Beyond Meat Unveils Vegan Chicken Nuggets: Here’s Where to Get Them

|Updated Aug 9, 2021

Beyond Meat’s plant-based chicken sector is exploding, developing new products at a rapid-fire pace. The vegan pioneer just launched both its Beyond Chicken Tenders nationwide and its Beyond The Original Orange Chicken at select Panda Express locations, but after only one month the food tech company has unveiled its Beyond Meat Nuggets. The new vegan nuggets are slated to make their market debut at A&W Canada locations. The two companies partnered once before in 2018 when A&W released Beyond Burgers at its Canadian locations, bringing one of the first plant-based burgers to the fast-food market. Now, A&W will be one of the first establishments to help consumers taste the innovative Beyond product.

“Many Canadians are looking for plant-based options, but they don’t want to compromise on taste,” VP of Marketing at A&W Canada Tom Newitt said. “We have been on a search for the best, most delicious plant-based nugget and are excited for our guests to try our new Beyond Meat Nuggets. We think nugget lovers will be very impressed!”

The partnership will allow Beyond Meat to access the fast-food consumer base that is increasingly hungry for plant-based chicken. The launch will push quick-service competitors to adapt their menus to meet the rising demand for vegan chicken. The Beyond Meat Nuggets boast a crispy texture and delicious flavor that does not ask consumers to sacrifice their want for chicken. The innovative plant-based product gives consumers the chance of trying a plant-based protein without robbing them of a fast-food treat.

“Beyond Meat Nuggets couldn’t come at a more perfect time,” Chief Growth Officer at Beyond Meat Deanna Jurgens said. “We’ve doubled down on plant-based chicken this summer, just as consumer demand for chicken is skyrocketing. Following the success of our partnership on the Beyond Burger, we’re proud to be working with A&W Canada to debut Beyond Meat Nuggets in Canada.”

The plant-based food giant spent years developing its vegan chicken recipe, ensuring that the protein alternative would maximize flavor and nutritional value. The nuggets contain 18 grams of protein per six pieces with no GMOs, hormones, cholesterol, or antibiotics. The company aims to create a simple, straightforward plant-based product that will encourage both plant-based consumers and meat-eaters to try its sustainable option. By entering the fast-food market, Beyond Meat is providing an accessible plant-based option to a wider consumer base.

The Beyond Meat Nuggets will be available at every A&W location in Canada for a limited time starting August 9th. The trial period will allow Beyond Meat to assess the popularity and response to the new plant-based chicken product. Customers can order the Nuggets as a six or 10-piece order. The fast-food restaurant will also feature the Beyond Nuggets in the A&W Kids’ Pack.

Beyond Meat debuted its plant-based chicken after years of demand and consumer anticipation. The company released its Beyond Chicken Tenders across the United States at nearly 400 restaurants this July. The mass distribution effort was followed by Panda Express’ introduction of the Beyond The Original Orange Chicken - a plant-based take on the fast-food chain’s famous Orange Chicken. The company continues to make strides by entering the foodservice realm, and soon the United States will see the Nuggets on the menu.

This week, national burger chain Hopdoddy Burger Bar will begin featuring Beyond Meat’s newest version of its plant-based patty. The Beyond Burger 3.0 hit the market earlier this year, showcasing the company’s dedication to making a healthier and tastier burger. Hopdoddy plans to bring this burger to its ten locations scattered across the United States to provide its customers with a healthier and more sustainable option.

“At Hopdoddy, we are all about offering the finest ingredients available, from our Chipperbec fries to our certified all-natural Piedmontese beef and now, our plant-based Beyond Burger that’s made without GMOs,” Hopdoddy Head Chef Matt Schweitzer said. “After tasting Beyond Meat’s newest Beyond Burger patty, we were blown away by how juicy and delicious it was, making it a great addition to the variety of proteins we offer.”

Sandra Oh and 20 Others It Might Surprise You to Learn Are Plant-Based

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1. Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney is no stranger to a meat-free life as he's been vegetarian for 45 years. He initially went vegetarian in 1975 with his first wife Linda McCartney and began his advocacy for animal rights.


Jason Bahr

2. Sia

If you find yourself constantly singing along to the song The Greatest, then you're already a Sia fan. Sia tweeted that she is "fully vegan now" back in 2014 and stays true to her word


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3. Sandra Oh

Way back at the start of Grey's Anatomy, Sandra Oh took the cast out for a plant-based lunch at Truly Vegan in Hollywood. In her effort to inspire contemporaries to eat vegan, the TV star is known to invite her friends for vegan meals that are delicious. She adopted the vegan lifestyle years ago and continues to quietly live a cruelty-free life.


4. Gisele Bündchen

Giselle revealed that when she was at the peak of her modeling career, her diet consisted of "cigarettes, wine, and mocha Frappuccinos," according to an interview in People Magazine. Now 39 and the mother of two children, Gisele eats a "mostly" plant-based diet to nourish her body and stay fueled.


