KFC's Beyond Nuggets!!

KFC is testing Beyond Nuggets, a plant-based alternative to chicken nuggets, at 100 locations in (and around) Nashville, Tennessee, and Charlotte, North Carolina through the month of February. Since Paul works in Nashville and stays there part-time, I opted to go there for Valentine's Day rather than have him come to Memphis, so I could try the nuggets! I stopped in Dickson, Tennessee, about a half-hour west of Nashville, to try them.

Y'ALL, THESE NUGGETS ARE AMAZING!! I got a small 4-piece snack, but these are also available as a 6-piece with fries. You can get them undressed or tossed with buffalo or BBQ sauce. I wasn't sure about the vegan-ness of either sauce, so I opted for plain.


Here's an inside look. These seriously look, feel, and taste like chicken. I believe these would fool any meat-eater.

Back in 2004-2005, I spent many weekends with my animal rights group, Memphis Area Animal Rights Activists, outside Memphis KFCs, holding PETA protest signs and spreading the message about KFC cruelty. KFC was (and probably still is) notorious for sourcing their chicken from especially cruel suppliers. But I believe this move to add plant-based chicken is a step in the right direction. PETA's current KFC campaign is focused on getting the chain to roll-out vegan chicken nationwide, and it seems to be working.
I believe in using my vegan dollar to demonstrate demand for plant-based options at mainstream restaurant chains. Even if those chains have plenty of other issues, it's important for us vegans to show them they're moving in the right direction.
Of course these nuggets were fried in the same oil as the chicken. And that's not a problem for me. Avoiding cross-contamination is an issue of personal purity, and that's fine for vegans who can't bear the thought of their food coming into contact with meat. But ethically, I believe it's more important to show support for these options than to avoid them due to potential cross-contamination. No additional animals are harmed from using the same oil or grill to prepare food.
I think KFC's addition of Beyond Nuggets is giant step for animals, and I support that! I hope they'll do a nationwide roll-out soon!