Following a vegan diet sometimes requires you to plan ahead, especially when eating food prepared outside of your home.

Fortunately, many popular chain restaurants have added vegan options to their menus in recent years, including Burger King.

Additionally, some vegan options have been available for a long time. However, they’re not necessarily labeled as vegan, which can make it difficult for people following a vegan diet to identify what they can order.

This article reviews 6 vegan options available at most Burger King locations, plus several other potentially vegan items.

Burger King was among the first popular fast-food chains to adopt the vegan Impossible burger patty as part of their everyday menu.

The Impossible burger patty is made entirely from plants. Specifically, it contains soy and potato protein and coconut and sunflower oils. To get its meat-like flavor, it uses heme iron that’s derived from the fermentation of genetically engineered yeast extract (1).

Sold as the Impossible Whopper at Burger King, it’s topped with tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, ketchup, pickles, and onions. To make sure it’s vegan, ask for no mayonnaise or vegan mayo.

After public criticism about the Impossible patty being cooked on the same grill as beef patties, the Burger King website now mentions that you can request a “non-broiler cooking method” to ensure your Whopper is completely meat-free.

The Impossible Whopper offers the following nutritional profile (2):

  • Calories: 630
  • Protein: 25 grams
  • Total fat: 34 grams
  • Saturated fat: 11 grams
  • Total carbs: 58 grams
  • Fiber: 4 grams
  • Cholesterol: 18 mg
  • Sodium: 1,080 mg
  • Sugar: 12 grams

Note that because cholesterol is only found in animal-derived products, ordering this Whopper without the mayonnaise will remove the cholesterol.

This burger is high in sodium, providing nearly half of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI), which is set at no more than 2,300 mg for adults. Regularly consuming too much sodium can increase your blood pressure, high levels of which are a risk factor for heart disease (3, 4).

Additionally, while it’s a good source of protein, it contains a hefty serving of fat, one-third of which comes from the saturated fat in coconut oil.

Saturated fat’s effects on heart health are debated, and coconut oil appears to boost HDL (good) cholesterol (5).

Still, efforts to lower heart disease risk by increasing HDL cholesterol have been unsuccessful, and limiting your coconut oil intake due to its high saturated fat content is warranted (6).

SUMMARY

The Burger King Impossible Whopper ordered without mayonnaise is completely plant-based. However, note that it’s high in sodium and fat, both of which you may want to limit in your diet.

A simple breakfast option, these nugget-shaped hash browns are made with potatoes fried in vegetable oil.

A small order of Burger King hash browns has the following nutritional makeup (2):

  • Calories: 250
  • Protein: 2 grams
  • Total fat: 16 grams
  • Saturated fat: 3.5 grams
  • Total carbs: 24 grams
  • Fiber: 3.5 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 580 mg
  • Sugar: 0 grams

While vegan, hash browns alone are unlikely to keep you full for long, so you may want to pair them with something else. And although they’re a good source of fiber, they contain minimal protein to increase your satiety, as well as nearly one-quarter of your daily sodium limit (3).

SUMMARY

Burger King’s hash browns are fried potatoes in vegetable oil and a vegan-friendly breakfast option. They’re a good source of fiber and contain a lot of sodium.

Offered as a breakfast option, the French toast sticks come in a pack of three or five sticks with a side of breakfast syrup that has been verified as vegan-friendly.

And, unlike typical French toast recipes, these sticks aren’t made with eggs, milk, or butter.

An order of three French toast sticks from Burger King offers the following nutrition (2):

  • Calories: 230
  • Protein: 3 grams
  • Total fat: 11 grams
  • Saturated fat: 2 grams
  • Total carbs: 29 grams
  • Fiber: 1.5 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 260 mg
  • Sugar: 8 grams

While this breakfast option is vegan, it’s also high in added sugar.

One order contains approximately 32 calories from added sugar. This is close to one-third of the RDI for adult women, set by the American Heart Association at 100 calories per day, or one-fifth of the set limit of 150 calories for men (7).

