As Chipotle battles drama on dishonest claims on sustainable and organic food, Taco Bell discreetly launched a vegetarian menu, which is even approved by the American Vegetarian Association (AVA)!
The struggle is not being #vegetarian, it's deciding what to order.
A photo posted by Taco Bell (@tacobell) on Oct 1, 2015 at 2:47pm PDT
According to First We Feast, this makes Taco Bell "the first restaurant chain of its kind to introduced a certified vegetarian menu."
VEGAN TACO BELL! I get this maybe once or twice a month and love it. I just order everything with beans instead of meat, no cheese, no sour cream and add red sauce and tomatoes to just about everything. A photo posted by @bananasandroses on Aug 27, 2015 at 3:50pm PDT
As per the press release:
"[...] With more than 6,000 restaurants across the U.S. and a new vegetarian menu category launching today on its mobile ordering app and ta.co - the brand's new web site - Taco Bell is leading the way when it comes providing easy, accessible vegetarian menu items that don't compromise on variety or taste."
"[...] 'At Taco Bell, vegetarians are not an afterthought. We sell more than 350 million vegetarian menu items each year, but until now haven't been vocal about it,' said Brian Niccol, CEO, Taco Bell Corp. 'The recent launch of ta.co which makes customization easy made this the perfect time to move our vegetarian menu from the background to the forefront to further illustrate our commitment to delivering food that fits our customers' evolving lifestyles.'"
The new vegetarian menu consists of 13 vegetarian menu items, including the Power Cantina Bowl, which are also available for order through the Taco Bell app.
A photo posted by Taco Bell (@tacobell) on Sep 28, 2015 at 7:05am PDT
Not only that, but Taco Bell is also letting its customers "hack the menu" by offering the option of swapping any meat product with a vegetarian alternative like beans.
Out of the 35 America Vegetarian Association certified food, 26 are vegan. This helps veggie-loving customers - vegan or vegetarian - the chance to eat more of the Mexican fast food chain's items without sacrificing their lifestyles. Here's the full menu:
7-Layer Burrito
AM Grilled Taco - Egg & Cheese
Bean Burrito
Black Bean Burrito
Black Beans & Rice
Cantina Power Veggie Bowl
Cantina Power Veggie Burrito
Cheese Quesadilla
Cheese Roll-Up
Cheesy Bean & Rice
Double Tostada
Pintos 'n Cheese
Biscuit Taco - Egg & Cheese
