The Healthiest Fast-Food Option Is…

Make a run for the border? Taco Bell hopes customers seeking healthy options will.

October 13, 2016

IRVINE, Calif. – In late September, Taco Bell unveiled a vegetarian menu to kick off Vegetarian Awareness Month and World Vegetarian Day on October 1. The restaurant is also the first and only QSR to be certified by the American Vegetarian Association, and now offers 12 vegetarian menu items and 36 vegetarian ingredients (27 of which are also vegan).

Taco Bell also wants its meatless customers to know that its certified vegetarian ingredients can be combined to create more than 5.7 million customized vegetarian tacos, burritos and Crunchwraps. “Our fans have long customized their favorite foods, and we’re unveiling our ‘not-so-little’ secret that Taco Bell sets the standard when it comes to vegetarian options too,” said Missy Nelson, Taco Bell’s registered dietitian and menu developer, in a press release.

Yes, Taco Bell has a registered dietitian on staff.

Through its website and mobile ordering platforms, Taco Bell has subtly promoted the option for customers to make their selections healthier with vegetarian alternatives or “Fresco” calorie-cutting options. Nelson has previously indicated that the QSR strives for menu transparency, while balancing healthy and indulgent choices for all of its customers.

In July, Taco Bell announced the removal of artificial ingredients and flavors, and later this year the QSR will use chicken that’s free from human antibiotics. “In making this move, we can preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for us—but our chickens will still receive the proper care, and if needed, the antibiotics designed especially for them. Healthy chickens, healthy people. Everybody wins,” read a press statement.

The QSR also announced its commitment to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs for its breakfast menu by the end of 2016.

Yum Brands CEO Greg Creed, who ran Taco Bell for eight years, told CNBC this week that the QSR is a bright spot for the restaurant group, suggesting that half the U.S. population “eats Taco Bell once a month.” He also noted that breakfast “has been a really big win” for the company, with 14% transaction growth in breakfast in the third quarter.

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