These fast casual restaurant tips can help you choose vegetarian and vegan meals to meet your nutrition goals. I put together this information for my clients taking GLP-1 medications who are vegans or vegetarians. These tips may also be helpful to anyone looking for healthy choices, weight management, and lower fat / higher protein options when eating out at these informal chain restaurants.
As always, please consult your physician and Registered Dietitian for the best nutrition plan for you and before making any dietary changes.
What are fast casual restaurants? A step up from fast food, but not as fancy as a sit-down restaurant. They tend to be inexpensive and have a counter to select your made-to-order. They may also be called quick serve restaurants (source: Wikipedia).
My focus is fast casual restaurants where you can customize your meal, typically by selecting your protein, vegetables, grains, sauces, etc. Look for water, sugar-free beverage options there, or bring in your own water bottle.
Fast Casual Restaurant Tips for Good Nutrition
Sometimes, high fiber foods like salads and raw vegetables, may not be tolerated well with GLP-1 medications. Keep this in mind as needed when you customize your orders. Large meals can increase nausea, so plan ahead to take home leftovers, order a smaller meal, or share your meal.
Refined carbohydrates, like white flour tortillas, white rice, and white bread are not the best choices. These are lower in fiber and certain nutrients compared to their whole grain versions. (Source: Mozaffarian D, Agarwal M, Aggarwal M …Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity SocietyThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2025; 122, 344-367).
Considering my plant-based nutrient-dense focus, I have excluded quick restaurants that focus on burgers, sub-type sandwiches, bakeries, or convenience stores.
Even if you enjoy cooking and have plenty of time to do it, it can be nice to take a break and have some flexibility if you’re traveling for work or fun, going out with family or friends, etc.
I have listed these nine chains in order of my preference. You will find a link to the nutrition information for each restaurant, and my tips, pros, and cons for each. At the bottom, I listed a few more places that I have not tried yet.
Note that this is my opinion from my experiences, with no promotional consideration (other than rewards programs, which are available to all customers).
Cava
Folks, Cava is my current favorite of the fast casual restaurants. You have plenty of flavorful and nutritious choices, receive a large portion that can be two or more meals, at a good price, too. Also, the restaurants I’ve visited have been clean and have friendly service.
Locations: Cava is currently located in 29 states.
Sign up for their rewards program to save money if you go often.
Pros:
- Options for the base include black lentils (my favorite), a few greens mixes include greens, broccoli, kale, cabbage, brown rice, and white rice. You can mix and match these.
- Vegan protein choices: black lentils and felafel.
- Brussels sprouts are available in the greens and roasted vegetable mix.
- Pescatarians may enjoy the new salmon option.
- Hummus, red pepper hummus, and eggplant dip are tasty plant-based options out of the dips. Try the harissa if you like spice.
- They have nicely spiced vegan salad dressings: skhug (green and herby) and hot harissa vinaigrette, or balance out a spicy bowl with lemon herb tahini or tahini Caesar.
- Vegetarian options include feta cheese, “crazy feta”
- There is a great vegetable selection including spicy roasted broccoli, pickled red onions, fire roasted corn, tomato and cucumber, and sumac slaw.
- Large portion sizes (easy to save some for another meal – you can request the dressing on the side to prevent sogginess).
Cons:
- It’s hard to think of any – maybe just that they’re not in all states.
- The pita chips and pita bread are made with refined flour – not the most nutritious choice, and taste saltier than their nutrition facts list.
Roots Natural Kitchen
Roots has a wide selection of greens mixtures, flavorful cooked tofu, beans, lentils, and vegetables that you can have in a salad, bowl, or burrito. I have only eaten at Roots Natural Kitchen once, but we loved it! Roots offers a menu of standard salads and grain bowls, or you can make your own.
Pros
- Bases include black and brown rice. bulgur, quinoa, arugula, and kale – several high fiber, nutritious options that you don’t see in most restaurants!
- Vegan protein sources: barbecued tofu, red chili miso tofu, black beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas,
- Vegetable toppings include roasted sweet potatoes, etc.
- These dressings look tasty! lemon za’atar, basil balsamic, miso ginger, and lemon tahini dressings.
- Pescatarians – they also have grilled shrimp.
- Very large portions – decent value (easy to save some for another meal).
Cons
- These are harder to find, as they are only in six states currently, on the East Coast.
- The price is slightly higher than Cava.
Saladworks
This chain has a terrific variety of salads on their menu. You can swap out the chicken or other animal protein sources for tofu, nuts, seeds, or other vegetables. Or, create your own salad with five toppings (there’s an extra charge if you would like more toppings).
They also offer grain bowls, paninis, sandwiches, and soups.
Saladworks has 100 stores, mainly on the East Coast.
Pros
- Fresh greens including spring mix, kale, and a romaine mix.
- Vegan protein options include chickpeas, edamame, baked tofu, white beans, and a corn bean blend.
- There are a variety of crunchy options besides croutons: walnuts, apple chips, sunflower seeds, and glazed pecans.
- Vegetable toppings include roasted butternut squash, cauliflower, artichokes, and four types of peppers!
- The portion sizes are usually generous. Hint: leave your dressing on the side to save leftovers for another meal, without your salad becoming soggy.
- Salads are a very good value for the portion – they start at $9.99.
- Pescatarians may enjoy the cooked shrimp (shrimp, tofu, or a hard-boiled egg cost a little extra).
Cons
- If you’re interested in soup, be sure to ask if their soups of the day are made with a vegan or vegetarian stock.
Mod Pizza
Mod Pizza makes a thin-crust pizza that cooks quickly in their super hot wood-fired ovens. They allow as many toppings as you would like for the same price!
Consider asking for a pizza with not too much cheese or vegan cheese: extra fat could contribute to nausea, diarrhea, or constipation.
Pros
- The pizzas have a very thin crust – this means they cook relatively fast, and there are less carbohydrates and calories than a regular pizza.
- You can have an unlimited number of toppings, which is a great value! And there are lots of veggies to choose from like artichokes, peppers, tomatoes, onions, spinach, mushrooms, and even pineapple.
- Vegan cheese is available, and it tastes pretty good.
- Gluten-free crust is available.
- I haven’t tried them, but they also offer salads.
Cons
- It’s hard to think of any as this is one of my favorite places. Their prices have gone up a bit.
- A personal pizza there with heaps of vegan and vegetarian fillings may be too much to eat at once! But, it’s easy to have some and take the rest home to heat up and enjoy later.
Moe’s Southwest Grill
Pros:
- Black beans, pinto beans, and tofu for plant-based protein selections.
- Guacamole is included free with vegetable and bean burritos, bowls, salads, or tacos.
- There are a variety of vegetable toppings.
- Their salsa bar is a great way to add flavor to your meal.
Cons:
- The free chips with each meal can be tempting!
You can click on the nutrition information for each item from their menu: Moe’s Southwest Grill.
Chipotle
As you can see from these tacos, you can choose plenty of veggies at Chipotle!
- Somewhere under all of that lettuce are black beans! You may want to skip the cilantro white or brown rice or have just a small portion of rice in order to focus on more nutrient-dense choices.
- Chipotle is easy to find with over 4,000 locations in the U.S.
Pros:
- Black beans, pinto beans, and sofritas (cooked, seasoned tofu) provide tasty vegan protein options.
- You can order a small meal with one tacos.
- There are a variety of vegetable toppings, including corn salsa, spicy salsa, fajita cooked bell peppers and onions, and lettuce.
Cons:
- Their tasty guacamole costs extra.
- Social media reels show that people receive less food when ordering online as compared to in-store.
Honeygrow
Honeygrow serves customizable noodle and rice stir-fries, and salads. I have found their service to be prompt and friendly. You can search for vegan and vegetarian foods easily on their website and app.
Pros
- Roasted tofu is available
- Everything I have tried from there has been tasty.
- Whole grain noodles are on the menu
Cons
- The portions of vegetables and plant-based proteins seems small (but you can order and pay for double).
- Vegan protein choices are limited.
- The meals seem more focused on noodles and rice dishes
Qdoba Mexican Eats®
Create a meal you love from their salads, bowls, burritos, or tacos. At any of the Mexican quick-service restaurants, I suggest avoiding the sour cream as it is higher in saturated fat without providing too many nutrients.
Burritos and quesadillas are large and higher in calories and carbohydrates than salads: you may want to eat some and save some for another meal.
Pros
- Black and pinto beans are available, along with salsas, fajita veggies, and guacamole.
- You can request extra vegetables.
Cons
- Vegan cheese is not available.
Panera Bread®
Panera features breads, soups, and Mediterranean-style foods. Look for whole grain or multigrain bread options in place of standard bread or bagels, or croissants. I suggest skipping the cream cheese. I feel that Panera would be more veggie-friendly if they offered baked tempeh, tofu, or beans as options.
Pros:
- “Pick Two”, like a soup and sandwich, sandwich and salad, is a great strategy to choose more nutrient dense options or if you can’t decide what to order.
- Whole grain lavash and multigrain bagel flats are sandwich choices with more fiber.
- You can request an apple in place of bread with meals (and the apple is easy to save for later if you’re full).
- Panera is easy to find, with over 2,000 locations in the U.S. They usually have comfortable seating and the restaurants can be a gathering space for community groups.
- You can find vegetarian choices easily in their app.
- Panera also serves breakfast. For vegan eating, try the steel-cut oats with strawberries and pecans (a good source of fiber!). Vegetarian breakfast ideas: yogurt with granola and berries or egg whites sandwich with avocado on the multigrain bagel flats.
- Bananas and a fruit cup are available as side orders.
Cons
- While you can customize your items to an extent, chicken is a common protein source at Panera.
- Vegan protein options are limited. Hummus is available year-round and contains just 2 grams of protein.. Black bean soup is a seasonal offering.
- While macaroni and cheese and the four cheese souffle are higher in protein, they also are higher in fat with 30-32 grams per serving. High fat foods can lead to nausea and diarrhea when taking GLP-1 medications. For these two meals, consider saving half for another day or different options.
- Be sure to ask or look up any soups to check if the broth is vegetarian if you are not sure.
Panera doesn’t have full-size whole grain bagels or muffins.
More Fast Casual Restaurants
I have not tried these yet so they are excluded from my rankings for now: Noodles & Co, Sweet Green, and Chopt.
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Note: restaurant menus change often. This is up to date as of 6/30/26.
Do you have any fast casual restaurant tips to share? Please add them to the comments!
