For most vegans, plant-based McNuggets are only a fantasy. But, in some parts of the world, they’re real. In France and Germany, McDonald’s offers a vegan version of its iconic McNuggets — what it so fittingly calls McPlant Nuggets. Made from a base of wheat and pea proteins, McDonald’s McPlant Nuggets launched in collaboration with Beyond Meat in 2023 to deliver an impressive 13 grams of protein per each 100-gram serving. Available in orders of four, six, nine, and 20, McDonald’s McPlant Nuggets can be enjoyed with or without sauce, with your vegan dipping options being the traditional tomato ketchup, Sweet Chilli Dip, Sweet and Sour Dip, or the Sweet Curry Dip.
Vegans in France and Germany — whether they’re just visiting or living there full time — will also be happy to know that McDonald’s Europe French fries have different ingredients and are also vegan. Unlike McDonald’s in the U.S., McDonald’s fries in Europe contain no natural beef flavoring. But not only can you pair your McPlant Nuggets with French fries when you visit a McDonald’s in France or Germany, you can also help yourself to other vegetarian-friendly options found on the countries’ menus.
At McDonald’s France, you can also choose from the The Veggie McWrap, or The McVeggie Burger. McDonald’s Germany also serves a McPlant Burger, made in collaboration with Beyond Meat like the nuggets, although it must be ordered without cheese to be fully vegan. But, with all these options available abroad, why does McDonald’s U.S. still not offer a single vegan option?
Why are there more vegan options at McDonald’s in Europe?
McDonald’s, and the vegan fast food sector at large, seems to be at a turning point: It can either continue to succumb to rising meat prices and the Earth-polluting industrial meat complex, or it can invest in cheaper, more environmentally-friendly vegan alternatives. But why, despite launching vegan options in other parts of the world, has McDonald’s U.S. yet to see a vegan option on its menu — not even a French fry? And why do countries like France and Germany specifically get them? The answer is fairly simple: People buy them there.
Just like you can get options like rice burgers in Singapore and the Veg Majaraja Mac in India (which we tried when we taste-tasted 16 Indian McDonald’s menu items), the items on any given McDonald’s location’s menu depend on things like customer preference and supply chain variability. The McPlant Burger, for example, tested well in Europe prior to launching in 2022. In the U.S. trials, on the other hand, the McPlant Burgers did not perform well enough when they tested in Dallas and San Francisco and, as a result, were discontinued.
The President of McDonald’s U.S. told The Wall Street Journal that its customers weren’t interested in healthy alternatives, but prices could’ve deterred them, too. One can only assume that, given Americans’ lack of interest in the McPlant Burger, McDonald’s didn’t even bother testing the McPlant Nuggets domestically. Fortunately, Beyond Meat’s plant-based nuggets can be purchased in stores across the U.S. — so the FOMO can’t be that bad. If you’re in the market for vegan or vegetarian options, here are 12 plant-based meat alternatives that are worth the price tag.
