‘I would rather people eat a hamburger’: Experts caution as McDonald’s rolls out McVeggie – CTV

September 04, 2025

McDonald’s is rolling out a new vegetarian sandwich across Canada this month.

The McVeggie, which features a breaded patty made with a blend of vegetables such as carrots, peas and soybeans, will be added to McDonald’s menus at participating restaurants starting Sept. 16.

The chain says the move follows a regional test earlier this year in Ontario, British Columbia and New Brunswick.

“Canadians asked for more options to meet modern lifestyles, and we listened,” said Francesca Cardarelli, McDonald’s Canada’s chief marketing officer.

While the McVeggie offers a meatless alternative, nutrition experts caution that consumers should examine the ingredients carefully before assuming it’s a healthier choice.

“I hope people are not under the illusion that if they eat this burger, that it’s actually a healthier choice or that they’re actually going to get any meaningful amount of vegetables,” Dana Olstad, associate professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary, said in a zoom interview with CTVNews.ca.

“It seems like it’s just vegetables covered in breadcrumbs, some sort of a coating with probably a lot of binders to hold everything together,” she said. “I would rather people eat a hamburger, to be honest.”