Taco Bell Goes Beyond Meat — Literally and Figuratively

May 03, 2021 at 12:45 PM EDT

By Leon Kaye

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While many fast food and fast casual companies have been quick to hop aboard the plant-based bandwagon, Taco Bell stood its ground with a stance that vegetarian meant exactly that, as in beans or potatoes.

But times are a-changing, and the popular chain is responding in kind. As many news outlets including CNBC reported, last week the brand started to roll out the Cravetarian Taco, the meat-free filling of which is made from a combination of peas and garbanzo beans. So far the plant-based version of its Crunchy Taco Supreme is only available in one Orange County location until later this week, but based on the lot of the reviews, this version appears to be a winner. Imagine a 12-pack option with veggie tacos alongside its meat-based choices (shown above) for those of us that need a last-minute potluck option but would rather not bring a bucket of chicken or box of coffee.

Taco Bell isn’t solely dabbling in alternative proteins as it boosts its sustainability street cred. As for those colorful tiny sauce packets that either end up in landfill or in the condiment morgue section of your refrigerator, change is also on the horizon. Last week, the brand said it would work with TerraCycle to find those pesky sauce packets a second life — we nominate making swag like cell phone cases or wallets so you can show off your affinity for the chain’s menu as you pay for future Taco Bell vegetarian orders.

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Tweet me: .@TacoBell's latest #sustainability-minded moves include new #PlantBased menu options and a partnership with @TerraCycle to recycle its hot sauce packets: https://bit.ly/2S9lE9V via @TriplePundit

KEYWORDS: Taco Bell, Yum! Brands, plant-based foods, NYSE:YUM