Veg-Jing Out: KFC Expands Plant-Based Options and the 21 Day Vegan Challenge

Veg-Jing Out: Your semi-regular guide to a guilt-free lifestyle in the capital.

KFC expands plant-based menu items in Beijing

Fresh on the heels of what was apparently a successful trial run back in June, KFC has announced that they will be permanently adding plant-based chicken nuggets and hamburgers to the menu at 210 of their restaurants across six cities in China, including Beijing. The move has been in the works since April when the US-based fried chicken purveyors released the alt-nuggets in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. 

At RMB 35, the burger – which uses a patty from global faux-meat juggernaut, Beyond Meat – is roughly twice the price of KFC’s standalone chicken sandwich, however, the nuggets, which are made by the much less hipster-friendly food/agricultural/financial/industrial/quintessential-evil-US-conglomerate, Cargill have a much more reasonable RMB 11 price tag. 

For vegan fast foodies, barring any sort of localized difference in bun recipes, the burger could be made vegan if you forgo the cheese and any mayo dressing. Meanwhile, the nuggets are certifiably vegan as is. 

21 Day Vegan Challenge

If you’re looking for an excuse to gorge yourself on KFC burgers and nuggets (we wouldn’t advise it, but hey, you do you), as well as all of the other meatless goodies that have been popping up lately, sign up for Beijing Vegan Community’s 21 Day Vegan Challenge. The event kicks off Nov 1 – which also happens to be World Vegan Day – and is a great opportunity for anyone who has ever considered going vegan but isn’t entirely sure how to get started. 

For RMB 100, participants have access to a team of nutritionists, health consultants, and mentors who will help guide them on the first steps of their plant-based journey, as well as special deals and discounts from participating restaurants and vendors. If you happen to be vegan already, the price drops to RMB 60 and provides valuable insights into the lifestyle you’ve already adopted. While we wouldn't encourage anyone to lie, it's not entirely clear what proof, if any, you have to provide to get the "already vegan discount."

Despite being held online and through WeChat, the 21 Day Vegan Challenge nutritionists will be hosting health and cooking workshops throughout the month and sharing some of their favorite plant-based recipes to make the entire process as stress-free and straightforward as possible. As an added bonus, if you share photos of your vegan meals three times a day for the duration of the challenge, you’ll get your RMB 100 back! For more information and to register, click here.

Oct 18: Plogging, Green Living, and Brunch at El Barrio

If a 21-day vegan diet sounds like too much of a commitment, but you’re still interested in learning more, or if you already count yourself amongst the plant-based crowd, then join Beijing Vegan Community and Z-Rou at El Barrio on Sunday, Oct 18 for a day of plogging, tips about sustainable living, and vegan brunch. In celebration of Clean Up the Earth Day on Oct 22, the event this weekend will begin with a plogging session at 10am. For the uninitiated, plogging is a fitness trend that began in Sweden a number of years ago and combines all the fun of jogging with the admirable task of picking up trash. It’s an ideal way to help both your lungs and those of mother nature. Then, at 12pm, enjoy a lecture about green living practices from natural medicine counselor Liron Man, and educator and yoga instructor, Nancy Zhou. Cap the morning off with a three-course brunch featuring plant-based Z-Rou meat. For more information and to register, click here.

READ: What's With All the Cabbages? Why Beijingers Stock Up on China's Hardiest Veg Before Winter

Images: Daniel Salcius (via Unsplash), Weibo, Creatv Eight (via Unsplash), courtesy of El Barrio