Meat alternatives on the menu: Burger King, Subway and McDonald’s propel plant-based fast food

17 Aug 2023 --- The five biggest fast food chains in the world are offering more plant-based options to cater to the growing demand for meat alternatives, according to a new report by ProVeg International. The report ranks McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, Subway and Domino’s Pizza based on the availability and variety of their plant-based products across nine countries, with Burger King coming out on top.

The results show that while some chains are leading the way in the plant-based revolution, others still have a lot of room for improvement.

“It is vitally important that fast food chains play their role in helping society transition to more climate-friendly diets by providing and promoting plant-based foods. All five major chains are making strides in the right direction, but there is still room for improvement,” says Jasmijn de Boo, global CEO at ProVeg.

“While the ranking report highlights a few franchises that do have good plant-based options, the biggest take-away should be the numerous opportunities available to those franchises that don’t have any, as well as opportunities for local food manufacturers who can supply the franchises with these plant-based alternatives,” adds Donovan Will, director of ProVeg South Africa.

According to the new report, the global market for plant-based meat substitutes is expected to grow, reaching US$15.7 billion by 2025 – compared to US$7.9 billion in 2022.

The report also reveals that the global plant-based food sector, which includes dairy alternatives, egg substitutes and other products, was valued at US$40.21 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach US$78.95 billion by 2028.

How the chains were ranked
ProVeg surveyed nine countries’ plant-based options available at the top five fast-food chains. The results show that only half of the analyzed menus offer at least one plant-based dish and that plant-based dishes account for less than 6% of the total main dishes.

The survey used a scorecard methodology to rank the fast-food chains based on the online menus of their outlets in Belgium, Czechia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Spain, the UK and the US. ProVeg analyzed 43 menus and found that only 22 (51%) had at least one plant-based option. Moreover, out of 1,473 main dishes listed across all menus, only 85 were plant-based.

ProVeg surveyed nine countries’ plant-based options available at the top five fast-food chains.Burger King emerged as the best performer among the fast-food chains, with 30 plant-based main dishes out of 307 across all nine countries. The company has also pledged to make its menus 50% plant-based by 2030.

It has launched several initiatives to promote plant-based eating, such as opening its first plant-based outlet and introducing a plant-based-by-default ordering model at a branch in Austria.

The second-best performer was Subway, followed by McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and KFC.

ProVeg argues that the fast-food industry can play a vital role in encouraging more consumers to adopt a plant-based diet, which benefits health, animals and the environment. 

“By leveraging their popularity and widespread reach, leading fast-food chains have the power to shape consumer perceptions and compel positive changes in dietary choices. Changing what is available to customers can help to normalize plant-based eating further and increase plant-based purchases among mainstream consumers,” ProVeg explains.

“ProVeg has concluded that all food service businesses should focus on improving their menus in two key ways: increasing the plant-based options and implementing menu strategies to encourage mainstream consumers to choose plant-based.”

Plant-based in South Africa
Will reveals that the plant-based food industry in the country is growing steadily, offering more alternatives and menu options for consumers who want to reduce their animal product intake.

However, the report also highlights some barriers preventing more people from adopting plant-based foods, such as the economic downturn that has forced many consumers to opt for cheaper protein sources like lentils, beans and frozen chicken.

Moreover, the amount of vegetarians in the country has decreased from 3% to 1%. Nonetheless, consumers that identify themselves as flexitarian have grown from 6% to 10%.

“This increase in those seeking to reduce the level of animal-based meat, eggs and dairy in their diets reflects the high degree of openness to plant-based eating across all consumer segments of South Africa,” ProVeg highlights.

Edited by Marc Cervera