But until now, I had never tried any vegan fast food.
This is mainly because there are not many food chains I’m too fussed about (and the fact I’m not a pledged vegan).
Yet this Veganuary, I felt the need to experiment, even if I’m late to the party when it comes to tasting the vegan menu offerings from the likes of McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King and Subway.
@whatinthechef Trying the McPlant Burger from McDonald’s #foodreview #mcdonalds #mcplant ♬ original sound – whatinthechef
I was tempted to find out if any of the staple vegan burgers could replace my one true love – a McDonald’s cheeseburger – boring for some, mouth-watering for me.
Especially because in the future I’d like to try and follow a completely meat and dairy-free diet for a while, so I was eager to see what was out there in the world of vegan fast food.
One evening this week after work, I decided to head to my nearest McDonald’s and KFC to compare their vegan burgers as these are both me and my partner’s go-to fast food choices.
From McDonald’s, I chose the famous McPlant, medium fries and a drink (£6.09) – the McPlant is made with a plant-based patty co-developed with Beyond Meat.
It features a vegan sandwich sauce, ketchup, mustard, onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and a vegan alternative to cheese in a sesame seed bun.
McDonald’s vs KFC vegan burgers – which is worth it?
To my surprise, I was told the fries at KFC aren’t vegan which I thought must be frustrating for those who want to be committed.
But do you know what surprised me most of all? The vegan burger I preferred.
In all honestly, McDonald’s usually is my favourite for a greasy treat and the only fast food I truly crave, as I tend to like a beef patty over a chicken burger 99% of the time.
Not in this case. KFC was the clear winner when it came to the best vegan burger, even if it was the more expensive option.
The Quorn fillet which was quite firm (and very big), had a similar texture to chicken – I certainly wasn’t expecting it to do so.
Whereas I felt the McDonald’s vegan patty was too sloppy for my liking.
I was also a huge fan of the seasoning which coated the Quorn fillet at KFC – sadly the McDonald’s vegan patty didn’t have much of a taste in my opinion.
The UK’s favourite takeaways
But what I did love about the McDonald’s vegan option was how you still got the same amount of toppings as you would if ordering a burger with meat and dairy in it.
When it comes to sauces from both vegan burgers at KFC and McDonald’s, it was the former who scored highly too.
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For me, KFC vegan mayo beats the McDonald’s vegan sandwich sauce by a mile – I thought it tasted almost like the real deal.
I’m glad I’ve finally taken the plunge to discover vegan fast food and at long last I know where to go – have you tried any?
Let us know in the comments what your thoughts are or if you have any other recommendations.
