McDonald’s has been around for the past 66 years. The famous golden arches can be spotted from a mile away. McDonald’s is a great option when you are in need of a quick, convenient meal, or on a road trip. It is not a great option for everyone, though. If you follow a vegan diet, you may think there is nothing for you at McDonald’s. Although your options are limited, you do have options – some of which may surprise you.
While the vegan options at McDonald’s may be limited, they are not non-existent. Some of their breakfast options are vegan, as well as some of their salads, snacks, bread and sauces. Unfortunately, their fries are not vegan, and their burgers would not have much substance without the meat and cheese, so it is best to avoid those items.
It can be hard to know which options are vegan at McDonald’s. Read on to learn which menu items have hidden non-vegan ingredients and which items are vegan-friendly, including their ingredients.
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Tips & Tricks for Ordering Vegan at McDonald’s
It can be difficult and confusing to order vegan at a place like McDonald’s, especially if you are new to the vegan diet. To make your life easier, follow these tips and tricks to order vegan like a pro at McDonald’s.
- Omit cheese, bacon and/or dressing from salads to make them vegan-friendly.
- Make sure you choose a vegan-friendly bread such as an english muffin, flour tortilla or artisan roll.
- Ask for a vegan-friendly dressing such as balsamic and white balsamic vinaigrette, raspberry walnut and red wine vinaigrette, classic oil and vinegar, zesty Italian, sesame ginger and citrus splash.
- Be sure to pick a vegan-friendly sauce and/or condiment(s) such as spicy buffalo, bbq, sweet and sour, ketchup, mustard, and maple syrup.
- Sub water for cream in the fruit and maple oatmeal to create a healthy, vegan-friendly breakfast.
Non-Vegan Foods to Avoid at McDonald’s
It is no secret that not all menu items at McDonald’s are vegan friendly. Although McDonald’s does not have a super lengthy menu, trying to determine exactly which items are vegan and which are not can be overwhelming. That is why we compiled this list of exactly which foods to avoid at McDonald’s.
- French fries (they are fried in animal fat)
- Chicken nuggets
- Any of their breakfast biscuit sandwiches (contain bacon, sausage, egg and/or cheese)
- Any of their McMuffins (contains bacon, sausage, egg and/or cheese)
- Sausage biscuit
- Any of their McGriddles (contain sausage, egg and/or cheese)
- Sausage burrito
- Hotcakes (contains eggs and milk)
- Hash browns (contains milk)
- Any of their burgers such as the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder and Cheeseburger
- Any of their chicken sandwiches such as the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich, and McChicken
- Any of their shakes (they are made with milk)
- Vanilla cone (contains milk)
- Any of their McFlurries (they all contain milk)
- Chocolate chip cookie (contains eggs and milk)
- Any of their McCafe drinks that contain milk or cream such as the caramel macchiato, cappuccino, mocha, and latte
- Apple fritter (contains eggs and milk)
- Blueberry muffin (contains eggs and milk)
- Cinnamon roll (contains eggs and milk)
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- Mango Pineapple Smoothie
- Hot chocolate
Vegan Options at McDonald’s
After reading the list of all the foods you cannot eat at McDonald’s as a vegan, you may be wondering, “What the heck can I eat?” I will be honest, your options are limited. You do have options, though. Take a look at the list below to find out what your options are as a vegan at McDonald’s.
Breakfast
-
Fruit & Maple Oatmeal (sub water for cream)
Ingredients:
- Water
- Whole grain rolled oats
- Brown sugar
- Modified food starch
- Salt
- Natural flavor
- Barley malt extract
- Caramel color
- Diced apples (apples, calcium ascorbate (a blend of calcium and vitamin C to maintain color))
- Cranberry raisin blend (sweetened dried cranberries (sugar, cranberries), California raisins, golden raisins, sunflower oil, sulfur dioxide (a preservative, contains sulfites))
-
English Muffin (plain)
Ingredients:
- Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid)
- Water
- Yeast
- Yellow corn meal (degermed yellow corn meal and corn flour)
- Contains 2% or less of: sugar, soybean oil, salt, dough conditioners (mono-, di-, and tricalcium phosphate, DATEM, ascorbic acid, enzymes, ethylated mono and diglycerides), wheat gluten, cultured wheat flour, citric acid, baking soda, fumaric acid
Salads
Be aware that McDonald’s has cut salads from their menu back in April 2020. However, this is most likely temporary. So when the salads do make their return, you will know which ones to pick.
