Onion rings are a popular side dish that we are all familiar with. The crispy treat goes great with a burger, steak, and so much more. However, when you follow a vegan diet there is much more you have to consider than what goes well with what. Onion rings might be something that you think you won’t need to question. After all, it is just an onion ring. That has to be vegan, right? The answer may surprise you.
Onion rings are not vegan. The batter that the onions get coated in often contains milk and eggs – double trouble for vegans. When dining out, be sure to ask at restaurants how they are prepared. The best vegan-friendly alternatives include Ian’s Onion Rings, Farmwise Veggie Rings Cauliflower with White Beans & Onions, and Green Giant Veggie Rings.
In this article, we will discuss some popular brands of onion rings and whether or not they are vegan. We will also discuss some healthy and vegan-friendly alternatives. Let’s dig in!
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Are Onion Rings Healthy?
Onion rings are one of the most common substitute for french fries. However, onion rings are an equally poor nutritional choice.
Onion rings are deep fried. Anything that is deep fried is going to be high in calories and trans fat – both of which can have negative effects on your health. Trans fats and an excess of calories are associated with an increased risk of many diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
Fried food like onion rings also contain a toxic substance called acrylamide, which can cause kidney, endometrial and ovarian cancer.
If you enjoy the taste of fried food and just can’t give it up, consider using healthier oils like coconut, olive and/or avocado oil. You can also try alternate methods to traditional frying like oven-frying or air-frying, both of which use little to no oil, but still produce a similar outcome.
Are Burger King’s Onion Rings Vegan?
Likely one of the most popular places to get onion rings is Burger King. Fried to crisp golden perfection, these are hard to pass up for onion ring lovers. Unfortunately, Burger King’s onion rings are not vegan as they contain whey. Whey is a protein extracted from milk, which is an animal byproduct.
Burger King’s onion rings are also loaded with unhealthy ingredients. The onion rings contain wheat flour, corn flour, sugar, wheat starch, fructose, sunflower oil, canola oil, palm oil, leavening, and seasonings. High in carbohydrates, inflammatory oils, and a lengthy list of ingredients, these onion rings surely are not the best choice.
Popular Brands Of Onion Rings
Let’s dig into some of the most popular brands of onion rings and evaluate their nutritional values.
Nathan’s Thick Sliced Battered Onion Rings
This brand is the world’s famous recipe and for good reason. It is packed with flavor and has zero grams of trans fat. We now know that no trans fat is hard to come by in onion rings, so that is a nice bonus.
This brand, however, does contain milk and therefore is not vegan-friendly.
These are the ingredients found in Nathan’s Thick Sliced Battered Onion Rings:
- Onions
- Wheat flour
- Soybean oil and/or canola oil
- Beer (water, malted barley, hops, yeast, salt)
- Corn flour
- Modified corn starch
- Sugar
- Salt
- Dextrose
- Leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate)
- Whey (milk)
- Spice and coloring
- Natural flavors
- Guar gum
- Xanthan gum
- Sorbitol
Here is some important nutritional information to note for this brand (per 5 pieces serving):
- Calories: 200
- Total fat: 10g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 300mg
- Total carbs: 26g
- Total sugar: <6g
- Protein: 2g
McCain’s Craft Beer Battered Onion Rings
This brand is made with real American Pale Ale and no artificial colors or flavors. It is the perfect side dish you will be proud to serve with your next meal.
This brand does contain milk and therefore is not vegan-friendly.
These are the ingredients found in McCain’s Craft Beer Battered Onion Rings:
- Onions
- Bleached enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- Water
- Beer (water, malted barley, corn syrup, hops, salt)
- Vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola oil)
- Yellow corn flour
- Modified corn starch
- Contains 2% or less of: dextrose, guar gum, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium acid phosphate), mono and diglycerides, oleoresin paprika (color), salt, sorbitol, spices, sugar, whey (milk)
Here is some important nutritional information to note for this brand (per 6 pieces serving):
- Calories: 190
- Total fat: 8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 350mg
- Total carbs: 26g
- Total sugars: 3g
- Protein: 2g
Alexia Crispy Onion Rings
This brand is an inventive combination of sweet Spanish onions with a delicate Japanese style breading that give these rings a light, crispy texture that is bursting with flavor.
This brand does not contain any milk or eggs and therefore is vegan-friendly.
These are the ingredients found in Alexia Crispy Onion Rings:
- Onions
- Wheat flour
- Expeller pressed canola oil
- Corn starch
- Cane sugar
- Sea salt
- Onion powder
- Dried yeast
- Garlic powder
- Yeast
- Guar gum
Here is some important nutritional information to note for this brand (per 5 rings serving):
- Calories: 220
- Total fat: 7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 110mg
- Total carbs: 35g
- Total sugars: 2g
- Protein: 5g
Healthier Alternatives To Traditional Onion Rings
We have learned that most traditional onion rings, although tasty, are loaded with calories and trans fat, which can cause a slew of health problems.
