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Are Jack in The Box Tacos Vegetarian?
Jack in the Box is best known for their juicy hamburgers and delicious, crispy tacos. Jack in the Box serves three different types of tacos; regular tacos, monster tacos and tiny tacos. I personally know many die-hard vegetarians who enjoy tacos at Jack in the Box because they consider it vegetarian.
But really, are Jack in the Box tacos vegetarian?
Unfortunately, not. The claim that Jack in the Box tacos is vegetarian is a false rumor. And this rumor can be blamed on a few workers at Jack in the Box who claimed that the tacos use only vegetarian soy meat and not real meat.
In reality, Jack in the Box tacos does contain a significant amount of soy meat. But that does not make it vegan. The tacos also contain some meat and meat-based products. Take a look at the ingredients of Jack in the Box tacos.
The Ingredients in Jack in the Box Tacos
Taco Regular Filling Ingredients: Beef, Water, Textured Vegetable Protein (Soy Flour, Caramel Color), Defatted Soy Grits, Seasoning [Chili Pepper, Corn Maltodextrin, Spices, Bleached Enriched Wheat Flour (Contains Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, and Folic Acid), Salt, Garlic Powder, Hydrolyzed (Corn, Soy, Wheat) Proteins, Monosodium Glutamate, Onion Powder, Natural Flavors, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Succinic Acid], Salt, Tomato Paste, Worcestershire Sauce (Distilled Vinegar, Molasses, Corn Syrup, Water, Salt, Caramel Color, Garlic Powder, Sugar, Spices, Tamarind, Natural Flavor, Sulfiting Agent). Tortillas Ingredients: Ground Corn, Water, Lime. Cooked in Canola Blend Frying Oil. Taco Sauce: Water, Tomato Paste, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Chili Peppers, Modified Food Starch, Dextrose, Maltodextrin, Spices including Paprika, Xanthan Gum, Dehydrated Garlic, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (added as preservatives), Citric Acid, Monosodium Glutamate, Dehydrated Onion, Beet Powder, Caramel Color. Cheese American: Cultured Milk and Skim Milk, Water, Cream, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Sorbic Acid (preservative), Citric Acid, Artificial Color, Acetic Acid, Enzymes, Soy Lecithin. lettuce.
The amount of meat present is small and less than the vegetable protein. But that still does not make the tacos vegan. According to the ingredients listed in the box, the meat in the tacos contains 41% beef, 8% fat and 51% soy.
So another reason why there was a rumor that the Jack in the Box tacos is vegetarian is that most people could not taste the beef. The vegetable protein used is more.
There is no way the tacos at Jack in the Box are vegetarian unless you request a plain taco and have it topped with salsa and veggies.
But unfortunately, this is not an option at Jack in the Box. They don’t have a vegetarian variety of tacos in their list of products. And they also don’t take customized orders.
The tacos at Jack in the Box come pre-filled with the meat and soy mixture from the manufacturing site. So the workers at Jack in the Box only have to fry the tacos and top them with salsa, lettuce and cheese.
So What Can You eat at Jack in the Box instead?
So what can all the vegetarians out there eat if they find themselves at Jack in the Box? Fortunately, there are some similar options to munch on, like Jack in the Box’s French fries, hashbrowns, potato wedges and seasoned curly fries. These are all completely meat-free and vegan!
Are you worried about whether there is meat contamination in the frying oil of all the above vegan products? No, there isn’t. Jack in the Box has dedicated fryers for frying their meat tacos and separate ones for their fries and wedges. So you can really order fries at Jack in the Box with a clear conscience.
Are Jack in The Box Tacos Vegetarian? Summary
No, the tacos at Jack in the Box are not vegetarian. It contains beef, ground chicken and cheese, among other ingredients. The rumor that their tacos are vegetarian probably came from a few Jack in the Box workers claiming that it does not contain real meat but has textured soy protein instead. The tacos meat mixture does contain soy protein, but there is real meat included as well.
Also read: Is wonder bread vegan?
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*All pics are courtesy of Unsplash.com