What to Eat at Veggie Grill: Healthy Menu Choices and Nutrition Facts

Veggie Grill is an all-vegan fast-casual restaurant chain with locations in five U.S. states. With a plant-powered menu, Veggie Grill aims to make plant-based food more delicious and attractive. It offers a variety of menu items that appeal to vegans, vegetarians, and even meat-eaters alike. Popular offerings include mac n’ cheese, buffalo wings, and Beyond burgers.

In addition to being vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, Veggie Grill offers a number of gluten-free substitutions for those with dietary restrictions. Customers with a variety of dietary preferences and health goals can find something on the Veggie Grill menu.

Navigating the Menu

Veggie Grill’s menu is not limited to one type of cuisine. It contains dishes inspired by American, Mexican, and Asian cuisines, to name a few. But the dishes have one thing in common—they are all vegan. Despite many ingredients that mimic animal products (i.e. cheese, fish, beef, etc.), menu items are 100% plant-based and don't contain any meat, dairy, eggs, or other animal products.

While most of Veggie Grill’s menu items are permanent, the chain also offers a rotation of seasonal dishes throughout the year, which may vary depending on location. In each category, some menu items may be more appealing depending on your dietary preferences and restrictions as well as the items’ nutrition facts.

Most Nutritious Option

If you're looking for the healthiest option at Veggie Grill, choose the house veggie burger, which offers healthy fats and protein along with its vegetables.

Starters + Shares

Whether you intend to share or enjoy by yourself, this section of the menu is dedicated to appetizers and snacks. This category includes fan favorites like crispy cauliflower, regular or sweet potato fries, wings, mac and cheese, Moroccan lentil soup, Southwestern nachos, and Buffalo mini wraps.

✓ Two Taco Plate - Chickin'

The Veggie Grill's popular two taco plate with "chickin" contains 360 calories, 17g fat, 2g saturated fat, 40g carbohydrates, 15g protein, and 420mg sodium. This two-taco order also boasts 6g fiber and is the lowest-calorie starter on the Veggie Grill menu. (Fish tacos are not far behind, at 370 calories, but they are a bit higher in fat and sodium and lower in protein.)

✗ Southwestern Nachos

Nachos are a classic appetizer. They’re greasy, full of carbs, and smothered in gooey cheese. Veggie Grill's Southwestern nachos are a vegan rendition, complete with vegan taco meat, cheese, and soy sour cream on a bed of tortilla chips with avocado, pickled Fresno peppers, green onions, cilantro, corn and tomato salsa, pico de gallo, and ranchero beans.

Though they're undeniably delicious, the Southwestern nachos provide 1,230 calories, 63g fat, 15g saturated fat, 136g carbohydrates, 29g protein, and 2,010mg sodium per order. This item is meant to serve two, which cuts the number of calories, carbs, and sodium by half.

Burgers

Veggie Grill’s burger selection consists mainly of Beyond Burgers, which aren’t your typical veggie burgers. The Beyond patty is made of pea protein, canola oil, and beet juice, which gives it a meaty flavor, texture, and appearance. Veggie Grill also has a house-made veggie burger made from wild rice and mushrooms.

✓ House Veggie Burger

The Beyond burgers at Veggie Grill are indeed nutritious and delicious, making them a great choice if you’re up for a burger. But a more nutritious option is house veggie burger made with black beans and mushrooms on a whole grain sesame flax bun, topped with arugula, purple pickled onions, roasted baby tomatoes, and basil aioli. The veggie burger has 610 calories, 24g fat, 5g saturated fat, 86g carbohydrates, 16g protein, and 1,460mg sodium.

✗ Double BBQ Mac Burger

Mouthwatering as it may be, the double BBQ mac burger has nearly twice the amount of sodium as the veggie burger—2,380mg, which is substantial considering the recommended daily intake is 2,300mg.

Served on a brioche bun and topped with mac and cheese, two Beyond Burger patties, lettuce, ranch sauce, and BBQ sauce, this burger is worth a try as long as you're not trying to limit your sodium intake. The rest of the burger's nutrition facts are relatively reasonable, with 980 calories, 54g fat, 12g saturated fat, and 74g carbohydrates. It's also a protein powerhouse with 43g per serving.

Sandwiches

There are several sandwiches to choose from on the Veggie Grill menu, with options including vegan-friendly fish, chicken, beef, and turkey as the protein. Since each sandwich comes on bread or a bun, the carbohydrates add up quickly. For those with allergies or other dietary restrictions, there are gluten-free substitutions.

✓ Cajun Fish Sandwich

The Cajun fish sandwich has the lowest number of calories compared to other sandwiches, and features a crunchy fish filet, lettuce, tomato, pickled celery, and Cajun devil sauce. It contains 560 calories, 25g fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 56g carbohydrates, 19g protein, and 1,640mg sodium. Though the sodium may seem high, it’s still low compared to other sandwiches in this category.

✗ Tuna Melt

While you can't go wrong with a crowd-pleaser like the tuna melt, it’s higher in calories, carbs, and sodium than other sandwich options at Veggie Grill. But this spicy fish-less sandwich is still a great source of plant-based protein. The tuna melt contains 770 calories, 36g fat, 6g saturated fat, 71g carbohydrates, 36g protein, and 2,520mg sodium.

Salads

Veggie Grill will make you fall in love with salad all over again. Depending on the dressing and toppings, however, salad can go from balanced to indulgent very quickly. 

✓ Kale Caesar

There are several nutritious salads at Veggie Grill, but the kale Caesar salad is a fan favorite for its flavor and impressive nutritious facts. Like other salads on the menu, a serving of this salad contains just 490 calories. With kale, parmesan cheese, croutons, and grilled lemon, the kale Caesar is nutritiously satisfying with 41g fat, 6g saturated fat, 23g carbohydrates, 11g protein, and 740mg sodium. 

✗ Catalina Taco Salad Wrap

Similar to the Southwestern nachos, the Catalina taco salad, as tasty as it may be, is much higher in calories and fat than other options in this category. A serving of Catalina taco salad "wrap style" has 990 calories and 42 grams of fat (without the wrap, it's 410 calories and 18g fat).

This salad comes fully loaded with vegan taco meat, avocado, green cabbage, baby heirloom tomatoes, corn and tomato salsa, jicama, ranchero beans, and wild rice served over lettuce and topped with a Catalina dressing. As a wrap, the dish contains 10g saturated fat, 128g carbohydrates, 26g protein, and 1,750mg sodium. It also has 33g sugar, which may not be the best option for a salad if you're trying to reduce your sugar intake.

Bowls

With a handful of permanent bowls and one or two rotating seasonal options, there’s bound to be a bowl to suit your needs. The bowls are popular dishes for their variety and balanced nutrition. Since all the bowls are well balanced, your choice will ultimately depend on whether you're trying to cut back on calories, fat, or sugar.

✓ Masala Chickpea Curry Bowl

Out of all the bowls, the masala chickpea curry bowl has the least amount of fat and saturated fat. It's much lower in sodium than other options in this category at just 720mg per serving, and is also the highest in dietary fiber and nutrient-rich carbohydrates.

This satisfying chickpea-based curry features roasted butternut squash, Indian-spiced cauliflower, cumin cabbage, cilantro, and wild rice. Each bowl contains 870 calories, which is higher than the Far East chicken bowl, but the low fat and sodium content makes up for it. The dish has 16g fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 154g carbohydrates, 21g dietary fiber, 19g sugar, and 33g protein.

✗ Far East Bowl - Sesame Crusted Chickin'

The sesame crusted chickin' Far East bowl is by no means an unhealthy option, though it's higher in sugar compared to the other bowls at 20g per serving. This unique dish is packed with flavor, with plant-based sesame-crusted chicken and broccolini in a cilantro green curry, Asian-inspired pickle slaw, and sweet Thai chili sauce served with wild rice.

It's still a well-balanced choice, with each serving containing 760 calories, 19g fat, 8g saturated fat, 108g carbohydrates, 34g protein, and 9g dietary fiber.

Kids Meals

Veggie Grill's plant-based kids' meals menu offers several options for diners aged 10 and under.

✓ Crispy Chickin'

The kids' Crispy Chickin' dish comes with three plant-based chicken wings and a ranch dressing side for 330 calories, 21g fat, 3g saturated fat, 18g carbohydrates, 18g protein, and 380mg sodium. For a crunchy side, choose snap peas and jicama sticks for an additional 20 calories.

