What Exactly Is 'Fresco Style' At Taco Bell?
According to Statista, an estimated 5% of Americans are vegetarians, and around 2% are vegans, which has created a demand for more meatless options. The meat substitute market in the United States alone is valued at $1.9 billion as of 2022, and by 2027, it's estimated to be worth around $5.4 billion (via Statista). It's clear that the abundance of vegetarian and vegan foods has increased exponentially, with some popular fast food chains even making changes to their menus to accommodate more lifestyles and diets.
For example, fast food giant McDonald's has expanded its menu to add a McPlant veggie burger, veggie dippers, and a spicy veggie wrap for vegetarians and vegans to enjoy (via McDonald's). Mexican-inspired fast food chain Taco Bell is no exception. The chain has a special way of ordering its menu items that make them suitable for vegetarian, vegan, and dairy-free diets, and it's called "fresco style," per Taco Bell. Here's how and what you can order from Taco Bell fresco style.
Taco Bell's fresco style replaces some toppings with diced tomatoes
According to Taco Bell, ordering a menu item "fresco style" means that cheese, sour cream, mayo-based sauces, and other high-calorie and high-fat toppings are switched out for diced tomatoes. This is a great, easy swap for anyone on a special diet, anyone wanting a low-calorie meal, or anyone that can't have dairy. A few menu items that can be ordered "fresco style" include a burrito supreme, a crunchy taco, a bean burrito, and a soft taco. Luckily, many vegetarian-friendly and vegan-friendly menu items can also be ordered fresco style at Taco Bell.
These items are certified by the American Vegetarian Association (AVA) and include a black bean crunchwrap supreme, black bean quesarito, black beans, black beans and rice, a cheesy roll-up, a cheese quesadilla, cheesy bean and rice burrito, hashbrown, cinnabon delights, cinnamon twists, and chips and nacho cheese sauce, per Taco Bell. A few other veggie options at Taco Bell include a black bean chalupa supreme ordered fresco style, a fiesta veggie burrito without chipotle sauce and fresco style, a spicy potato soft taco without cheese and chipotle sauce, nacho fries without cheese sauce, and a nacho bell grande without meat, sour cream, and cheese (via VegNews).