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Vegan Options at IHOP
International House of Pancakes (IHOP) is a multinational fast-food restaurant chain known for serving breakfast in America since 1958. When the average American craves pancakes, the first place that comes to mind is IHOP. Undoubtedly, IHOP serves all Americans, including the vegan population. However, the options that vegans have there are few.
Hoping for delicious vegan pancakes at IHOP is futile since the restaurant chain does not serve them. Most of the vegan options you have at any 1,900 locations are side dishes. You can presently order vegan dishes such as hashbrowns, sourdough toast, and minestrone soup when you crave a fast-food breakfast.
As a vegan getting fast food is not the most straightforward job. Therefore, the next time you are at IHOP, you must try some of these dishes from their vegan menu.
Vegan Soups and Salads
Beginning any meal with a healthy soup or salad is the best idea. That is especially true when the restaurant does not serve any main-course items for vegans. Here are a few soups and salads that you can try at IHOP.
House Salad
Like many other fast-food restaurants, IHOP has a vegan salad perfect for starting a meal. Other than the House Salad, you can also opt for the vegan Citrus Pecan Salad. However, both items are quite similar.
Since the croutons are generally not vegan, ask to get your salad prepared without them. However, you can opt for a large variety of dressings. Vega dressings at IHOP include orange vinaigrette, fat-free raspberry vinaigrette, creamy Italian, and Catalina or French dressing.
To make the House Salad more interesting, you can add several salad add-ins. Onion, pickles, tomatoes, and mushrooms are all vegan-friendly. However, they are likely to add to your salad’s cost. If you want a larger portion, you can order a Big House Salad.
Minestrone Soup
Even though most chains choose to cook soup with chicken broth, IHOP has a vegan option for you. Similar to Olive Garden, you can order a portion of minestrone soup at IHOP to titillate your taste buds. This soup is wholly made of vegetarian and non-dairy food items.
The minestrone is generally served with a bunch of crackers. You can avoid these crackers as they are pre-made and usually not vegan.
Vegan Food
If you are at IHOP and want something delicious and vegan to start your day, you must try some of the following breakfast items.
English Muffin
If there is one breakfast item at IHOP that many love, it is the English Muffin. Instead of the butter, you can get the muffin loaded with jams that enhance this food item’s flavor. The English Muffin can be eaten as a standalone breakfast dessert or used as a replacement for crackers with the minestrone soup.
Grits/Oatmeal
You can order any fresh oatmeal at IHOP as a vegan-friendly breakfast item. All you need to do is to ask it to be cooked in water instead of milk. Not only is a breakfast of oatmeal healthy, but also very versatile. You can request it to be accompanied by the side of salad add-ins or fruit to get the right morning kick.
Fresh Fruit Cup
The fruit cup you can order at IHOP is one of the most versatile items on the menu. You can add fruit such as cantaloupe medley, orange, watermelon, and pineapple to your cup for a sweet yet healthy delight. The fresh fruit cup is a great breakfast option if you want to eat healthily. You can also order it with another dish to get a well-balanced meal.
Hashbrowns
Hashbrowns are an excellent breakfast substitution for dishes such as eggs and bacon. This breakfast staple item is sure to boost carbohydrates in a vegan-friendly manner if you ask the server to get yours cooked without butter. The hashbrowns available at IHOP can be topped with multiple items such as salsa, ketchup, and avocado.
Sourdough Toast
There is nothing like beginning a day with a toast. Since butter is not a vegan option, you can order a side of fruits, jam, or avocado. You can let your inner foodie loose and explore the fantastic breakfast items you can create for yourself, such as avocado toast.
Sauteed Veggies
You might not be able to find this vegan delight on most of the IHOP locations’ proper menus. However, this is a vegan dish that you can get custom-made at any location. As far as the basic understanding for chefs, they consider this a vegan omelet. Therefore, you will get a platter full of sauteed vegetables such as spinach, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, onions, and mushrooms.
