
KFC mashed potatoes aren’t produced from fresh potatoes. So, are KFC mashed potatoes vegetarian?
In this blog, we’ll learn what mashed potatoes are composed of, nutritional information, and whether it’s vegan or not, as well as their alternatives.
Unfortunately, KFC’s mashed potatoes are not vegetarian since the company states that the mashed potatoes contain milk and chicken fat which are animal products.
Keep reading to learn more!
Are KFC Mashed Potatoes Vegetarian?
Vegans do not consume animal or animal products such as eggs, meat, milk, honey, fish, or other dairy products.
So, are KFC mashed potatoes vegetarian? The answer depends on the mashed potato ingredients.
KFC does not expressly disclose the ingredients in the gravy alone, they do separately post the components in mashed potatoes and mashed potatoes with gravy.
With a little common sense, we can remove all of the “Mashed Potatoes” elements from the “Mashed Potato With Gravy,”.
This gives us a better picture of the ingredients in KFC's gravy and determines if it is vegetarian.
Mashed Potatoes
You may have heard that many individuals consider mashed potatoes to be a full meal in and of itself.
This may be something that you have also heard.
One of the most popular sides at KFC is their buttery, smooth potatoes topped with a salty potato sauce.
People like these potatoes. However, mashed potatoes cannot be classified as a vegetable.
Here are the reasons:
1. It Contains Milk
KFC’s mashed potatoes include milk, making them ineligible for a conventional vegan diet.
This is due to its chemical structure and DNA, which can only be found in animals.
Milk, like eggs, includes ‘Animal Fat.’ So, when you drink milk, you are ingesting an animal.
It also includes 9 essential amino acids, Vitamin B12, and Cholesterol, all of which have non-vegetarian personalities.
According to research, blood is transformed to milk via a series of biological events.
Blood (and pus cells) have been discovered in milk samples under appropriate laboratory circumstances.
Non-vegetarians would argue that anything derived from blood cannot be vegetarian for whatever reason.
2. KFC Uses Powdered Potatoes
According to a KFC manager, KFC’s mashed potatoes are made from powdered potatoes, which are also known as instant mashed potatoes.
Instant mashed potatoes are potatoes that have been cooked, mashed, and dehydrated in an industrial process.
This is to create a packaged convenience dish that may be reconstituted by adding hot water or milk and resembling mashed potatoes.
Instant mashed potatoes are available in a variety of flavors, including garlic mashed potatoes, cheddar mashed potatoes, and sour cream mashed potatoes.
That's why KFC mashed potatoes are not suitable for vegetarians since they include powered potatoes as well as other additives.
3. It Contains Chicken Fat
According to the ingredients listed on the KFC website their mashed potatoes, is that it contains chicken fat.
Despite the fact that it is animal fat, chicken fat has more monounsaturated fats than saturated fats.
Nonetheless, chicken fat has a higher saturated fat content than certain veggie alternatives.
Sauces, soups, and gravies all contain chicken stock, which is flavored with chicken fat.
Chicken fat is high in omega fatty acids, particularly omega-6. It is not good for vegetarian or vegan diets since it is animal fat.
4. Kfc Mashed Potatoes Contain Butter
The mashed potatoes served at KFC are made with butter. However, butter may also be produced from the milk of other animals, such as sheep, goats, buffalo, or yaks.
Cow’s milk is the most common ingredient in butter production.
The butter globules are extracted from the buttermilk by churning the milk or cream, which also produces the butter.
Because of this, the mashed veggies served at KFC do not qualify as vegetables.
5. It Contains a Mixture of Additives
Is KFC mashed potatoes vegan?
No, due to the presence of addictive ingredients such as:
- Partly hydrogenated soybean oil,
- Dipotassium phosphate,
- Salt,
- Corn syrup solids,
- Sodium caseinate,
- Silicoaluminate,
- Soy lecithin,
- Artificial color,
- Triglycerides, and
- Artificial taste.
As a result of this, vegans avoid ingesting foods that contain certain additives, because a few different food additives may be made from animal sources.
