Cyndi! I normally opt to have veggie burgers to be served “protein style” which is no bun, wrapped in lettuce. As for places that freshly bake their bread, I would ask as they have the ingredient lists handy ; )
For myself, I choose Chipotle whenever I can. Everything on their menu besides the obvious (meat, cheese, sour cream) and the pinto beans (cooked with bacon) are vegan. They also use local ingredients whenever possible.
If you’re a vegan, avoid Quizno’s viniagrette dressing, which contains milk (bizarrely).
The bugs are only used in the strawberry creme frappuccino!
Kaitlin – Boo to you. Perhaps this is the highest level of employment to which you can aspire. Good luck in life.
Many Burger King’s and McDonald’s have packets of sliced apples, baby carrots, sugared nuts, and juice boxes, depending upon the country. These items are vegetarian, Kosher, and Halal. Avoid the yogurt dip from McDonald’s as it contains gelatin. (These items usually come with the children’s meal but you can ask for them separately.) For the non-vegan vegetarians, you can order a “Sausage Egg McMuffin, hold the sausage” during breakfast. That means one cooked egg on a bun, no cheese. Not Kosher, but it’s vegetarian and may be Halal. Chipolte prides themselves on the fact that “everything that looks vegetarian is vegetarian” with no hidden ingredients.
wow, you suck.
a lot.@ Kaitlin:
Kaitlin has a point. Fast food is meant to be that, fast food. If you have to eat it modify it yourself (pick things out) rather than make the low-paid employees do it. It really isn’t their job, and they definitely aren’t paid enough to do it. I bet you’ve never tipped at a fast food resaurant 🙂 Save the modifications that require an employee’s extra time for the sit downs.@ Ember:
I’m a barista at Starbucks and the Chai Latte to standard isn’t vegan; the latte on the menu is made with Tazo Chai concentrate and that has honey in it. But there’s an alternative! Order the “Chai Tea Misto” (with soy, of course) which is basically a Chai Latte made with a Tazo Chai tea bag instead of the honey saturated concentrate. Less calories, better for you and vegan. If you’d prefer it sweeter, ask for standard pumps of classic or vanilla syrup.
As for the bugs in the strawberry puree problem, those are being replaced and should be back to vegan by the end of summer 2012. Don’t be shy to ask your barista to check the box for you to ensure it has nothing icky in it.
Lastly, there’s no high fructose corn syrup in our syrups EXCEPT the caramel sauce which you don’t want anyway; it has over 5 different types of milk in it. You may be getting us confused with Pete’s Coffee which has HFC in every syrup they carry. Yuck!
@ Jeanette:
Thanks so much Jeanette! Much appreciated! I will try a Chai Tea Misto next tie for sure!
@ Jeanette:
Other Starbucks info from a vegan Starbucks barista ^_^:
I ADORE our smoothies. They all come with a banana blended in and can be made with soy. Just remember to emphasize that you want “no protein powder” added when you order. The powder is whey based. If you’re feeling adventurous, substitute the protein with green tea matcha powder. This works great with the Orange Mango and Strawberry (once the puree is pure again) Smoothies. I also like to add the raisins and nuts from our oatmeal packets (be sure to double blend.) I call it “Swamp Water,” but it’s sweetly delicious, vegan, HEALTHY, and basically lunch in a cup! You will be full, I promise!
Speaking of oatmeal, ours is vegan as are the sides. So are the plain and multigrain bagels, though we currently have no veg friendly condiments for them. Everything else in the pastry case is a vegan bust. That includes the warmed sandwiches that no substitution will ever make vegan as they are.
If you want something sweet, blended & cold, but aren’t feeling a smoothie, remember you can add a banana to any frappuccino grande (medium size) or larger for a satisfying kick that will leave you feeling less guilty. I hear this works best with the caramel frappuccino (w/ soy and sans whipped cream & caramel sauce, of course).
Our mocha sauce is vegan so go crazy, chocolate lovers! Unfortunately our white mocha and the chocolate chips for the fraps (standard in the Java Chip & Double Chocolaty Chip Fraps) aren’t.