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5. Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin has made a bigger commitment to plant-based eating since he was first told by doctors that he was pre-diabetic and needed to change his diet. That was decades ago. But, over the last few years, he's been vocal about the benefits not only to his health but also the impact plant-based eating has on the environment.


@pamelaanderson

7. Pamela Anderson

We all remember Pamela Anderson as the curvaceous blonde in the hit series Baywatch as she played Casey Jean in the red one-piece swimsuit that brought her world-class fame. She is a life-long active animal rights advocate and teamed up with PETA to join the Animal Protection Organization.


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8. Kristen Stewart

"We shouldn't eat as much meat guys," Kristen Stewart told GQ in an interview in January. The Twilight star has made a full 180 from vampire to vegan. When she appeared on the game show "Hot Ones" she chose to skip the wings and instead compete by eating increasing spicier sauce on vegan cauliflower wings.


@jaredleto

9. Jared Leto

This award-winning actor eats a high-protein diet consisting of only plants. Leto, who has been plant-based for 20 years, says it keeps him "shredded" in an interview. Now, 48, Leto looks half his age.


@csyresmith

10. Jaden Smith

Jaden Smith switched up his diet from vegan to vegetarian, meaning that he doesn't eat meat but does eat dairy from time to time. In a recent article by Plant Based News, Smith admits he skipped meals and was not getting the proper nutrition when he was vegan, but this hasn't stopped him from espousing the plant-based life.


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11. Meghan Markle

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has never admitted to being fully vegan, but sources say, she eats a plant-based diet most days during the week. She is teaching Prince Harry vegan cooking and in a Plant-Based News article, Markle explained how she hopes to raise baby Archie on a mostly vegan diet.


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12. Serena Williams

As a professional athlete, fueling the body is a key factor to Willaim's successes. In a Bon Appetite article, she explained that she adopted a plant-based diet back in 2012, she was eating a lot "healthier" for her sister, Venus, who eats a strict vegan diet for health reasons.


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13. John Mackey

The popular grocery store, Whole Foods Market sells vegan products and nonvegan products which arises black lash from ethical vegans as CEO John Mackey follows a strict vegan diet. The successful businessman grew up in Houston Texas and told Business Insider that he would traditionally eat processed foods for dinner while watching TV with his family. Now, Mackey steers clear from the processed isle and eats a clean vegan diet and feels amazing at the age of 65.


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14. Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz, singer of the popular song, I'm Yours, committed to a vegan diet to support his friend diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mraz says he eats mostly raw food and told magazine sources his favorite vegan dish is "Chocomole, a mixture of avocados, dates, cacao, agave nectar, and coconut oil."


@leonalewis

15. Leona Lewis

Long time vegan, Leona Lewis grew up in a vegan household and continues to eat a plant-based diet. Lewis first adopted the diet at 12 when she learned about the health risks of eating animal products but told Women's Health Magazine she occasionally eats an omelet. She also mentioned her 2:30 lunch is normally a kale salad topped with dried cranberries and she loves a veggie stir-fry for dinner.


@hannahteter

16. Hannah Teter

Hannah Teter changed her diet after watching the documentary, Earthlings when she discovered how "horrible" factory farming is. After a strict vegetarian diet, Teter liked the way she performed as an athlete and believes that her diet helped her win gold at the 2006 games.


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17. Maggie Q,

You may recognize Maggie Q as the star of the Nikita series, but in the plant-based world, she's well-known for her heroic activism. Maggie Q has followed a strict vegan diet for 19 years, making her a true veteran of the lifestyle. She made the plant-based diet transition because she felt sluggish and had low energy, she has said. The famous actress keeps in shape by eating veggies and plant-based protein and working out with a passion.


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18. Madelaine Petsch,

Winner of the first Masterchef vegan cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, Madelaine Petsch was raised vegetarian and went completely vegan at age 14. She claims that she started this diet before it was "trendy" and shot a campaign for PETA last year wearing a dress made of bok choy. Petsch says her vegan diet allows her to feel "healthier" and not "lethargic."


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19. Millie Bobbi Brown

After doing a little sleuthing on her social media platforms we think Millie Bobbi Brown qualifies as plant-based. Whether or not she is actually skipping all meat and dairy, one thing is for sure: She eats mostly salads, vegetables and grains and lives a predominantly plant-based lifestyle full of healthy foods.


@chloexhalle

20. Chloe and Halle Bailey

The grammy-nominated sisters went vegan for a week with their mom but liked it so much they decided to stick with it. For one thing, it helps keep their "voices in shape" by eating a vegan diet and they emphasize the fact that dairy helps to limit extra mucus build-up, according to a PETA interview.


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21. Hilary Duff

Best known for her role as Lizzie Mcguire in the long-running series, Hilary Duff is a recent vegan advocate and entrepreneur. She recently launched the vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadow palette, "Day Dreamer" and changed her diet to plant-based last fall.