As people’s interest in health and the future of the planet increases, the fast food industry has taken note. More and more takeaway chains have added plant-based burgers that 'bleed', meat-less sticky ribs and vegan faux-cheese pizzas to their menus. Here are the biggest fast food curve balls of recent years.

Bareburger was one of the first burger chains to start selling the Impossible Burger, a plant-based patty that 'bleeds' and sizzles when cooked from Silicon Valley start-up Impossible Foods, in 2017. A molecule called heme gives the burger its meat-like texture and allows it to 'bleed'. The chain is an all-natural, organic burger outlet that sells beef and bison patties alongside quinoa, black bean and meat-free versions.

With a vegan patty supplied by Impossible Foods (the same company that supplies Bareburger), the Impossible VBQ is a 4oz patty prepared with espresso rub, smoky BBQ sauce, coleslaw and jalapeños. Apparently it tastes almost indistinguishably similar to a regular beef burger but requires 75% less water to make, and production generates 87% less greenhouse gases and requires 95% less land.

In 2018, White Castle introduced the Impossible Slider and it’s now on the menu at all 420 of its restaurants. At just $1.99 (£1.50) the protein-packed, plant-based slider is an affordable way for burger lovers to cut down their meat intake and environmental footprint. The target consumer of Impossible Foods was never existing vegans but instead its aim is to tempt the steadfast meat-eater.

Another company distributing meat-free burgers is Beyond Meat. Impossible Foods’ competitor makes a pea protein-based patty which contains beet juice to create a blood-like effect – much like the Impossible Burger. As of 2019, the vegan sandwich with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, dill pickle, special sauce and mayonnaise was made available at more than 1,000 Carl's Jr. locations across the US.

Sausage and egg muffin fans listen up, Canada’s second largest fast food chain A&W now sells the vegetarian breakfast burger. Introduced in 2019, it contains a Beyond Meat meat-free sausage patty, cheddar and a freshly cracked egg from hens fed a vegetarian diet. Although the egg is not vegan, we suspect it will be in the future, with companies like Silicon Valley's Hampton Creek recently debuting their first vegan eggs. Watch this space.

It’s not just plant-based burgers and sausages that Beyond Meat supply. It also produces Beyond Beef Crumbles, a minced beef (ground beef) substitute used to create Del Taco’s Beyond Taco and Beyond Taco with avocado. It’s juicy, meaty-tasting and high in protein. Stop by your nearest Del Taco drive-thru to try one for yourself.

The Mexican-inspired fast food chain known for its incredible meat options has finally gone green. In 2019, Taco Bell's Dallas outpost released a vegetarian menu that’s American Vegetarian Association certified. It includes a 7-Layer burrito, Vegetarian Crunchwrap Supreme and Vegetarian Quesarito. What’s more, you can make anything vegan by asking for it 'fresco style'.

In 2018, drive-in chain Sonic launched a mushroom-infused cheeseburger. Marketed as a healthier option, it consists of a burger patty made with minced beef (ground beef) and 25 to 30% mushrooms. It clocks in at half the calories of a regular Sonic cheeseburger: 340kcals compared to 600kcals. Cutting back on beef will also reduce your environmental footprint.

America’s favourite gourmet hot dog chain, Dog Haus, added Beyond Meat to its menu at the end of 2018. The meat-free options include the Beyond Brat topped with sauerkraut, caramelised onions and spicy brown mustard, and the Sooo Veggie, a Beyond Hot Italian Sausage served with wild arugula, avocado, tomato, crispy onions and basil. The company says the move is part of their mission to produce sustainable food.

It’s not just burgers getting the plant-based treatment. Fast casual franchise fresh&co, in New York, rolled out a plant-based pho bowl for its customers earlier this year. The Vietnamese-inspired dish contains Impossible meatballs from Impossible Foods, courgette (zucchini) noodles, mint, coriander (cilantro), cabbage, scallions and lime. The move was a first in restaurants using the meat-free alternative in pho, however we expect more to follow.

Green is going global with Impossible Bao becoming one of the first restaurants in Hong Kong to sell Impossible Foods’ products. Bao are steamed buns normally stuffed with meat filling. The Impossible Bao is a plant-based alternative made with Impossible meat, black pepper teriyaki sauce, salted lemon kombu salad and fermented tofu, all served in a fluffy steamed bun.

Little Bao chef-owner May Chow also added the meat-free alternative to her other Hong Kong restaurant Happy Paradise. It serves a dish called the Impossible XinJiang Hot Pocket which features Impossible meat, pickled daikon and xinjiang spices. Her aim is to create food that’s sustainable and responsible, but still delicious.

The future has arrived at McDonald’s in Norway, where vegetarians can feast on meat-free McNuggets alongside their Big Mac-gobbling friends. The vegan bites are made from chickpeas, carrots, onions and sweetcorn. They were introduced earlier in 2019 but there are no current plans to bring them to the US or UK.

Vegan fans of the sandwich fast food giant Subway will be pleased to know selected UK stores are trialling a vegan sandwich called the Vegan Signature Loaded Wrap. It features a vegan patty, lettuce, onions, peppers, tomatoes and egg-free aioli. The move follows the introduction of The Vegan Delite (pictured) made with a soy-based patty to Subway stores in Finland in 2018.

For Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2019, Burger King launched an Unhappy Meal which tells customers it’s okay not to be okay. When customers buy a Whopper meal, the boxes represent different moods including the Blue Meal, the Salty Meal, the YAAAS Meal, the Pissed Meal and the DGAF meal. It’s a great sentiment and will hopefully get people talking about mental health.

In 2018 McDonald’s made a game-changing announcement. It was to replace frozen beef patties used to make Quarter Pounders with fresh beef. The move was made to improve food quality and boost the burger chain’s reputation. This hasn’t changed the calorie count, with one Quarter Pounder sitting at 530.

In January 2019, McDonald's restaurants in the UK made vegetarian fast food available for kids by launching a vegetarian Happy Meal. One option is the Spicy Veggie Wrap: two red pesto, yellow pea-based goujons, spicy relish, tomato, lettuce and red onion in a toasted tortilla. There’s also a non-spicy option. They've been certified by The Vegetarian Society.

In the UK, pioneering plant-based food tech company, Moving Mountains, produce realistically meaty vegan hot dogs that have just launched at Unity Diner, London. They're made with sunflower seeds which have a naturally smoked flavour and firm yet bouncy texture, carrots, onion, paprika and coconut oil. The dogs are said to be so similar in texture and flavour to frankfurters, they convince the most adamant carnivore they don’t need meat in their bun.

McDonald’s in the UK isn’t alone in launching a meat-free Happy Meal. McDonald’s in Sweden has just launched the McFalafel, a vegan Happy Meal featuring falafels plus dipping sauces. Vegetarians can enjoy a yogurt sauce while there’s a pepper dip for vegans. Just like the regular Happy Meal, it comes with a choice of apples, carrots, small fries, milk, juice or a fizzy drink.

Domino's trialled the Vegan Supreme pizza at select UK stores near the end of 2018. It had a vegan crust, marinara sauce, peppers, corn, mushrooms, tomatoes and dairy-free cheese. It’s no longer available but vegetarian fans of the pizza place might be interested in the meat-free Vegi Supreme (pictured).

Domino’s wasn't the only pizza place to debut a vegan pie. In March 2019, Pizza Hut launched a vegan menu which, in addition to vegan pizzas, features starters and desserts. Pizza lovers can now start with Jack ‘n’ Rolls (dough rolls with sweet chilli, BBQ jackfruit and vegan cheese), followed by a Vegan BBQ Jack ‘N’ C**se pizza, and finish with vegan cinnamon bites. The chain has been serving vegan pizza with Violife vegan ch**se since 2017 and when vegan pizza sales exceeded 10,000 in January, they decided to offer more.

With one-third of Ikea customers heading to its stores to eat rather than shop, IKEA is currently developed a new vegan meatball. In 2015, stores rolled out a veggie meatball (pictured) made with chickpeas, green pea, carrots, peppers, corn, kale, pea protein and onion. This time they’re going for a more true-to-meat creation, following brands such as Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat.

The London-based vegan fried chicken and burger joint caused a stir when it launched with mock fried chicken made with seitan (a gluten-based meat substitute) in 2017. However, they caused commotion again with the sale of their vegan bone-in ribs during a residency at Lost Rivers Bar & Kitchen, London, last year. Their most recent veggie-friendly creation is takeaway-style chips with seitan döner, garlic mayo, BBQ sauce and sriracha.

Earlier this year, British bakery chain Greggs launched a vegan sausage roll which quickly became its best-selling new launch in six years. Just like its meaty counterpart, it’s made with crisp puff pastry (but a vegan version) and instead of pork, the filling is made with Quorn, the fungus-based meat substitute. The launch followed strong consumer demand, including a petition by animal rights organisation PETA, signed by more than 20,000 people.

American fast food chain TGI Fridays, known for its glazed rib platters, chicken tacos and bacon-loaded potato skins, launched their Fridays Vegan Burger in January 2019. It’s a plant protein burger from Beyond Meat made with coconut oil, beetroot juice, mushrooms, herbs and spices. The meat-free patty is served in a vegan bun with lettuce, sliced onion and tomato, plus a side of crispy fries and avocado mayonnaise.

Read more: The fast food newcomers conquering America in 2019

McVegan nuggets aren’t the only veggie-friendly food Scandinavian countries can enjoy. Prior to vegan McNuggets, McDonald’s in Finland and Sweden launched a soy-based McVegan burger in 2017. Popular with customers, it contained a patty developed by Swedish food producer Anamma, plus tomato, pickles, ketchup, eggless McFeast sauce and a gluten-free bun.

Read more: The incredible story of how McDonald's conquered the world

A turning point in the fast food plant-based burger world was the Impossible Whopper, introduced at Burger King in St. Louis, Missouri at the start of 2019. Due to its resounding success, there are plans for it to be rolled out nationwide. Made of wheat, coconut oil, potatoes and soy leghemoglobin – the same recipe as all Impossible Foods burgers – it makes plant-based eating accessible for the whole of America. But at a price point of $5.49 (£4.19), about a dollar more than the beef Whopper, can it convert America?

Read more: Brilliant beef-free burgers simply too tasty to miss