In the RTD case (Ready to Eat & Drink case; the place where you can reach in and grab food) you have more options. The newly released canned Refreshers are vegan as are the seasonal fruit cups and the Sesame Seed Noodle Bistro plate, as stated by the author. In California, we’ve also released our line of never heated, preservative-free, 100% juice line of juices from Evolution Fresh. These are nothing short of amazing. I highly recommend the Vegetable Essentials and the Carrot Orange Mango on taste alone and the Mango Fiber if you’re looking to feel full. Come and order some, Cali vegans, so the rest of the country can enjoy them!
And of course, our coffee, tea and espresso are all vegan in and of themselves.
Lastly, as someone one might consider a low wage worker, you have my permission to get crazy vegans and non-vegans of the “high maintenance” ilk. If you’re willing to pay for it, you deserve to have it the way you want it. I’m paid (and get tips!) to make it the way you want it and I take satisfaction in making my customers happy. And as a vegan, what the consumer asks for and pays for is the genesis of the change we see in the private sector. Morning Star Veggie Burgers didn’t appear at Burger King by chance. They’re there because there was demand and little changes like that will continue to sprout in every corner of the world if we just continue to ask and push a little here and a little there. Keep demanding, vegan consumers, and (extremely helpful and appreciated!) lists like this to guide us through the perils of fast food ordering will become a thing of distant memory and our joyful way of living will be an embraced norm.
@ Kaitlin:
Wow, really? Nice to think you’re “better” than common fast food employees. Hope that diploma works out for you. I have Ulcerative Colitis; a disease, not a choice. If you “refused” me a special crunch wrap at either of my local Taco Bells I’d get your ass fired, as I’m close friends with both managers. Any sensible manager would fire you for simply having crappy customer service. I worked at a Claire’s for 10 years and bent over backward for customers, which is common in a “Customer Service Industry.” Can you say or spell that with your fancy degree?
I’d love to know where you work so I could call your manager. Brave enough to post that with your haughty “values?”
Just to point out that while the beans at Taco Bell are safe, the rice, as in your example of the 7-Layer burrito, contains casein, so is not vegan.
As to the substitutions, wow. I was a shift manager at Taco Bell my freshman year of college, and yeah, that’s just how you do it. Most locations will even give you extra beans on items that normally come with both meat and beans, since the beans don’t cost as much as the meat. I’m sure there are fast food places that don’t like to do substitutions, but I don’t know which ones. If they are making it “to order”, it’s not all that difficult to leave something out.
@ Kaitlin:
Do YOU understand customer service jobs? Because that’s what you’re in. And like it or not, the customer gets what the customer wants. Get a new job if you have a problem with that, ’cause it isn’t going to change.
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So, there are times where despite our best efforts, our only options just might be fast food, especially on vacation or a trip. On a road trip or in a podunk town with little to zero options for a healthy meal, I’ve found ways to navigate the fast food menu. I do not, I repeat, do not, advocate the consumption of fast food except for in a pinch and other compromising situations. So I suggest you print this blog in case of emergency!
23 comments
burger king’s french toast sticks on their menu is also vegan (i learned this back in the 90’s from some other vegans)
This is a great list, Carolyn! Thanks for doing all this amazing research. I have a couple things to note:
According to Papa John’s allergen guide, their original crust and sauce are vegan: http://www.papajohns.com/allergens/PJ%20AllergenGuide_3_2011.pdf . There’s also a Quarrygirl post about Papa John’s vegan options here: http://archives.quarrygirl.com/2011/10/06/og-vegan-pizza-night-with-papa-johns/#more-15410 .
Quarrygirl also did a post about Baja Fresh’s vegan options wherein they reveal (via a Baja Fresh representative) that their flour tortillas contain dairy. This post is from late 2010, so the information could be outdated, but in case it’s still accurate, the post is here: http://archives.quarrygirl.com/2010/11/19/vegan-chain-dining-baja-fresh/#more-10142
xoxo
I think that at Chipotle the pinto beans have bacon, so only black beans are veg…
Just heard that Starbucks recently changed their frappuccino recipe to include a dye made from bugs (cochineal extract)! Wouldn’t think that anyone, veg or not, would want that in their food!!
How do you know if the breads served at these fast food resturants do not contain L-cysteine?
This is so helpful! Thanks for compiling this…great resource for when we’re on the road
Do vegans/vegs not understand how fast food works? I am a college senior and I work nearly full time at a fast food restaurant to make ends meet. We do not appreciate you asking us to add or modify menu items. If I worked at Taco Bell and were asked to make a crunch wrap special I would refuse. The place I work consistently has a line of 40 back 10-10 every day, it’s so impractical to stop our production because someone refuses to eat one ingredient. People are not paid minimum wage to be your personal chef. I have several vegetarian friends and I avoid eating with them because of the special treatment they think they are entitled to.