You can get creative with your dish and ask to get it topped with sauces meant for ice cream sundaes, cheese blintzes, and crepes. Vegan sauce and topping options include tortillas, salsa, blueberry compote, strawberry glaze, chocolate sauce, and peanut butter.
Seasoned Fries
Seasoned French fries are every vegan’s breakfast delight; you can get that at IHOP. French fries make an excellent side for everyday meals or can be enjoyed alone with multiple dressing and sauce options.
Baked Potato
Baked potato comes with a side of butter or cheese, as described on the restaurant’s menu. However, you can ask the served to get yours without the butter and cheese to get a vegan option. Adding French fry seasoning or vegan sauces can make the food item more flavorful.
Vegan Beverages
To top a hearty vegan meal, some beverages will complete your breakfast experience. While most of the vegan options you get at IHOP are packed drinks, knowing your options is excellent. Below are some of the vegan beverages you can get at IHOP.
- Flavored coffee
- Brewed and herbal tea
- Ice teas
- Fountain drinks
- Lemonades
- Splashers
- Juices
- Apple
- Orange
- Cranberry
- Grapefruit
- Tomato
- Selected alcoholic beverages
The beverage options that you can find at IHOP are dependent on the location that you are at. It is best to talk to your served before you make up your mind.
Vegan Meal Ideas
While we will have to wait to get vegan pancakes at IHOP, there are a few meals that you can stylize for yourself.
Vegan Breakfast Meal Options
Below is a list of a few vegan options that can be combined at IHOP to create a well-balanced vegan meal.
- Flour tortilla with a generous peanut butter spread and either strawberry glaze or blueberry compote. Get your tortilla rolled up and order with a side of a fruit cup.
- Toasted English Muffin that is full of jam and avocado. Order with a side of juice or your choice and sauteed veggies.
- Water-based cooked oatmeal with a fruit cup and syrup of your choice. Add a side of hashbrowns or baked potato for the best effect.
- A portion of grits along with sourdough toast. Season the toast with either peanut butter or any jam/syrup of your choice. Order with a side of hash brown or seasoned French fries.
Vegan Lunch and Dinner Meal Options
IHOP is a predominantly breakfast-oriented restaurant chain. However, they have some options that suit midday or night-time meals. Creating a vegan meal for lunch and dinner could be difficult since all the available options are breakfast-based. You can try one of the following meal combos to get a well-balanced meal:
- Sauteed vegetables along with double hash browns. You can either add tea or coffee to this combination or top it with a serving of fountain soda. If you need more vegetables, you can order a side of the House Salad.
- A portion of House Salad along with corn tortillas and French fries. Get a stuffing of sauteed vegetables topped with salsa and avocado for taste and protein enhancement.
- Minestrone soup and two slices of avocado toast (sourdough toast with a side of avocado). Add broccoli and baked potato with sauces for a filling breakfast.
The Future of Vegan Food at IHOP
In a few reports by Vegan Outreach, IHOP is currently looking into vegan options for its menu. They are looking for plant-based animal product alternatives to make their menu more inclusive.
Together with PETA and Compassion Over Killing, Vegan Outreach has told fast-food chains that vegans like eating outside too. As a result, they have achieved many fast-food chain restaurants to have vegan options on their menus.
According to posts by the Vegan Outreach on Instagram, their petitions have been signed by over 20,000 people. Resultingly, IHOP will, in the future, be able to serve vegan pancakes to its customers. The current vegan alternative options will continue to thrive at IHOP as the vegan population gets to enjoy their breakfast at the biggest breakfast chain in America.
Wrapping Up
Due to the petitions created by NGOs such as Vegan Outreach, Compassion Over Killing, and PETA, fast-food chain restaurants, including IHOP, have vegan options on their menus. Even though the vegan alternatives people can find at IHOP are few, there is a lot of scope for creativity.
Soon enough, you will be able to enjoy vegan pancakes at IHOP. However, till then, enjoy the above-given existing vegan food items at IHOP.