El Pollo Loco Just Announced Exciting News For Vegans

If you're a vegan (or hang out with one), you would know that the struggle of picking a restaurant that everyone can agree on is real. And for that alone, vegans can appreciate the lengths fast food chains are going to in order to keep them fed. The latest restaurant to offer a completely animal-free option is El Pollo Loco, which has just announced a reformulated version of its plant-based chicken. The fast food's Vegan Chickenless line, which includes a taco and burrito, takes the chain's original chickenless dishes a step further. 

In a statement to Mashed, El Pollo Loco said the reformulated recipe combines adobo sauce with a non-GMO soy protein that doesn't contain egg enzymes, making it totally animal-free. The new offer is American Vegetarian Association-approved, and is offered up without cheese or the Creamy Cliantro Dressing as an option. The original Chickenless taco and burrito are still on offer.

If you haven't given up meat and are considering El Pollo Loco's vegan option because you think it's a healthier alternative, you might want to rethink that. Stick with the Original BRC Burrito and you get a meal that clocks in at 410 calories, 11 grams of fat, 14 grams of protein, 61 grams of carbs, and 1000 milligrams of sodium (and yes, this is the healthier option). The new Vegan Chickenless Pollo Burrito has 580 calories, 19 grams of fat, 25 grams of protein, 82 grams of carbs, and (drumroll please) 1720 milligrams of sodium, which is not too bad, considering that the Chickenless Pollo Burrito option packs 780 calories, and  2020 milligrams of sodium. The American Heart Association has set the ideal limit for sodium at no more than 1,500 milligrams per day, but says 2,300 milligrams is acceptable. 

It's worth noting the vegan option has no cholesterol.