It’s not special treatment when it’s corporate policy to allow substitutions. It’s just good customer service. If you don’t like doing your job then that’s your problem, not mine. And if you don’t like your pay, then that’s something you need to work on. As a college senior, I imagine there are any number of jobs you are qualified for that would pay more. There’s a reason those + / – buttons are on the cash register (and it’s not just for vegetarians and vegans). You know, Burger King’s motto? “Have it your way.” That means put on or take off whatever you want. *That* is how fast food works. If some fast food establishment refused to make something as simple as a taco with beans instead of meat for me, I wouldn’t eat there and they would not get my money. Plus my family wouldn’t eat there, so even more money they don’t get. I might complain to my friends and that would be even less money if they decided not to eat there as well. But it’s not the case that fast food establishments refuse to make substitutions. At all of the taco places I frequent, they make the change for me without issue and some will even add guacamole for free since I’m not getting costly items like meat, cheese and sour cream but am still paying the same price for them. I don’t ask for that. I am *offered* that. Several know my order when I walk in the door and they ask me if I want my “usual” and they are kind about it. Twice I’ve been warned by knowledgeable staff when I’ve tried to sub beans that they have some sort of meat or lard in them and would I like to sub something else instead like fajita vegetables. That’s just good customer service that keeps people coming back and spending money. Is it OK to add extra cheese and chili and bacon + all the other upsells? It’s no more inconvenient to take something off as to add something extra. I worked in fast food in my youth as well. That was more than 20 years ago, but I can tell you that while I started out making minimum wage, I didn’t make that for long and the raises I got were probably due to me valuing my customers and just being happy to have a job, period.
Good question Cyndi! I normally opt to have veggie burgers to be served “protein style” which is no bun, wrapped in lettuce. As for places that freshly bake their bread, I would ask as they have the ingredient lists handy ; )
For myself, I choose Chipotle whenever I can. Everything on their menu besides the obvious (meat, cheese, sour cream) and the pinto beans (cooked with bacon) are vegan. They also use local ingredients whenever possible.
If you’re a vegan, avoid Quizno’s viniagrette dressing, which contains milk (bizarrely).
Linda,
The bugs are only used in the strawberry creme frappuccino!
Kaitlin – Boo to you. Perhaps this is the highest level of employment to which you can aspire. Good luck in life.
Many Burger King’s and McDonald’s have packets of sliced apples, baby carrots, sugared nuts, and juice boxes, depending upon the country. These items are vegetarian, Kosher, and Halal. Avoid the yogurt dip from McDonald’s as it contains gelatin. (These items usually come with the children’s meal but you can ask for them separately.) For the non-vegan vegetarians, you can order a “Sausage Egg McMuffin, hold the sausage” during breakfast. That means one cooked egg on a bun, no cheese. Not Kosher, but it’s vegetarian and may be Halal. Chipolte prides themselves on the fact that “everything that looks vegetarian is vegetarian” with no hidden ingredients.
wow, you suck.
a lot.@ Kaitlin:
Kaitlin has a point. Fast food is meant to be that, fast food. If you have to eat it modify it yourself (pick things out) rather than make the low-paid employees do it. It really isn’t their job, and they definitely aren’t paid enough to do it. I bet you’ve never tipped at a fast food resaurant 🙂 Save the modifications that require an employee’s extra time for the sit downs.@ Ember:
I’m a barista at Starbucks and the Chai Latte to standard isn’t vegan; the latte on the menu is made with Tazo Chai concentrate and that has honey in it. But there’s an alternative! Order the “Chai Tea Misto” (with soy, of course) which is basically a Chai Latte made with a Tazo Chai tea bag instead of the honey saturated concentrate. Less calories, better for you and vegan. If you’d prefer it sweeter, ask for standard pumps of classic or vanilla syrup.
As for the bugs in the strawberry puree problem, those are being replaced and should be back to vegan by the end of summer 2012. Don’t be shy to ask your barista to check the box for you to ensure it has nothing icky in it.
