IRVINE, CA - Dawn your onion goggles and tomato caps, folks. It’s time to break into Veggie Mode! The fast food chain Taco Bell is furthering its plant-based initiative, kicking off its all-new Veggie Mode campaign on March 12. With a single-swipe feature that transforms the menu to show only vegetarian items, Veggie Mode makes it easier than ever for consumers to gain instant access to Taco Bell's nearly 50 American Vegetarian Association (AVA)-certified items.
"We've been doing vegetarian for a long time, but that is not enough for us. People should be given more options than one plant-based choice," said Missy Schaaphok, RDN, Global Nutrition and Sustainability Manager. "At Taco Bell, celebrating vegetarian is more than just a trend, it is something we do every day of the week. With Veggie Mode, we are proud to make it even easier to order plant-based options that vegetarians and non-vegetarians can agree are delicious."
Taco Bell has also expanded its amount of AVA-certified vegetarian ingredients, now including fan favorites like Potato Bites, Chalupa shells, and Hash Browns. As always, customers can further customize their orders while in Veggie Mode, with a total of over 20 million possible vegetarian menu combinations—enough to customize a new meal every day for more than 50,000 years, according to a press release.
Veggie Mode brings access to an abundance of meatless options and makes it easy. With the press of a button, Veggie Mode unlocks new versions of classic Taco Bell menu items, including the options listed below:
- Beefy 5-Layer Burrito → Layered Vegetarian Burrito
- Chalupa Supreme → Black Bean Chalupa Supreme
- Chicken Soft Taco → Black Bean Soft Taco
Veggie Mode is another extension of Taco Bell's leadership in food and digital innovation, establishing plant-based offerings as a sustained focus area for the brand moving forward. These are the latest steps in Taco Bell's extensive vegetarian history, building off its first-ever dedicated vegetarian menu board in 2019 and a goal to be the top QSR for vegetarians in early 2020.
Will Taco Bell continue to stake its claim as a top produce-forward fast food provider? With innovations like oat-based protein in the works, there’s no doubt that this chain is fortifying its plant-based agenda. Keep following along with us at ANUK as we investigate Taco Bell’s plant-based crusade.
