Chipotle’s Beans Are Now Vegetarian Friendly!

Good news vegetarians and vegans, you can now eat the pinto beans at Chipotle with a clear conscience; they’re no longer made with pork. 

“Hooray!” you shout. But wait just one second: it has taken over two years to get pork out of their beans. To Chipotle’s credit, the move was in response to a frustrated customer who voiced his displeasure over Twitter. But how long does it take to revamp a recipe? It can’t be that difficult to come up with a recipe for beans that doesn’t involve pork can it?

Granted, pinto beans can often be made with a meat base (especially if Paula Deen is doing the cooking), but in a world of dietary restrictions and allergies, shouldn’t restaurants be forced to be upfront about exactly what their dishes contain? I am certain that every time a Chipotle employee dished up a serving of pinto beans they didn’t say, “hey, you know there’s pork in this, right?”

Credit: Image by Sheri Giblin.

All frustrations and judgments aside, at least Chipotle has officially made the change, and it’s indicative of an ever growing food trend. In a world where more and more people are becoming health conscious, even the larger chains are making an effort to attract more customers. Not that it always helps, at least in the case of Red Lobster and Olive Garden. 

Restaurant chains choosing to provide healthier options might be 100% inspired by marketing desires (“Everyone’s eating kale these days… maybe we should try it too… how about a kale salad?”), but in a world where the large majority of the population eats out at least once in awhile, providing at least a few healthier options does have some ripple effect.

But as with all marketing, there is always some mixed messaging, and it’s hard to know whether Chipotle is genuinely supportive of a plant-based diet, or if the chain is just trying to attract a larger clientele which in turn, is very good for business. 

Related on Organic Authority:

New Chipotle Ad Takes On Factory Farming

Super Size This: Healthy Fast Food is Here to Stay (Really)

Restaurants of The Future: Can Food Service Really Be Sustainable?

Images: TacvboMary

Tags: