Vegetarian on a budget: Fast food edition

Both vegetarian blogs and eating on a budget blogs never fail to mention cooking rice and beans within the first paragraph. I’d like to address the basics later on, but start off with  something different. One issue that vegetarians (and especially newly converted vegetarians) continually run into is the lack of options in fast food, which can make life more complicated. When you are tired and in no mood to cook after work, the temptations of fast food can easily sway you. Here’s a list of vegetarian-friendly fast food places where you can eat animal-free and guilt-free.

Taco Bell – my personal favorite. Many vegetarian and vegan options all over the menu. Though the only thing with actual vegetables you can get comes from the Cantina menu and costs just under $6, several options exist for $1-$2.

• ·         Loaded potato griller (make sure to ask for no bacon)
• ·         Bean burrito
• ·         Crispy potato soft taco
• ·         Cheesy potato burrito

Depending on your location and promotions at the time, other items may be available with potato or beans instead of meat as the primary filling.

Burger King – though off the menu most of the time, Burger King has been offering a Morningstar-brand veggie burger for a few years now for the same  price as their other burgers.

Subway – you can get two vegetarian sandwiches at Subway – eggplant parmesan, and veggie patty. The patties are not particularly flavorful, but you can load up on vegetables and add a little zing either with jalapenos or with Sriracha sauce (may be promotional and dependent on location).

Qdoba/Chipotle – both create-your-own-burrito places offer either beans or roasted vegetables as the primary filling in your burrito. This option may not seem the most budget-friendly at around $9 per burrito, but they are large enough to split or use for two meals.

McDonalds – though one of the worst choices for a vegetarian, it is also one of the most ubiquitous fast food franchises and I have found myself there many times against y will. Options for munching are not ideal, but they exist. Their French fries are fried in canola oil as opposed to animal fat, making them vegetarian. You can also request a salad without meat or indulge in a baked apple pie.

Bottom line – being a vegetarian is not just about being able to cook without meat, but also about learning to exist within our meat-centric society. Once we learn to navigate these obstacles, it’ll be that much easier for us to live our lives without always stopping to ponder our next step.