Taco Bell can be a great place to go as a vegetarian or even a vegan. You can customize a lot of the orders to exclude certain items.
But there are some items that you can’t customize, like sauces or guacamole. Then, you’ll be able to know what you can safely consume at Taco Bell.
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Is the Guacamole at Taco Bell Vegan?
The guacamole at Taco Bell is vegan because it doesn’t contain dairy or meat. However, some Taco Bell locations use the same oil to prepare various ingredients. That includes items that contain meat, so there’s a chance of cross-contamination.
Taco Bell’s guacamole shouldn’t contain enough meat to cause a problem. But it’s worth considering if you don’t support using animal products in food.
What Makes the Taco Bell Guacamole Vegan?
Like most guacamole recipes, the Taco Bell recipe doesn’t contain meat or dairy. It also doesn’t include eggs or other animal products.
Who Determined the Guacamole Is Vegan?
The Taco Bell guacamole is certified vegan by the American Vegetarian Association (AVA). That organization helps give credibility to Taco Bell’s claim.
Some restaurants may say something is vegetarian or vegan. However, not everyone knows what makes something vegetarian or vegan, so it helps to have an outside group back up the claim.
Why Wouldn’t a Vegan Eat the Guacamole?
Even though the guacamole at Taco Bell is vegan, you may want to be careful. However, there’s a chance of cross-contamination with meat and dairy products.
Employees use the same frying oil for different items, and they may not always change gloves between orders. So if the order someone made before yours contains meat, there may be a bit of meat on the gloves.
If you want to consume guacamole that you know is vegan, it’s best to make it yourself. Alternatively, you can go to a vegetarian restaurant. Or you may want to go to Taco Bell when it’s not busy, and you can ask the employees to use new gloves to prepare your order.
Other Vegan Items at Taco Bell
Guacamole isn’t the only thing you can eat as a vegan at Taco Bell. But like the guac, these other items may have cross-contamination.
Still, it’s worth knowing what you can eat if you don’t want to consume animal products.
Black Beans and Rice
Of course, black beans and rice are both vegetarian. Those are the only two ingredients in this side dish, so you shouldn’t find cheese or meat in them.
You can add more items to make the side not vegan, but it’s an easy option that doesn’t require you to customize anything.
Cinnamon Twists
If you’re looking for something sweet at Taco Bell, you may want to check out the Cinnamon Twists. Like the guacamole, the twists are AVA-certified.
You can get the twists to have something else to eat along with guacamole and chips. Or you can go to Taco Bell just for a sweeter snack.
The Drinks
Whether you get a soda or a Baja Blast, Taco Bell’s drinks are vegan. You’d probably hope that would be the case.
However, it’s good to have that reminder. The drinks are also one of the few things at Taco Bell that you know won’t have cross-contamination with meat or dairy.
Anything Fresco
Taco Bell lets you make a lot of items “Fresco” when you order. This replaces the cheese and standard sauce with Fiesta Salsa.
You’ll still need to ask to remove any meat to make the item vegan. And it doesn’t hurt to specify that you want no cheese or that you want the vegan version.
This is a good, quick option to explain what you want on items with dairy. If you do order something “Fresco,” make sure to check the item so that you can eat it just in case the employees make a mistake.
Can Vegans Eat the Taco Bell Guacamole?
Vegans can eat the Taco Bell guacamole since it’s free of meat and dairy. However, you should be aware of the risks of cross-contamination since employees prepare foods with the same oil or wearing the same gloves. It’s up to you if you’re comfortable taking that risk and eating anything at Taco Bell, including the guacamole.