BlrBoy
May 3rd, 2002, 08:17 AM
I love this news..
Read it....
Burger King Introduces the BK Veggie
Almost exactly ten years ago, Burger King was the site of my last meal containing meat. So it was with an odd mix of familiarity and newness that, recently, I slid into one of those plastic booths, unwrapped a burger, and took a bite. I was sampling Burger King's new BK Veggie, a brown rice and vegetable-based burger topped with low-fat mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomatoes, now available at all Burger Kings throughout the U.S. The verdict? Quite tasty. The veggie patty had a nice flavor and was loaded with chunks of vegetables. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and flavorful, despite the fact that tomatoes were not in season, and the bun was nice and soft. I had mine topped with ketchup rather than mayo.
The BK Veggie is vegetarian as long as it is microwaved rather than flame-broiled. The person taking my order didn't bat an eyelash when I asked to have mine microwaved; in fact, she even double-checked that the preparer had microwaved it. When asked about some online reports of trouble getting the burger microwaved, Burger King spokesperson Michelle Miguelez says, "All of the restaurants do have microwave procedures. All of them have been instructed to microwave the burger if requested." So be persistent, and speak to the manager if you have any trouble.
I think the BK Veggie is one of the most exciting products to hit the U.S. market in quite some time. Yes, it's fast food, and it's made by a company that supports the meat industry, but it's also an enormous sign of progress. As any vegetarian traveler knows, it can be awfully difficult to find a vegetarian meal on the road, but finding a Burger King is fairly easy. There's the convenience of it, the fact that children will be able to get veggie kids' meals, the reassuring notion that the lone vegetarian in a large group will be able to find something to eat. And don't underestimate the crossover factor: imagine the number of non-vegetarians who might, over a lifetime, occasionally eat a BK Veggie rather than a hamburger -- I'm sure the number of animals saved would be staggering. The BK Veggie is not vegan (even without the low-fat mayonnaise, which contains eggs, the bun has trace amounts of natural butter flavoring) but it has, nonetheless, won the support of PETA and vegan activists like Erik Marcus.
The BK Veggie is billed as a permanent addition to all U.S. Burger King menus, and Miguelez says it "has been doing very well -- great customer response." However, other new products have failed due to disappointing sales and been removed from the menu. I encourage everyone to support the BK Veggie, in the hopes that it's here to stay and that successful sales will encourage more restaurants to add vegetarian options as well.
Read it....
Burger King Introduces the BK Veggie
Almost exactly ten years ago, Burger King was the site of my last meal containing meat. So it was with an odd mix of familiarity and newness that, recently, I slid into one of those plastic booths, unwrapped a burger, and took a bite. I was sampling Burger King's new BK Veggie, a brown rice and vegetable-based burger topped with low-fat mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomatoes, now available at all Burger Kings throughout the U.S. The verdict? Quite tasty. The veggie patty had a nice flavor and was loaded with chunks of vegetables. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and flavorful, despite the fact that tomatoes were not in season, and the bun was nice and soft. I had mine topped with ketchup rather than mayo.
The BK Veggie is vegetarian as long as it is microwaved rather than flame-broiled. The person taking my order didn't bat an eyelash when I asked to have mine microwaved; in fact, she even double-checked that the preparer had microwaved it. When asked about some online reports of trouble getting the burger microwaved, Burger King spokesperson Michelle Miguelez says, "All of the restaurants do have microwave procedures. All of them have been instructed to microwave the burger if requested." So be persistent, and speak to the manager if you have any trouble.
I think the BK Veggie is one of the most exciting products to hit the U.S. market in quite some time. Yes, it's fast food, and it's made by a company that supports the meat industry, but it's also an enormous sign of progress. As any vegetarian traveler knows, it can be awfully difficult to find a vegetarian meal on the road, but finding a Burger King is fairly easy. There's the convenience of it, the fact that children will be able to get veggie kids' meals, the reassuring notion that the lone vegetarian in a large group will be able to find something to eat. And don't underestimate the crossover factor: imagine the number of non-vegetarians who might, over a lifetime, occasionally eat a BK Veggie rather than a hamburger -- I'm sure the number of animals saved would be staggering. The BK Veggie is not vegan (even without the low-fat mayonnaise, which contains eggs, the bun has trace amounts of natural butter flavoring) but it has, nonetheless, won the support of PETA and vegan activists like Erik Marcus.
The BK Veggie is billed as a permanent addition to all U.S. Burger King menus, and Miguelez says it "has been doing very well -- great customer response." However, other new products have failed due to disappointing sales and been removed from the menu. I encourage everyone to support the BK Veggie, in the hopes that it's here to stay and that successful sales will encourage more restaurants to add vegetarian options as well.