Taco Bell Brings More Options For Plant-Based Eaters To The Menu

Since becoming vegan three years ago, the options for late night snacks and fast food seriously diminished. Living in Los Angeles, I have access to plenty of vegan and plant-based eateries, but when it comes to those without the ability to access those restaurants, eating food you can trust at fast food restaurants can be HARD.

If you regularly read my work for Taste of Home, you’ll notice that I cover Taco Bell quite frequently (here, here, and here, just to link a few) but often about menu items I no longer eat. Taco Bell was particularly a massive savior on my cross-country road trip this summer because in nearly every small town between the cities we stopped in, I could count on finding food I could trust and enjoy, with plenty of options for my carnivore boyfriend as well.

Did you know that their four retail chips (available at spots like 7/11) are all certified vegan?

Did you know that their four retail chips (available at spots like 7/11) are all certified vegan?

And I’m not alone in LOVING the Bell, their classic vegetarian bean burrito is the second-best selling item on their entire menu across United States restaurants after the crunchy taco. This new menu is going to make it easier than ever to enjoy the Taco Bell you love without the meat, and with the option to remove dairy, too!

I was BEYOND thrilled to be invited to the Taco Bell headquarters on Tuesday of this week in Irvine, CA to try out their new vegetarian menu. These vegetarian items are American Vegetarian (AVA) certified, joining nine other AVA-certified menu items as well as 38 certified vegetarian and vegan ingredients on their menu.

These new items are:

  • Vegetarian Crunchwrap Supreme: a twist on a Taco Bell classic elevated with black beans (this has always been my go-to order, minus the sour cream and cheese sauce)

  • 7-Layer Burrito: layers upon layers of colorful veggie goodness tucked into a burrito

  • Vegetarian Quesarito: the saucy quesadilla-burrito concoction packed with black beans

If none of these items are what you’re craving, you can easily adapt any of their vegetarian menu items (except breakfast) to become vegan by ordering “fresco style,” or my selecting the “make it meatless” option online to swap out meat for refried pinto beans.

The team at the international test kitchen happily made all of my items on the menu vegan, and I even got to create my ultimate Taco Bell creation in the kitchen!

This new, in-store vegetarian menu will be testing in Dallas, Texas today and pending test results, will issue a national rollout in late 2019 or early 2020. Overall, I think this is a huge win for vegetarians and vegans everywhere, especially those located in cities without access to the variety of options in major cities.

Thank you Taco Bell for the invitation and for continuing to expand these options nationwide for all flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans!

Jacqueline WeissComment