Love KFC? (try vegan fried chicken instead!)
It’s Friday night and the match is on, and the smell of fried chicken fills the room. This is a tradition across many households, who order a ‘bucket’ of KFC, forgetting chicken welfare issues.
Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (avoid feeding pets leftover vegan chicken as it may contain unsafe ingredients, real chicken is also high in fat/salt and may contain cooked bones). Recycle packaging at kerbside or supermarket bag bins.
KFC (from one recipe to global giant)
KFC started as one person’s fried chicken recipe, built around a spiced coating. Today there are branches worldwide, even though there are huge issues with animal and environmental welfare. KFC also fries its chips in chicken fat.
Nearly all chicken in fast food joints comes from intensive systems, where birds are bred to grow very quickly in overcrowded conditions, and suffer leg strain, breathing issues and even aggression, due to extreme stress. Most never see daylight and are then slaughtered while still young.
KFC has recently (along with Nando’s, Burger King and McDonald’s) gone back on a promise to use slower-growing chickens (for better welfare), saying ‘there are not enough chickens available?’ These organisations make billions in profits, they care more about money than animal welfare.
There is also the environmental issue. Chickens need feed, and this feed requires land, water and energy, and then there are issues with managing manure, transport, refrigeration and transport. Plus of course the NHS picks up the health costs of food that’s high in fat (chicken has as much cholesterol as red meat).
Although recently in Ormskirk (Lancashire), the council’s decision not to approve planning, was overridden (by who) to open a new outlet, when the community doesn’t want it.
Fast food joints also usually open late at night, which results in litter being strewn everywhere by the next morning (your council tax being used to pick it up). This litter can also harm wildlife and birds, before council workers get to it. No matter who dropped it on public land, it’s your council’s responsibility to clear it. So report it to Fix My Street (complaints with photos are made public).
If litter is on private land, councils can serve litter abatement orders (non-compliance results in a fine or invoice for councils to clean it up).
Vegan fried chicken (scratches the ‘crunchy itch!)
You can find plant-based fried chicken products in frozen sections of supermarkets, offering the same products (fillets, coated pieces, popcorn-style bites, along with burgers and sausages (avoid for young children and swallowing difficulties – slice lengthwise and again, to avoid choking).
They are super-easy to cook in the oven or air-fryer, and you can place in wraps, ‘bucket’ dinners with loaded fries, or a simple plate with beans and vegan coleslaw. If KFC is your default, there are many other options!
No-on is pretending that vegan fried chicken is health food, but it’s far better for you than KFC, as it’s not deep-fried, there is less saturated fat, and zero cholesterol. It’s also high in protein and (unlike animal foods) has healthy fibre. Serve with oven-baked chips, baked beans and salads, and with a healthy smoothie.
Find VFC in your nearest grocery (even budget supermarkets like LIDL sell it). It’s popular across Europe (VFC is made in Germany, although the company was co-founded by the co-founder of Veganuary).
Some ideas to use it once cooked:
- Air-fryer strips in a wrap with vegan slaw and pickles.
- Popcorn bites for sharing, with a hot sauce and a vegan mayo.
- A “bucket night” plate with corn on the cob and plant-based gravy.
Other brands of vegan ‘chicken’ nuggets
- Heura is a fresh young brand from Barcelona, offering chunks and nuggets in sustainable packaging.
- Moving Mountains Chicken (burgers and nuggets) is made from natural ingredients, and also sold for food service (hotels, restaurants etc).
