Chipotle Just Added All-New Vegan and Vegetarian Bowl Options

In a world where Seamless and Uber Eats exist to bring you whatever your heart desires at the click of a button, it’s hard to imagine that eating out could be a challenge. But for vegans and vegetarians, the struggle is real -- even in 2019. Sure, there are salad bars and smoothie spots, but what’s a herbivore to do when they want real food?

Chipotle is bridging the gap for vegan and vegetarian diners, and making ordering in easy for people who opt not to eat meat or use animal products for whatever personal, health, or environmental reasons. On Monday, the burrito purveyor announced the introduction of its new Plant Powered bowls as an extension of its lifestyle bowl lineup, which already includes Keto, Paleo, Whole30, and double protein diet-friendly meals.

Chipotle was among the first fast-casual eateries to offer vegetarian options when it introduced Sofritas (a vegan protein option made from organic soybeans, shredded and smothered in spices like poblano pepper, cumin, and chipotle chile) to its menu in 2014. The option is surprisingly popular, according to the restaurant. In 2018 alone, Chipotle served up about 7.5 million pounds of the plant-based protein. Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it, we guess. Chipotle hopes to get a leg up on the competition once more, and entice eaters who may have previously overlooked the chain due to dietary restrictions, with its new vegan and vegetarian bowls.

“We’ve found that many people are increasingly looking for plant-based protein options, so we wanted to make it easy for our customers with digital shortcuts for these bowls,” Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer at Chipotle, said in a statement about the new additions to the restaurant’s menu. “Since introducing Sofritas five years ago, Chipotle has provided flavorful options for every lifestyle, while simultaneously doing something good for the planet.”

Chipotle’s vegetarian Plant Powered bowl features fajita veggies, brown rice, pinto beans, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. The vegan bowl combines Sofritas with brown rice, black beans, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, and lettuce. Chipotle has done the legwork for vegans and vegetarians, so don’t worry about remembering these ingredients. You can just pop onto its website or app and find both options when you go to build your order.

What we’re saying is you really don’t have an excuse to continue putting off plans to eat healthier, or reduce your carbon footprint, any longer. Who knows, you might even like it.