{"id":3770,"date":"2021-04-30T16:50:43","date_gmt":"2021-04-30T16:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/?post_type=restaurants&p=3770"},"modified":"2021-04-30T16:50:43","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T16:50:43","slug":"kfc","status":"publish","type":"restaurants","link":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/restaurants\/chains\/kfc\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegan Food at KFC"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"KFCGiven that KFC \u2013 aka Kentucky Fried Chicken \u2013 has built its long and successful business on the backs (or more accurately breasts, wings and legs) of chickens, there will be a good number of vegans who would never consider giving them any of their hard-earned cash. But even at this bastion of bird flesh, times might be starting to change\u2026 albeit rather slowly.<\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll take a look at what is available at KFC for those following a plant-based diet. We\u2019ll tell you now\u2026 there\u2019s not a lot! But on the off chance that vegans find themselves particularly hungry and without any other options, or with non-vegan friends adamant the Colonel is the man to dine with, at least there is something they can eat at KFC.<\/p>\n

Vegan Food Option at KFC<\/h2>\n
\"Original
Original Recipe Vegan Burger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most food chains, from Domino\u2019s<\/a> to Papa John\u2019s<\/a> to McDonald\u2019s<\/a> have vegan options<\/em>, plural. KFC, in contrast, have put all their eggs in one basket, for want of a better phrase, when it comes to veganism and \u2013 at the time of writing \u2013 offer just one, solitary, lonely vegan option when it comes to their main meals. And, even that is only available in certain restaurants (750 at the last count).<\/p>\n

They do offer a number of vegan-friendly side dishes, which we\u2019ll detail below, but their main offering is their KFC Original Recipe Vegan Burger (not the catchiest name in the world!). Alas, at the time of writing, vegans won\u2019t be able to enjoy said burger with KFC fries. As they explain on the vegan FAQ page<\/a> on their site:<\/p>\n

Our fries are cooked in the same oil as our Popcorn Chicken. We know this is disappointing, but both beans and corn are vegan-friendly and can be added to your Vegan Burger and Drink for just 50p.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Oh, that\u2019s okay then. Fussy old us! Who needs fries when you can pay more and have\u2026 beans and corn?!<\/p>\n

Is the Original Recipe Vegan Burger at KFC 100% Vegan?<\/h3>\n

The burger itself is made by Quorn<\/a>, who are regularly adding to their extensive range of vegan products<\/a>. The specific chicken-like fillet is not available to buy in the supermarkets, however, as it is made especially for KFC and is coated in \u201cthe Colonel\u2019s iconic blend of 11 herbs and spices\u201d. It comes with a generous dollop of vegan mayonnaise, and some lettuce, in a \u201csoft-glazed\u201d bun.<\/p>\n

There is nothing amongst the ingredients that would indicate the product is not vegan. But in the KFC Nutrition and Allergens guidance, it does say the Vegan Burger \u201cMay Also Contain Allergens\u201d and lists milk and egg among those. This is really just to cover themselves in case anyone who has the burger has severe allergies to either of those (or indeed barley, soya, celery or sulphur, that are also listed). In reality, the chances of your vegan burger being contaminated with animal products is fairly slim. And \u2013 unless you have allergic reactions \u2013 you probably wouldn\u2019t know anyway.<\/p>\n

Of course, even the possibility of cross-contamination with animal products is enough to put off many vegans. In which case, choosing a restaurant that serves only vegan food is probably the best bet. If you are happy to accept the small chance of cross-contamination (which essentially means there is a chance almost microscopic levels of non-vegan matter may be present) then this item is indeed 100% vegan friendly.<\/p>\n

KFC Original Recipe Vegan Burger Nutritional Values<\/h4>\n

As you can see from the nutritional stats, the KFC Vegan Burger is not one for the health-conscious as it packs in almost 20g of fat and not far off 500 calories. On the flip side, it packs in a decent dose of vegan protein<\/a> and is comparable on that front to many of the best vegan protein bars<\/a> out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Typical Values (Per Burger)<\/th>\nKFC Vegan Burger<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Energy kJ<\/td>\n1875<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Energy kcal<\/td>\n450<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fat g<\/td>\n19.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Saturates g<\/td>\n2.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Carbohydrate g<\/td>\n52.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sugars g<\/td>\n5.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Protein g<\/td>\n18.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Salt g<\/td>\n2.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

What Other Vegan Food Is Available at KFC?<\/h3>\n

\"RegularAside from the aforementioned Vegan Burger, there are a number of other food products that are vegan friendly (subject to cross-contamination risks). As you can see though, in terms of a real meal, the other options are pretty limited to say the least.<\/p>\n

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