SUMMARY

French toast sticks contain a substantial amount of added sugar but are a vegan option on the Burger King breakfast menu.

Burger King’s classic fries are made using vegetable oil and suit a vegan diet. This may be a pleasant surprise for vegan consumers, as McDonalds’ fries contain natural beef flavoring and milk (8).

Ask for ketchup or mustard for a vegan-friendly dip.

The medium order of classic fries from Burger King offers the following nutritional makeup (2):

  • Calories: 385
  • Protein: 5 grams
  • Total fat: 17 grams
  • Saturated fat: 3 grams
  • Total carbs: 53 grams
  • Fiber: 4 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 570 mg
  • Sugar: 0.4 grams

This serving of fries contains a substantial amount of sodium, meeting nearly one-quarter of the RDI (3).

It’s also a significant source of calories and total fat, without offering many other beneficial nutrients. Therefore, from a health standpoint, it’s best paired with another item.

SUMMARY

Unlike fries from many other fast-food chains, the classic fries from Burger King are vegan. Note that from a health standpoint, just one serving contributes a lot of sodium, fat, and calories.

Although this salad likely won’t satisfy a big appetite on its own, it can be made vegan by asking them to omit the shredded cheese.

Burger King’s side garden salad offers the following nutritional composition (2):

  • Calories: 322
  • Protein: 5 grams
  • Total fat: 32 grams
  • Saturated fat: 6.5 grams
  • Total carbs: 5 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram
  • Cholesterol: 22 mg
  • Sodium: 340 mg
  • Sugar: 4 grams

Keep in mind that removing the shredded cheese will reduce the fat, calorie, and protein contents, as well as eliminate the cholesterol.

It may also be helpful to know that besides cheese, this salad appears to contain just tomato and lettuce. Thus, you can top it with your own vegan dressing or other add-ons if desired.

SUMMARY

Removing the cheese from the side garden salad at Burger King makes it a vegan option, though you’ll likely need to pair it with another item to make a more satisfying meal.

Though it’s not enough to make a meal, applesauce could make a good vegan side to a more substantial item.

Mott’s applesauce from Burger King has the following nutritional makeup (2):

  • Calories: 50
  • Protein: 0 grams
  • Total fat: 0 grams
  • Saturated fat: 0 grams
  • Total carbs: 13 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 0 mg
  • Sugar: 11 grams

Although the applesauce is vegan, it won’t provide much in the way of satiety. Still, it can be an appropriate pairing to another vegan-friendly item.

And while it contains more sugar than the French toast sticks, Mott’s applesauce doesn’t contain any added sugar.

SUMMARY

Mott’s Applesauce is a naturally vegan side option. This is not a meal on its own, but it could pair well with a more substantial item at Burger King.

While they’re not listed on Burger King’s official U.S. menu, a few other vegan options may be available at this popular fast-food restaurant.

Some potential vegan items to look or ask for at Burger King include:

  • oatmeal made with water or nondairy milk
  • PB&J Jamwich from the kid’s menu
  • Whopper Jr. minus the meat and mayo, which equates to a veggie sandwich with tomatoes, lettuce, ketchup, pickles, and sliced onions
  • Veggie Bean Burger, found on the U.K. Burger King menu

If you wonder whether other particular menu items are vegan or can be made vegan, it’s best to reach out to your selected Burger King location directly.

SUMMARY

Other vegan options may exist depending on the local menu. Plus, Burger King in the United Kingdom offers a Vegan Bean Burger as a regular menu item, but this is not available in the United States.

Following a vegan diet can require a little planning when you’re eating out. Fortunately, many popular fast-food chains, including Burger King, offer vegan menu items.

While even the vegan options at Burger King aren’t exactly health foods, as they can be high in sodium, fat, or added sugar, those who follow a vegan diet may find it helpful to have menu items that align with their dietary preferences.

Vegan options at most Burger King locations include the Impossible Whopper, hash browns, classic fries, French toast sticks, garden side salad, and Mott’s applesauce. Other vegan items may be available depending on the location.