KFC Mashed Potato With Gravy
This sauce, which many vegans searched for and researched on Google, may be classified as non-vegetarian.
However, we performed our own research, and here is what we discovered.
Due to the mashed potato gravy ingredients shared on the KFC website, this sauce is not suitable for vegetarians.
KFC’s Gravy Ingredients:
Gravy powder, chicken crackling, and water make KFC’s gravy. A full study is provided below:
It contains Potatoes, Whey Product Containing: Nonfat Milk, Whey Solids Calcium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate, and Sodium Caseinate.
Calcium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate, Mono and Diglycerides; salt; natural flavors, natural colors, Sodium Bisulfate, Citric Acid, and Spice; Mono and Diglycerides.
Wheat Flour Enriched with Vitamins ( Niacin, Wheat Flour, Riboflavin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid)
It Also Contains Food Starch:
Hydrolyzed soy protein and maltodextrin; palm and canola oils; salt; modified dextrose; mono and diglycerides from monosodium glutamate; chicken fat; caramel color.
This Product Contains Natural Flavors:
Butter (cream), disodium guanylate, hydrolyzed corn protein, and disodium inosinate with no more than 2% silicon dioxide added as an anti-caking agent.
The Remaining Gravy Ingredients:
Wheat Flour that has been enriched with vitamins and minerals ( Niacin, Wheat Flour, Reduced Iron, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, and Folic Acid).
Are the mashed potatoes at KFC vegetarian?
In summary, because gravy is often made by combining animal fluids with water and stock, then thickening with flour, the “magic ingredient” is most likely a combination of stock and flour.
As a result, the KFC sauce is neither vegetarian nor vegan.
What are the Vegetarian KFC Replacements for Mashed Potatoes?
Are you looking for a healthy way to replace KFC mashed potatoes?
Here are some ideas.
Mashed Cauliflower
Cauliflower has more vitamin C, calcium, vitamin B2, and vitamin K than potatoes.
When compared to cauliflower, potatoes have an extremely high glycemic index.
Similar tastes and consistency are obtained with mashed cauliflower.
A little garlic added to baked or boiled mashed cauliflower creates a delectable side dish.
Mashed Turnips
Turnips have a similar texture to potatoes. A cup of turnips has roughly 4.2g of carbohydrates and 1.2g of fiber.
They are high in antioxidants and a strong source of vitamin C and vitamin K.
The cooking method is similar to that of potatoes, and cooked turnips may be made to look like oven-baked potatoes.
They are a low-calorie substitute for mashed potatoes, and you can add some mashed carrots for added sweetness.
Butternut Squash
Butternut Squash tastes like a pumpkin with a sweet, nutty flavor. The meaty pulp makes an excellent side dish.
Butternut squash has 15g net carbohydrates per cup and is suitable for keto dieters.
It tastes great when roasted, puréed, or baked with a little garlic. This is an excellent substitute for KFC mashed potatoes.
FAQs About Are KFC Mashed Potatoes Vegetarian?
Do you have other questions about whether KFC mashed potatoes are vegetarian?
Here are some additional frequently asked questions.
Is There Beef in the Mashed Potatoes Gravy?
While mashed potatoes are a decent vegetarian choice since they don’t include any meat, the gravy is produced with pig and chicken, so it does contain traces of meat.
Is KFC’s Potato and Gravy Made From Actual Potatoes?
You’d think the gravy would contain most of the salt, but the potatoes are to blame.
We’re not talking about freshly dug potatoes here. KFC’s mashed potatoes are made from powder, often known as instant mashed potatoes.
Is the Vegan Burger From KFC Vegan?
Unfortunately, the vegan burger is unavailable as a meal because the KFC fries are cooked in the same oil as the popcorn chicken and are not good for vegetarians or vegans.
Final Verdict
Are KFC mashed potatoes vegetarian? Vegans should avoid KFC mashed potatoes, including butter, milk, chicken stock, and chicken crackling.
In the future, double-check the nutrition data and ingredient labels on all the meals you consume.
Thanks for reading!