✗ Mac & Cheese

The kids' serving of macaroni and cheese has 470 calories, 31g fat, 2g saturated fat, 42g carbohydrates, 7g protein, and 590mg sodium. Crispy fries and sweet potato fries add 300 and 390 calories, respectively, to the meal. Instead, choose the snap peas and jicama sticks (20 calories) or little green salad (80 calories).

Sides

There are a number of choices for sides to accompany your burger or sandwich at Veggie Grill. Like other menu items, these too are mostly balanced options. But you can avoid limit calories and fat by ordering carefully.

✓ Moroccan Lentil Soup

A cup of Moroccan lentil soup is the lowest-calorie side on the menu and is plentiful in protein and other nutrients. Lentils are also a great source of dietary fiber, and this soup packs 9 grams in a single serving. Flavorful and filling, the lentil soup has 140 calories, 3g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 20g carbohydrates, 7g protein, and only 300mg sodium. 

✗ Mac & Cheese

A regular side of mac and cheese at Veggie Grill may only come in at 400 calories, but it's much higher in fat than other options in this category. With rotelle pasta smothered in a gooey vegan cheese sauce finished with gremolata, it's not that surprising this side dish weighs in at 22 grams of fat per serving. A side order of mac and cheese also has 5g saturated fat, 42g carbohydrates, 7g protein, and 610mg sodium.

Desserts

Veggie Grill is well-known for its delicious desserts. Depending on the location nearest you, you'll find vegan-friendly brownies, cookies, cakes, or parfaits.

✓ Belgian Chocolate Cake

This rich cake features a layer of chocolate cake, a layer of chocolate cheesecake, and a fudge topping. Each serving provides 420 calories, 15g fat, 7g saturated fat, 61g carbohydrates, 6g protein, and 300mg sodium.

The oatmeal raisin cookie has similar nutrition facts; it's a bit lower in calories and sodium, but higher in fat: 410 calories, 18g fat, 7g saturated fat, 62g carbohydrates, 5g protein, and 170mg sodium.

✗ Carrot Cake

While it is made from veggies, this cake is the highest in calories, fat, and sodium among the desserts. It provides 610 calories, 33g fat, 7g saturated fat, 75g carbohydrates, 6g protein, and 740mg sodium.

Drinks

Beverages are an easy way to exceed your calorie and sugar targets. Ordering plain water tends to be the healthiest option, since it keeps you hydrated but has no calories, fat, sugar, or sodium. But if you’re thirsty for more flavor, Veggie Grill offers a variety of bottled drinks.

✓ Unsweetened Black Iced Tea 

Unsweetened black iced tea is a naturally a zero-calorie and sugar-free drink. A 24-ounce serving contains 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g carbohydrates, 0g protein, and 96mg sodium.

✗ Lemonade

All of Veggie Grill’s fountain drinks are moderately high in calories, carbohydrates, and sugar. Its selection of limeade, lemonade, and agua frescas are especially high in these nutrients. The lemonade, for example, contains 290 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 78g carbohydrates, 74g sugar, and 0g protein per serving. 

Diet-Specific Options

Veggie Grill offers many choices for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and low-carb diets, but fewer for those who follow low-FODMAP, diabetes-friendly, low-fat, or low-sodium diets.

Gluten-Free

Veggie Grill has a long list of "gluten-friendly" menu items. For a nutritious option, order the VG classic burger with a gluten-free bun or lettuce wrap.

• Southwestern nachos
• Fries
• Sweet potato fries
• Moroccan lentil soup
• Potato salad
• Catalina taco salad
• Kale + quinoa power salad
• Classic romaine Caesar (no croutons)
• Kale Caesar (no croutons)
• Masala chickpea curry bowl
• Far East bowl (tempeh only)
• 7 layer bowl
• The VG Classic (sub gluten-free bun or lettuce)
• Steakhouse burger (sub gluten-free bun or lettuce)
• Kids' veggie burger (sub gluten-free bun or lettuce)
• Chocolate parfait (omit chocolate cookie crumble)
  

Low-Carb

The Veggie Grill menu has a few options if you're following a low-carb diet. For example, the Beyond burger patty has just 5g carbohydrates, and you could order it as a side on its own, top a salad with it, or have it in a lettuce wrap instead of a bun. The classic romaine Caesar salad is a nutritious choice with only 16g carbohydrates.

