Taco Bell is known for being one of the fast food chains that’s most accommodating to meatless eaters. They’ve always had plenty of vegetarian options with a focus on beans. In September, they launched a meatless menu that clearly informs customers on what the vegan and vegetarian options are. Although they didn’t launch any meat alternatives in the United States, they’ve decided to launch plant-based meat in stores in Spain!

According to Food & Wine, “Taco Bell in Spain added a new permanent menu item called the Oatrageous Taco—a Crunchy Taco that replaces the usual ground beef with a lookalike protein made of pulled oats and legumes that’s been seasoned with Taco Bell’s usual spices.” The taco was tested in Finland and is also a permanent menu item there.

Unlike other Mexican cuisine-inspired fast food chains Del Taco that partnered with Beyond Meat and Qdoba that partnered with Impossible, Taco Bell decided not to go with a popular plant-based meat alternative product. And they interestingly chose oats, a very trendy ingredient.

A Taco Bell spokesperson said: “While we don’t currently have plans to add a meat alternative in the U.S., we never say never and are continuously innovating.” Given that they celebrated the launch of the Oatrageous Taco in America, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if they did eventually bring the item to the United States.

Make Your Own Plant-Based Taco Meat

Nowhere near Spain or just prefer to make completely homemade meals? Check out these recipes from the Food Monster App!

1. Walnut Taco Meat

Source: Walnut Taco Meat

100% raw, gluten-free tacos! Is it everything you ever dreamed of? The raw Walnut Taco Meat by Christa Clark is absolutely incredible! Put it on tortillas with homemade salsa, cashew sour cream, and guacamole! You can also make an entirely raw meal by serving the vegan taco meat on leaves of cabbage or lettuce. It’s sure to make taco night the best night of the week!

2. Almond Taco Meat

Source: Almond Taco Meat

Looking for a healthy, soy-free and grain-free alternative to tacos? This Almond Taco Meat by Molly Patrick is made out of almonds that chopped up to have the same texture as ground beef. The almonds are then generously seasoned with cumin, red chili powder, cilantro, and cayenne to have that quintessential taco flavor.

3. Burritos With Raw Taco Meat

Source: Burritos With Raw Taco Meat

Introducing the ultimate vegan Burritos With Raw Taco Meat by Amanda Nicole Smith. The base is carrots, seeds, walnuts spices and herbs. This mock meat is full of flavor, has superb consistency, and is yet another quick and easy recipe to add to those long busy summer days. It’s also the perfect recipe if you need a simple way to eat more veggies!

We also highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!

For more Vegan Food, Health, Recipe, Animal, and Life content published daily, don’t forget to subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter!

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