Lucky for us, not all onion rings are made the same. There are healthier alternatives to the traditional comfort food we all know and love available on the market. The next time you are having a craving for onion rings, give one of these brands a try:
Ian’s Onion Rings
This brand puts a worry-free spin on the traditional onion rings. They are crafted with fresh-cut sweet onions, dipped in Ian’s special batter, and covered in gluten-free crispy cornflake crumbs to create the perfect side dish.
This brand is also free of any artificial colors or flavors.
This brand does not contain any animal products and therefore is vegan-friendly.
These are the ingredients found in Ian’s Onion Rings:
- Onions
- Batter (water, yellow corn flour, corn starch, garlic powder, sea salt)
- Breading (milled corn, cane sugar)
Here is some important nutritional information to note for this brand (per 6 rings serving):
- Calories: 160
- Total fat: 7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 50mg
- Total carbs: 22g
- Total sugar: 2g
- Protein: 2g
Farmwise Veggie Rings Cauliflower With White Beans & Onions
This brand gives a healthy and nutritious twist on the traditional side dish without compromising the great texture and flavor that we all crave.
They are made from a blend of chopped cauliflower, white beans and onions dipped in crunchy, gluten-free breading. That combination makes these rings satisfyingly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Best of all, this brand is vegan-friendly!
These are the ingredients found in Farmwise Veggie Rings Cauliflower With White Beans & Onions:
- Cauliflower
- Rice flour
- Cooked navy beans
- Non-GMO expeller pressed canola oil
- Onion
- Modified corn starch
- Rice starch
- Water
- Low sodium sea salt (potassium chloride, sodium chloride)
- Garlic powder
- Corn starch
- Dextrose
- Blackstrap molasses
- Sea salt
- Sodium alginate
- Citric acid
- Yeast
- Spice extractives
- Paprika extract (color)
Here is some important nutritional information to note for this brand (per 3oz serving):
- Calories: 220
- Total fat: 10g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 180mg
- Total carbs: 30g
- Total sugars: 3g
- Protein: 5g
Green Giant Veggie Rings Cauliflower French Onion
Leave it to Green Giant to come up with yet another way to incorporate veggies into your lifestyle.
Crispy and crunchy, these rings are made with real cauliflower. They can be enjoyed as a delicious snack, flavorful appetizer, or as a side dish that is sure to steal the spotlight.
This brand, however, does contain animal products like milk, butter, eggs and cheese. Therefore, this brand is not vegan-friendly.
These are the ingredients found in Green Giant Veggie Rings Cauliflower French Onion:
- Filling (cauliflower, onion, water, dried potatoes, parmesan cheese, corn starch, enriched flour, methylcellulose, salt, dried onion, sodium alginate, guar gum, brown sugar, dried green onion, butter, spices, powdered molasses, yeast extract, whey, caramelized sugar, dried vegetable stock, natural flavors, dried garlic)
- Coating (enriched flour, whole wheat flour, soybean oil, water, corn flour, modified corn starch, whey, dextrose, salt, yeast, sugar, sodium alginate, soy flour, nonfat milk, paprika extract, natural flavors, eggs, sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda)
Here is some important nutritional information to note for this brand (per 3 rings serving):
- Calories: 200
- Total fat: 7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 270mg
- Total carbs: 30g
- Total sugar: 2g
- Protein: 5g
Final Thoughts
Most onion rings are made with animal products like milk and eggs. Therefore, most onion rings are not vegan-friendly.
However, not all onion rings are made the same. There are a few vegan-friendly onion ring brands available on the market that do not contain any animal products.
If you are someone who enjoys onion rings on a regular basis, you may want to try switching to one of the healthier alternatives because traditional onion rings are high in calories and trans fat, which can lead to a slew of health problems including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer.
Related Questions
Are Onion Rings Gluten-Free?
Not all onion rings are gluten-free. However, there are a few gluten-free onion rings available on the market, some of which were mentioned in this article like Farmwise Veggie Rings and Ian’s Onion Rings.
Are Onion Rings Keto?
Most onion rings are not keto because they are high in calories and breaded with conventional flour and breadcrumbs. However, there are plenty of keto onion ring recipes available for you to try if you follow a keto diet and enjoy onion rings.
Are Onion Rings Dairy-Free?
Most traditional onion rings are made with milk and/or eggs. Therefore, they are not dairy-free. There are some brands of onion rings, however, that are made without dairy like milk or eggs, some of which are mentioned in this article.