Are you a vegetarian planning a road trip and you’re worried about finding food you can eat on the road? Your best bet as a traveling vegetarian is obviously to bring your own food, but there are some vegetarian fast food options for quick pit stops if you don’t feel like eating what you brought. This post will offer guidance on the best vegetarian options at five of the most popular fast food chains in the United States, including what to get for breakfast or lunch / dinner.

Please note: I haven’t listed EVERY vegetarian option for the restaurants below, I just tried to get a nice variety of types of options. (For example, Burger King has sausage breakfast sandwiches as well as croissanwiches, but I didn’t feel it necessary to put both sandwiches on this list.)

What Does “Fast Food” Even Mean?

The first thing I had to do to make this list was determine what definition I was using for “fast food.” I came up with the following list of requirements:

• Food which is mass-produced and served quickly
• Chains in which most locations have a drive-thru (so you don’t have to get out of the car when you’re on the road)
• Chains likely to be found in most states and in cities of varying sizes

This narrowed our options down to the following five restaurant chains:

• McDonald’s
• Burger King
• Taco Bell
• Starbucks
• KFC

McDonald’s

Ah, McDonald’s. The ultimate fast food road trip stop. Unfortunately if you’re a vegetarian, McDonald’s isn’t going to have much for you in the way of lunch and dinner options other than their Veggie McWrap (and I hope you like fries!). Their breakfast options are a bit better, so if you must stop at McDonald’s, maybe do it before 10:30am.

Breakfast Options:

• Fruit and Maple Oatmeal – 310 calories
• Big Breakfast without Sausage – 560 calories
• Fruit and Yogurt Parfait – 150 calories

Lunch and Dinner Options:

• Veggie McWrap – 480 calories
• Bacon Ranch Salad with Buttermilk Chicken without Meat – 190 calories
• Medium Fries – 340 calories

Burger King

Burger King has a much more vegetarian-friendly menu than McDonalds does, even offering a Veggie Burger! Their salads are more substantial than McDonald’s salads as well, offering cheese and croutons as well as the run-of-the-mill lettuce and tomato.

Breakfast Options:

• Egg and Cheese Croissanwich – 300 calories
• French Toast Sticks – 230 calories
• Pancakes Platter (no sausage) – 440 calories

Lunch and Dinner Options:

• Morningstar Veggie Burger – 390 calories
• Chicken Garden Salad without Meat – 420 calories
• Value Menu French Fries – 380 calories

Taco Bell

Did you know that Taco Bell is one of the best options for vegetarians on-the-road, even offering a certified American Vegetarian Association (AVA) vegetarian menu?

Breakfast Options:

• Breakfast Soft Taco without Bacon – 170 calories
• Breakfast Crunchwrap California without Bacon – 560 calories
• Mini Skillet Bowl – 180 calories

Lunch and Dinner Options:

• Veggie Power Menu Bowl – $5.19 (480 calories)
• 7-Layer Burrito – $2.99 (440 calories)
• Fiesta Taco Salad without Meat – $5.49 (620 calories)

Starbucks

You can obviously always get a pastry or muffin at Starbucks, but Starbucks also offers sandwichs, protein bowls, and protein boxes for Vegetarians on the go.

Breakfast Options:

• Gouda and Egg Breakfast Sandwich (No Bacon) – 230 calories
• Sous Vide Egg Bites: Egg White and Red Pepper – 170 calories
• Spinach, Feta, and Cage Free Egg White Breakfast  Wrap – 290 calories

Lunch and Dinner Options:

• Tomato and Mozzarella Sandwich – 350 calories
• Lentils and Veggie Protein Bowl – 650 calories
• Eggs and Cheese Protein Box – 460 calories

KFC

KFC literally has the word “chicken” in the title, so good luck finding anything vegetarians can eat on this menu. You’re going to be limited mostly to carb-heavy sides –and KFC doesn’t even offer a breakfast menu in the United States. Maybe don’t go to KFC if you’re a vegetarian unless you’re SUPER desperate.

Lunch Options:

• Seasoned Potato Wedges  – 290 calories
• Green Bean side (family size) – 90 calories
• Mashed Potatoes side (family size) – 420 calories

Do you have a favorite fast food vegetarian meal that I missed? Leave a comment below! – Lindsay