Are McDonald’s Fries Vegetarian? (Must Know This)
Mcdonald’s is a fast food chain famously known for its burgers and fries. The Mcdonald’s fries can serve as a side dish for different food items.
On an average day, you wouldn’t check the ingredient list of the food you buy. However, if you’re a vegetarian, you must be cautious of what is in the food you’re about to eat.
You’d need to know its ingredients if you crave McDonald’s fries as a vegetarian. Are McDonald’s fries vegetarian?
No, McDonald’s fries are not vegetarian. Mcdonald’s uses beef additives as flavoring for the potatoes before making them into fries. A Mcdonald’s veggie menu includes fries and other food items suitable for vegetarians. However, the veggie menu is only available in India and the UK.
In this article, you’ll find out why McDonald’s fries aren’t suitable for vegetarians. Also, you’ll learn how to make homemade fries that are ideal for vegetarians.
Are McDonald’s Fries Suitable For Vegetarians?
It may be surprising to know this, but Mcdonald’s fries are unsuitable for vegetarians in most countries.
Although the main ingredients are okay, one ingredient makes it unfit for a vegetarian’s diet.
The non-veggie ingredient in Mcdonald’s fries is the natural beef additive. That one recognizable flavor you can taste in Mcdonald’s fries comes from the beef additive.
You’ll only find Mcdonald’s fries suitable for vegetarians in India and the UK. Mcdonald’s in India and the UK do not make their fries with beef flavoring.
Mcdonalds created the food menu in India and the UK to suit a vegetarian diet.
Under the veggie menu, you’d find all the regular Mcdonald’s food varieties, but they don’t contain non-veggie ingredients.
Why Can’t Vegetarians Eat McDonald’s Fries?
Vegetarians cannot eat Mcdonald’s fries because they include beef flavoring. The suppliers add beef additives when they cut the potatoes for added flavor.
The only Mcdonald’s fries that are okay for vegetarians to eat are the ones on the veggie menu.
The veggie menu is only available in India and the UK. Food on the veggie menu contains ingredients that make them suitable for vegetarians.
Other than fries, some other foods on the veggie menu include Mcplant, veggie dippers, vegetable deluxe, hash brown, etc.
What Meat Is in McDonald’s Fries?
The meat in Mcdonald’s fries is beef. Mcdonald’s fries contain beef as an additive added for flavoring.
Even though it is just flavoring, the beef additive makes McDonald’s fries off-limits for vegetarians.
You can only find Mcdonald’s veggie fries in India and the United Kingdom. The Mcdonald’s branches in India and the UK specially make food vegetarians can eat.
Making them yourself would be a good idea if you’re a vegetarian and crave fries. Homemade fries are easy to make, and you probably already have all the materials needed.
Below is a table to show the materials and ingredients you’ll need to make homemade fries and their uses.
| Materials and Ingredients | Uses |
|---|---|
| Potatoes | To make the fries. |
| Vegetable oil | To fry the potato sticks. |
| Knife | To cut through the potatoes. |
| Bowl | To hold potatoes and water. |
| Kitchen towel | Where the fries will sit for the drying process. |
| Pot | For frying the potato sticks. |
| Cooling rack | Drain out the oil from the potato sticks. |
Below is an easy recipe for making homemade fries suitable for vegetarians.
#1. Step One
The first step involves preparing and cutting the potatoes. You’ll need to thoroughly clean and scrub your potatoes to get all the dirt off it.
You can either choose to peel the potatoes or leave them unpeeled. Use a knife to cut through each potato at the center and lay the bare side on your cutting table.
Carefully cut through the potatoes such that each piece is of similar width.
#2. Step Two
After cutting the potatoes, the next step is to get a bowl of cool water and put the pieces into the bowl. Allow the potato pieces to sit in the bowl for about twenty minutes.
Soaking the potato pieces in water helps remove the excess starch from them. After soaking, lay a kitchen towel on a table and put the potato sticks on it.
Allow the potato sticks to air dry for some time.
#3. Step Three
Get a large pot and pour some vegetable oil into the pot. Leave the oil to boil to about 325 degrees Fahrenheit (use a thermometer).
