At McDonald’s, we all love their tasty chicken Nuggets. But now, they’ve introduced something new on their vegan menu for those who prefer plant-based options – the McDonald’s Plant-Based Nuggets. So, let’s find out more about them. 

McDonald’s plant-based nuggets are a delicious alternative to classic chicken nuggets. They are vegan and made with peas, potatoes, wheat, corn, and tempura breading. They were first introduced in Germany on February 22, 2023, mainly in 9 restaurants in Stuttgart state.  

Plant-based foods are becoming more popular worldwide. McDonald’s is keeping up with this go-vegan trend and introduced Mcplant nuggets. 

Now, let’s learn what’s inside these McPlant Nuggets and whether they are available in the USA. Get ready to explore the latest McPlant Nuggets. 

What Are McDonald’s Plant-Based Nuggets?

McDonald’s plant-based nuggets are vegan, made from peas, corn, wheat, and tempura breading. These nuggets are vegan alternatives to classic chicken nuggets. And they do not contain any meat or dairy ingredients. 

These plant-based nuggets are crispy on the outside and taste similar to traditional nuggets. The second product McDonald’s has co-developed with Beyond Meat Co after the McPlant burger is plant-based nuggets. 

McDonald’s has made these plant-based nuggets available in Germany at $6.31 on their menu. 

McDonald’s Plant-Based Nuggets Ingredients

Let’s have a look a the ingredient list of McDonald’s plant-based nuggets:

• Water
• Wheat gluten (12%)
• Corn flour
• Wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, niacin, iron, thiamin)
• Vegetable oils (rapeseed, coconut)
• Potato starch
• Corn starch
• Wheat bran
• Tapioca starch
• Natural flavor (contains wheat)
• Stabilizers (methylcellulose, cellulose fiber)
• Pea protein
• Salt
• Spices (contains celery)
• Colorant (calcium carbonate)
• Raising agents (sodium carbonates)
• Emulsifier (sunflower lecithin)
• Celery extract
• Sugar

I have compared the plant-based McNuggets with the regular McDonald’s chicken nuggets to see how the ingredients differ:

• White Boneless Chicken
• Water
• Vegetable Oil 
• Enriched Flour (bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid)
• Bleached Wheat Flour, Yellow Corn Flour, Vegetable Starch
• Salt
• Leavening 
• Spices
• Yeast Extract
• Lemon Juice Solids
• Dextrose
• Natural Flavors

Here, you can see that the regular chicken nuggets are made with white boneless chicken, whereas the plant-based McNuggets are made from wheat, potato, and peas. They also share properties like spices, leavening agents, oil, and other natural flavors. 

Why Did McDonald’s Launch Plant-Based McNuggets In Germany First?

McDonald’s first launched plant-based McNuggets in Germany because of three reasons:

1. Germany has an extensive vegan and vegetarian population.
2. There are more McDonald’s restaurants in Germany compared to other European countries.
3. Germany is the best market to launch new products.

According to Economist, a famous news website, Germany’s 1.5 million population is vegan. This is what makes McDonald’s launched plant-based McNuggets in Germany first.

Moreover, there are a maximum number of McDonald’s restaurants in Germany compared to any other European country, around 1400 restaurants. Therefore, McDonald’s has a bigger market to roll out their products. 

Of course, Germany is always up for new products, precisely due to the trend of vegan foods. Also, European customers have been more receptive to McDonald’s plant-based products than US ones. 

Are There Plant-Based McNuggets In the USA too?

No, these plant-based McNuggets are currently unavailable in the USA. 

McDonald’s launched plant-based McNuggets for the first time in Germany’s Stuttgart area. As Europeans are enthusiastic about vegan foods, the fast-food chain decided to run a test in Germany for a successful product. 

But the USA market has yet to be well receptive to plant-based food. Therefore, you will not find this particular product in USA McDonald’s. However, looking at the vegan food trend, they may launch these nuggets in the USA market.   

Are McDonald’s Plant-Based Nuggets 100% Vegan?

Yes, McDonald’s plant-based nuggets are 100% vegan. According to the official McDonald’s site, they use dedicated utensils to fry their nuggets. Moreover, they have separate storage units for their nuggets.  

We all know that regular McDonald’s chicken nuggets are not vegan, either keto-friendly or gluten-free. However, many people have questions regarding the plant-based McNuggets. Are they vegan or not? 

So, it’s good news for vegan people that McDonald’s plant-based nuggets are vegan and safe to eat.

But before ordering your nuggets, it’s always best to ask the crew member about the chance of cross-contamination at your local restaurant. 

But here is the truth! These plant-based McNuggets are fried in the same oil as the chicken McNuggets. 

Does The Plant-Based Nuggets Taste Like Normal Nuggets?

No, the plant-based nuggets don’t like average nuggets, as these nuggets are made from vegetarian and vegan ingredients. There is no aftertaste of these plant-based nuggets. Its texture and color-wise, you will find them similar to nuggets. They are crunchy enough too. So, the Texture and the taste will be different too. 

Companies like Beyond Meat have vital research and development on making vegan foods that taste similar to meat products. But as I said above, the Texture will differ from regular to vegan nuggets. 

The chicken nuggets are juicier and chewy, whereas the plant-based nuggets are crispy on the outside but soft inside due to potatoes and peas. 

Are Plant-Based Nuggets Healthy?

No, plant-based nuggets are unhealthy because they contain artificial flavors, high-fat, and sodium. Regular chicken nuggets aren’t healthy because they are deep-fried in hydrogenated oil and contain high sugar, fat, and preservatives.

When you compare it with plant-based McNuggets, they are also deep-fried and come with added preservatives. Also, it’s important to note that plant-based foods are only sometimes healthy, especially when you order them from any fast-food chain, as they are considered processed foods. Eating them in moderation will be alright.

Do People Like The McDonald’s Plant-Based Nuggets?

The vegans are excited to try plant-based nuggets, especially when they are introduced by their favorite fast-food chain McDonald’s. 

So, let’s discover what people say about the plant-based nuggets. I have gathered reviews from different sites and forums. Let’s have a look at them:

The Business Insider commented,” A decent imitation of chicken nuggets, but they don’t quite taste the same.”

The New York Times shared a review,” a bit dry and bland, but they are still a decent option for vegans and vegetarians.”

One person on Quora commented, “Some people have an allergy or sensitivity to chicken something in chicken. Meatless nuggets are a good alternative for them.”

Some people in Germany protested McPlant nuggets because these nuggets are not 100% vegan and contain animal derivatives. The public so highlighted the cross-contamination point that they opposed the nuggets with hashtags’ vegan burger TS’ and ‘fresh vegan TS’ on social media. 

McDonald’s replied that these plant-based nuggets are for the flexitarians, who sometimes prefer to go vegetarian while keeping meat consumption to a minimum. 

Conclusion

In this blog, we explored plants-.61 McNuggets, a delicious vegan alternative to the classic McNuggets. These delectable bites were introduced first in Germany, bringing maximum applause in the European market. 

We also learned about plant-based Mcnuggets ingredients and how they differ from regular chicken nuggets. As we wrap up this blog, I hope you have found all the answers related to the hype of plant-based McNuggets. 

If you want to explore more McDonald’s vegan offerings, like their famous McPlant burger, you will find everything here. Also, you can check out the vegan status of other McDonald’s menu items, like if their buns are vegan or their pancakes are vegan. So, keep discovering, and have a great day! 

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