-
Southwest Salad (omit the chicken and cheese, sub Southwest dressing for a vegan-friendly dressing)
Ingredients:
- Baby kale
- Baby spinach
- Chopped romaine lettuce
- Carrots
- Red leaf lettuce
- Poblano peppers
- Tomatoes
- Corn
- Black beans
- Cilantro
- Chili-lime tortilla strips
-
Premium Bacon Ranch Salad (omit bacon and cheese, sub ranch dressing for a vegan-friendly dressing)
Ingredients:
- Romaine lettuce
- Baby spinach
- Carrots
- Baby kale
- Lollo Rossa lettuce
- Red leaf lettuce
- Red oak lettuce
- Red tango lettuce
- Red romaine lettuce
- Red butter lettuce
- Grape tomatoes
- Salt
- Pepper
-
Side Salad (omit cheese and choose a vegan-friendly dressing)
Ingredients:
- Romaine lettuce
- Baby spinach
- Carrots
- Baby kale
- Lollo Rossa lettuce
- Red leaf lettuce
- Red oak lettuce
- Red tango lettuce
- Red romaine lettuce
- Red butter lettuce
Snacks
-
Apple Slices
Ingredients:
- Apples
- Calcium ascorbate (a blend of calcium and vitamin C to maintain freshness and color)
Bread
-
Flour Tortilla
Ingredients:
- Enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- Water
- Shortening (intereserified soy bean oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated cottonseed oil)
- Contains 2% or less of: sugar, leavening (baking soda, corn starch, sodium aluminum sulfate, calcium sulfate, monocalcium phosphate), salt, mono-diglycerides, vital wheat gluten, dough conditioner (sodium metabisulfite, corn starch, microcrystalline cellulose, dicalcium phosphate)
-
Artisan Roll
Ingredients:
- Flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour)
- Water
- Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- Water
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Wheat Gluten
- Soybean oil
- Contains 2% or less of: dextrose, salt, ascorbic acid, enzymes, vegetable proteins (pea protein, potato protein, faba bean protein), maltodextrin
Dessert
Although most of the desserts and baked goods at McDonald’s are not vegan-friendly, there is one dessert item that is accidentally vegan. That means it was not created and marketed specifically for vegans, but it just so happens to not contain any animal ingredients.
-
Baked Apple Pie
Ingredients:
- Apples (apples, ascorbic acid, salt, citric acid)
- Enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- Sugar
- Palm oil
- Water
- Apple juice concentrate
- Modified food starch
- Invert syrup
- Contains 2% or less of: yeast, salt, cinnamon, sunflower lecithin, l-cysteine (dough conditioner), yeast extract, enzyme, beta-carotene (color)
Drinks
-
Coca-Cola
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Caramel color
- Natural flavors
- Caffeine
-
Sprite
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Citric acid
- Natural flavors
- Sodium benzoate (to protect taste)
-
Dr. Pepper
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Water
- Caramel color
- Phosphoric acid
- Caffeine
- Sodium benzoate (preservative)
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Dimethypolysiloxane
-
Americano (black)
Ingredients:
- Espresso
-
Premium Roast Coffee (black)
Ingredients:
- Brewed coffee
-
Iced Coffee (omit any flavor and light cream)
Ingredients:
- Liquid sugar (sugar, water, potassium sorbate (preservative), citric acid)
- Brewed coffee
Find a McDonald’s Near You
There are over 39,000 McDonald’s locations worldwide as of 2020. That means there is bound to be one near you. Click here to find a McDonald’s in your area. This would also be a useful tool to use when you are on a road trip and need to find the closest McDonald’s.
Similar Restaurants to McDonald’s
McDonald’s is one of the many fast food chains around. So, if you do not like McDonald’s or just want to try something else, you have a few alternatives. The 3 restaurants listed below are similar to McDonald’s in terms of the food they serve, but they each have their own unique flair.
Related Questions
Are McDonald’s Hash Browns Vegan?
Hash browns are typically made of potatoes, oil, and perhaps other additives. Though it seems it should be vegan since consists mainly of potatoes, McDonald’s Hash Browns are not suitable for vegans. This is because McDonald’s Hash Browns contain “natural beef flavor”, as well as milk.
Which McDonald’s Has The Vegan Burger?
Believe it or not, some McDonald’s locations have started to become more vegan-friendly by adding a McPlant burger to their menu. It features a plant-based patty with vegan sandwich sauce, ketchup, mustard, onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato and vegan cheese in a sesame seed bun. Unfortunately, that menu item is not yet widely available. However, if you live in the UK, you may be in luck. Click here for a complete list of locations that currently have the McPlant burger.
Are McDonald’s Fries Vegan?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the world famous McDonald’s french fries are not vegan. In fact, they are not even vegetarian. That is because McDonald’s fries their french fries in animal fat instead of oil. So, if you are craving french fries, McDonald’s is not the place to get them.