Put the potato sticks into the boiling pot and leave the sticks to fry for five minutes. Please remove the potato sticks when half done and put them on a cooling rack to drain the oil.
Transfer the potato sticks into the boiling pot and the same temperature and wait for them to turn golden brown.
When done, please remove the potato sticks from the pot and drain the oil. Pour some seasoning on the fries to your taste. Your fries are ready for eating.
Does McDonald’s Have a Vegetarian Option?
Yes, McDonald’s has a vegetarian option. Unfortunately, this veggie option is only available in India and the UK.
Here is a list of the food options on the Mcdonald’s veggie menu and their details:
#1. McPlant
The McPlant burger is vegetarian and vegan certified. The ingredients in the Mcplant burger include a sesame bun, plant-based burger, lettuce, tomato slice, and tomato ketchup.
Mcplant also contains vegan sandwich sauce, cheese, alternative pickle slices, onions, and mustard.
The Mcplant consists of 20g of fat, 40g of carbohydrate, 4.6g of fiber, and 19g of protein. This food item makes up a total of 429 calories.
Mcdonald’s Mcplant has tested Mcplant in Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Austria, and the UK.
However, Mcdonald’s has only made Mcplant sales official in the UK.
#2. Vegetable Deluxe
The ingredients in the vegetable deluxe include red pepper and pesto goujon, sesame bun, lettuce, and sandwich sauce.
Vegetable Deluxe consists of 12g of fat, 51g of carbohydrates, 4.9g of fiber, and 8.8g of protein.
This food item contains a total of 361 calories.
#3. Veggie Dippers
The main ingredients in veggie dippers include yellow split peas, tomato, golden breadcrumbs, red pepper, and pesto goujon.
Veggie dippers also contain 17g of fat, 42g of carbohydrates, 3.6g of fiber, and 3.3g of protein.
This food item contains a total of 321 kilocalories
#4. McDonald’s Fries
The main ingredients in Mcdonald’s fries include potatoes, non-hydrogenated vegetable oils, dextrose, and salt.
Mcdonald’s fries consist of 17g of fat, 42g of carbohydrates, 3.6g of fiber, and 3.3g of protein.
This food item contains a total of 337 kilo calories.
#5. Hash Brown
The main ingredients in hash brown include potatoes, non-hydrogenated vegetable oils, salt, dextrose, and black pepper extract.
Hash brown consists of 7.4g of fat, 13g of carbohydrates, 1.2g of fiber, and 1.1g of protein. This food item contains a total of 127 kilo calories.
#6. Side Salad
The main ingredients in the Mcdonald’s side salad include lettuce, tomato slice, cucumber, red onion rings, and Mcdonald’s Balsamic dressing.
The side salad consists of 0.5g of fat, 2g of carbohydrates, 1.1g of fiber, and 0.9g of protein.
This food item contains a total of 18 kilocalories.
#7. Spicy Veggie One
The main ingredients in spicy veggies include veggie dippers, large tortilla wrap, spicy relish, tomato slices, lettuce, and red onion rings.
The spicy veggie one consists of 8.8g of fat, 59 g of carbohydrates, 7.1g of fiber, and 8.7 g of protein. This food item contains a total of 365 kilocalories.
#8. Pancake and Syrup
The main ingredients in pancake and syrup include wheat flour, whole egg, milk sugar, glucose syrup, spirit vinegar, and salt.
McDonald’s pancake syrup consists of 5.6g of fat, 95g of carbohydrates, 2.3g of fiber, and 10g of protein. This food item contains 477 kilocalories in total.
#9. Apple and Grape Fruitbag
Apple and grapefruit bags consist of 75% apple and 25% grape.
This food item has 0.1g of fat, 10g of carbohydrate, 1.8g of fiber, and 0.3g of protein. Apple and grapefruit bags consist of a total of 46 kilocalories.
#10. Millionaire’s Donut
The main ingredients include a caramel filling, biscuit pieces, and dark cocoa.
The millionaire’s donut has 13g of fat, 34g of carbohydrate, 1.1g of fiber, and 5g of protein. This food item contains a total of 272 kilo calories.
