Do PETA and Taco Bell belong in the same conversation? Perhaps the absurdity of that question is the point exactly. Starting Friday, billboard and bus shelter ads in Florida, Georgia, and New York will pop up featuring a giant chicken face and a tagline fast food enthusiasts know rather well.
Next to the forward-staring chicken will be the words, “Let’s All ‘Live Más.’ Would It Kill You to Get a Bean Burrito?”
Under that will be something along the lines of “turn right,” or “Taco Bell on left in .3 miles.”
“It’s easier than ever to find delicious, cruelty-free vegan food, including at fast-food staples like Taco Bell,” says PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman in a statement. “Unlike meaty dishes, vegan meals are free of saturated animal fat and cholesterol. Going vegan also spares more than 100 animals every year daily suffering and a terrifying death in today’s industrialized meat, egg, and dairy industries.”
PETA says it is showing some love for Taco Bell’s certified vegan offerings. Taco Bell was the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association certified food options. In 2015, 13 menu items were certified, including the Bean Burrito, 7-Layer Burrito, and Cantina Power Bowl. There are 35 certified vegetarian ingredients, 26 of which are vegan. The chain claims it has 5.7 million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year, and that around 7 percent of all items ordered are either vegetarian-friendly or made vegetarian-friendly by substitution or removal.
PETA even has a guide for eating vegan at Taco Bell. One example: order the famous Crunchwrap, ask for beans instead of beef, and turn down the cheese and sour cream.
As part of the month-long campaign, PETA’s “Lettuce Ladies,” will be handing out free bean burritos outside various Taco Bell locations.