• Fries with chipotle ranch dressing (3g carbs)
• Classic romaine Caesar (16g carbs)
• Beyond burger patty (5g carbs)
• Bulgogi beef protein add-on (14g carbs)
• Diced crispy chickin' (14g carbs)
• Diced Buffalo chickin' (16g carbs)
• Lentil soup, cup (20g carbs)
• Pesto pasta salad, regular size (20g carbs)
• Kids Meals crispy chickin' (18g carbs)
• Kids Meals crispy fish (19g carbs)
• Kids Meals pudding dessert (16g carbs)
• Kids Meals cookies (19g carbs)
  

Low-FODMAP

The low-FODMAP diet restricts the intake of certain foods, such as legumes and some fruits and vegetables. Eating out on this diet is generally difficult, but ordering sweet potato fries and a side of Veggie Grill's seasonal soup is a great option.

• Sweet potato fries
• Seasonal soup (compliant when made without high-FODMAP vegetables
  

Diabetes-Friendly

People with diabetes may restrict their intakes of certain nutrients, such as sugar, sodium, or carbohydrates. Depending on your specific diabetes-friendly diet, the diabetes-friendly menu items may require some modifications to suit your needs, but should be safe for you to eat. For a nutritious meal, opt for the pesto pasta salad.

• Classic romaine Caesar
• Kale Caesar
• Lentil soup, cup
• The VG Classic Burger
• Pesto pasta salad
  

Low-Fat

For those following a low-fat diet, Veggie Grill has several options. Even though all the food is plant-based, vegan cooking often uses nuts, which can be high in fat. For only 16g fat, choose the masala chickpea bowl at Veggie Grill.

• Lentil soup, bowl (16g fat, 1g saturated fat)
• Two-taco plate, chickin' (17g fat, 2g saturated fat)
• Kimchi beef bowl (23g fat, 3.5g saturated fat)
• Masala chickpea bowl (16g fat, 2.5g saturated fat)
• Classic romaine Caesar (2g fat, 0g saturated fat)
• Kids Meals veggie burger (8g fat, 1g saturated fat)
  

Low-Sodium

When eating out, it’s common to find that menu items contain more sodium than they would if prepared at home. Some of Veggie Grill’s offerings are high-sodium, but for a meal that's lower in sodium, choose the pesto pasta salad and a cup of lentil soup for a combined 580mg sodium.

• Crispy cauliflower (0mg sodium)
• Sweet potato fries (250mg sodium)
• Plain wings (400mg sodium)
• Classic romaine Caesar (190mg sodium)
• Diced crispy chickin' protein add-on (240mg sodium)
• Lentil soup, cup (300mg sodium)
• Pesto pasta salad, regular size (280mg sodium)
• Chocolate pudding parfait (135mg sodium)
• Chocolate brownie (150mg sodium)
• Oatmeal raisin cookie (170mg sodium)
• Kids Meals crispy chickin' (380mg sodium)
  

Vegan and Vegetarian

Veggie Grill is a vegan’s haven. Since all menu items are plant-based, vegans do not have to ask for modifications unless other dietary restrictions are present. All menu items are vegetarian by default because they are vegan.

Food Allergies and Safety

The chain restaurant welcomes people of all diets, even those that don’t follow an exclusively plant-based diet. Those with severe food allergies who are sensitive to cross contamination should be cautious when eating at any restaurant. You can see an allergen menu online, but according to Veggie Grill, "food may be made on equipment or prepared in areas containing gluten, soy, and nuts."

A Word From Verywell

Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or vegan-curious, you will find something you love from Veggie Grill's wide variety of dishes. Though it is an all-plant-based restaurant, it’s not free of menu items that are high in calories, fat, carbs, sodium, and sugar.

Still, that doesn't mean the burgers, sandwiches, or bowls are off-limits, especially when consumed in moderation. Depending on your diet and lifestyle, you may want to consider checking the nutrition facts before ordering.