Are McDonald's Fries Considered Vegan?

Eating at fast food joints as a vegan can be tricky. Even menu items that appear free of animal products can contain surprising ingredients. When you consider french fries, you think the base ingredients are potatoes, vegetable oil, and salt, which are all vegan-friendly. However, McDonald's french fries aren't actually vegan.

McDonald's doesn't promote any of its U.S. menu items as vegetarian or vegan. With that said, there are a couple of menu items that don't have animal products listed on the ingredients — but fries aren't one of them. McDonald's fries are made with natural beef flavor, but before you go jumping to conclusions, "flavor" is the key word here. Natural beef flavor can be made from plant or animal products, but McDonald's version is derived from wheat and milk derivatives. McDonald's used to cook its fries in beef fat, which gave them a satisfyingly meaty flavor. Nowadays, the chain uses vegetable oil instead, but since people came to associate these fries with a certain beefy taste, flavoring was added.

Since milk products are listed as an ingredient, McDonald's fries can't be considered vegan. However, while the company won't outwardly claim them as vegetarian, they are not technically made with meat products. There is always a chance of cross-contamination in food facilities, but if you're okay eating the occasional dairy, you can enjoy McDonald's french fries. If not, there are a few McDonald's menu items made with entirely vegan-friendly ingredients.

The good news is that some major fast-food joints have vegan options. The bad news? McDonald's has very few, and these options would hardly constitute a full meal.

Sadly, COVID was the catalyst for the fall of McDonald's salads, so you won't find this vegan-friendly item on the menu anymore. And of all the menu items, apple slices are the safest bet for vegans. However, you'd hardly make a trip to McDonald's for apple slices alone; you're better off buying a full apple at a produce stand. But if you find yourself at this fast food joint with the munchies, you can order a couple of packs to tie you over. Or better yet, opt for McDonald's Baked Apple Pie, which also doesn't list any animal products on its nutrition label. 

For breakfast, McDonald's customers can order Fruit and Maple Oatmeal, which has primarily vegan ingredients. But to be strictly vegan, they must request this menu item be made without cream. Meanwhile, the chain's barbecue sauce, sweet-and-sour sauce, ketchup, and mustard are all free of animal products. But what can vegans pair these condiments with? Fries are out of the question, but we may have a workaround for a vegan sandwich: ordering a regular hamburger without the meat. This is essentially onions, pickles, and sauce between buns. Although it's not very exciting, it'll satisfy that hunger in a pinch.