Taco Bell Is Looking At Adding Plant-Based Substitutes To Their Menu

Taco Bell is showing off its capabilities as one of the healthiest fast food chains out there with official vegetarian versions of some fan favorite eats.

Starting April 4th, vegetarian versions of the Crunchwrap Supreme and the Quesarito will begin testing as official menu items in Dallas, Texas. You could make these before by subbing out the beef for black or refried beans, but giving these real estate on the big ordering screens means that more customers will be aware of them and not have to rely on menu hacks. These items will join the 7-Layer Burrito on Taco Bell’s new “Vegetarian Menu.”

This is all part of Taco Bell’s effort to increase awareness about their vegetarian menu, but also look into more plant-based options. A Taco Bell representative mentioned that they have two plant-based proteins (black and refried beans) on the menu already that can be substituted into any item. Additionally, ordering via a kiosk, online, or the Taco Bell app allows you to access “Make it Meatless” and “Make it Fresco” options that list all of the potential vegetarian and vegan offerings to you.

Whether the Veggie Crunchwrap Supreme and Veggie Quesarito become official nationwide remains to be seen. However, Taco Bell plans to use their findings from this first test to create a “2.0” version of a full-fledged vegetarian menu. Taco Bell Chief Food Innovation Officer Liz Matthews and registered dietitian Missy Schaaphok both confirmed that as part of that, they are “definitely looking into” plant-based versions of meat, cheese, and even potentially eggs as possible new menu items.

Taco Bell being the first major fast food chain to introduce a vegan cheese or plant-based egg item would be huge. For now, though, we’ll have to see where this current test of their new Vegetarian Menu takes them.