The report ranks the Big Five in terms of how plant-friendly they are and Burger King comes out on top with the highest percentage of main dishes being plant-based.

Main meals, sides, desserts and menu presentation were taken into consideration at fast food chains across nine countries – Belgium, Czechia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and the US.

Subway came in a very close second in the ranking after Burger King, followed by McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and KFC.

“It is incredible to see how fast food  – which has always revolved around  animal meat consumption – has become more plant-friendly and, in doing so, more climate-friendly,” Josh Bisig, Senior Project Manager at ProVeg, said.

“We analysed 43 online menus across all nine countries and twenty-two of them (51%) offered at least one plant-based option. This is encouraging but there is still plenty of room for improvement,” he added.

Normalising plant-based options

The latest moves by the Big Five to incorporate plant-based into their menus include the launch by McDonald’s Germany of a vegan McFlurry dessert in 2022, while, in the same year, Pizza Hut UK introduced Violife vegan cheese into all of its UK locations, both for dine-in and delivery.

“Fast food chains are ubiquitous and play an important role in normalising climate-friendly food for millions of people around the world who might not otherwise consider the negative impacts of food choices. And these chains are increasingly doing this by making plant-based options more available, tasty and affordable,” Bisig said.

“While trend-setting with mainstream consumers, plant-based menu options also appeal to younger generations who are much more likely to purchase sustainable products and show loyalty to climate-conscious brands,” Bisig added. 

While it’s clear that some chains are doing better than others, ProVeg found that all chains should focus on improving their menus in two key ways: increasing the plant-based options and implementing menu strategies to encourage mainstream consumers to choose plant-based.

Recommendations from the report

The report recommends a number of “best practices” that can drive consumers to enjoy more plant-based food. There are as follows:

• Menu options should be listed as plant-based by default.
• Animal-based options should be replaced with plant-based, instead of just adding plant-based items.
• Plant-based options should be smoothly integrated into main menus and repeated in a separate plant-based section of the menu.
• When naming menu items, words should be chosen that focus on the product’s culinary theme, sensory experience, or brand while minimising the use of words like ‘veggie’ or ‘plant-based,’ and totally avoiding words like ‘vegan,’ ‘vegetarian,’ or ‘meatless.’

ProVeg also recommends that, as the plant-based industry is continually growing, and people are becoming accustomed to plant-based alternatives to animal-based meat, dairy, and eggs, fast-food chains should consider partnering with, or expanding partnerships with, a variety of food manufacturers and retailers which are starting to expand in this space.

By partnering with the right outlets and distributors, plant-based brands are likewise increasing their impact, the report states.

ProVeg International is an international food awareness organisation working to transform the global food system by replacing conventional animal-based products with plant-based and cultivated alternatives.

ProVeg works with international decision-making bodies, governments, food producers, investors, the media, and the general public to help the world transition to a society and economy that are less dependent on animal agriculture and more sustainable for humans, animals, and the planet.

ProVeg has permanent-observer status with the UNFCCC, is accredited for UNEA, and has received the United Nations’ Momentum for Change Award. ProVeg also has Observer Status at the IPCC.

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