Lastly, there’s no high fructose corn syrup in our syrups EXCEPT the caramel sauce which you don’t want anyway; it has over 5 different types of milk in it. You may be getting us confused with Pete’s Coffee which has HFC in every syrup they carry. Yuck!
@ Jeanette:
Thanks so much Jeanette! Much appreciated! I will try a Chai Tea Misto next tie for sure!
@ Jeanette:
Other Starbucks info from a vegan Starbucks barista ^_^:
I ADORE our smoothies. They all come with a banana blended in and can be made with soy. Just remember to emphasize that you want “no protein powder” added when you order. The powder is whey based. If you’re feeling adventurous, substitute the protein with green tea matcha powder. This works great with the Orange Mango and Strawberry (once the puree is pure again) Smoothies. I also like to add the raisins and nuts from our oatmeal packets (be sure to double blend.) I call it “Swamp Water,” but it’s sweetly delicious, vegan, HEALTHY, and basically lunch in a cup! You will be full, I promise!
Speaking of oatmeal, ours is vegan as are the sides. So are the plain and multigrain bagels, though we currently have no veg friendly condiments for them. Everything else in the pastry case is a vegan bust. That includes the warmed sandwiches that no substitution will ever make vegan as they are.
If you want something sweet, blended & cold, but aren’t feeling a smoothie, remember you can add a banana to any frappuccino grande (medium size) or larger for a satisfying kick that will leave you feeling less guilty. I hear this works best with the caramel frappuccino (w/ soy and sans whipped cream & caramel sauce, of course).
Our mocha sauce is vegan so go crazy, chocolate lovers! Unfortunately our white mocha and the chocolate chips for the fraps (standard in the Java Chip & Double Chocolaty Chip Fraps) aren’t.
In the RTD case (Ready to Eat & Drink case; the place where you can reach in and grab food) you have more options. The newly released canned Refreshers are vegan as are the seasonal fruit cups and the Sesame Seed Noodle Bistro plate, as stated by the author. In California, we’ve also released our line of never heated, preservative-free, 100% juice line of juices from Evolution Fresh. These are nothing short of amazing. I highly recommend the Vegetable Essentials and the Carrot Orange Mango on taste alone and the Mango Fiber if you’re looking to feel full. Come and order some, Cali vegans, so the rest of the country can enjoy them!
And of course, our coffee, tea and espresso are all vegan in and of themselves.
Lastly, as someone one might consider a low wage worker, you have my permission to get crazy vegans and non-vegans of the “high maintenance” ilk. If you’re willing to pay for it, you deserve to have it the way you want it. I’m paid (and get tips!) to make it the way you want it and I take satisfaction in making my customers happy. And as a vegan, what the consumer asks for and pays for is the genesis of the change we see in the private sector. Morning Star Veggie Burgers didn’t appear at Burger King by chance. They’re there because there was demand and little changes like that will continue to sprout in every corner of the world if we just continue to ask and push a little here and a little there. Keep demanding, vegan consumers, and (extremely helpful and appreciated!) lists like this to guide us through the perils of fast food ordering will become a thing of distant memory and our joyful way of living will be an embraced norm.
@ Kaitlin:
Wow, really? Nice to think you’re “better” than common fast food employees. Hope that diploma works out for you. I have Ulcerative Colitis; a disease, not a choice. If you “refused” me a special crunch wrap at either of my local Taco Bells I’d get your ass fired, as I’m close friends with both managers. Any sensible manager would fire you for simply having crappy customer service. I worked at a Claire’s for 10 years and bent over backward for customers, which is common in a “Customer Service Industry.” Can you say or spell that with your fancy degree?
I’d love to know where you work so I could call your manager. Brave enough to post that with your haughty “values?”
Just to point out that while the beans at Taco Bell are safe, the rice, as in your example of the 7-Layer burrito, contains casein, so is not vegan.
As to the substitutions, wow. I was a shift manager at Taco Bell my freshman year of college, and yeah, that’s just how you do it. Most locations will even give you extra beans on items that normally come with both meat and beans, since the beans don’t cost as much as the meat. I’m sure there are fast food places that don’t like to do substitutions, but I don’t know which ones. If they are making it “to order”, it’s not all that difficult to leave something out.
@ Kaitlin:
Do YOU understand customer service jobs? Because that’s what you’re in. And like it or not, the customer gets what the customer wants. Get a new job if you have a problem with that, ’cause it isn’t going to change.