Picture yourself at a white sand beach with pristine emerald green water, basking in the golden sun while listening to the sound of waves and sipping on a freshly-made, ice-cold smoothie.
That’s the vibe Tropical Smoothie (aims to) offer. As they say, a tiny vacay in the middle of the day. I would love that every day.
If you feel the same, head to Tropical Smoothie to grab delicious smoothies. But, before you do that, know your options there as a vegan. Let’s find out if they have anything for vegans, and if yes, what the Tropical Smoothie vegan options are.
Oh, and did I mention they also have some great fast food options to go with their drinks, so we’ll naturally be digging into that menu category to see if there is anything animal-free.
Does Tropical Smoothie Have Vegan Options?
There are tons of options labeled “vegetarian” on the Tropical Smoothie menu. But, sadly, there’s nothing marked “vegan.”
Moreover, the restaurant chain doesn’t offer an allergen menu in the same pattern that most restaurants do – with allergens clearly mentioned in front of a food item’s name. Instead, it mentions the allergens in footnotes on the nutrition guide.
This makes it quite a hassle to figure out what animal ingredients are found in each item. Imagine having to scroll down to the bottom of the page to get the required ingredients-related information. It’s a pain.
But, looking over the Tropical Smoothies menu, I could tell that there are some vegan-friendly options, while several others can likely be customized.
There was plant-based chicken on the menu, so it was clear that you could do something to get yourself some vegan food.
Turned out I was right (not boasting, but you gotta an experienced vegan’s instincts).
Tropical Smoothies has some food items that can be made vegan with modifications and many vegan-friendly smoothies. Okay, enough of sharing background details.
Let’s now jump right onto the main point of the article and talk about the Tropical Smoothies vegan menu that I have put together for you all.
But, one last thing that I want to mention before is that Tropical Smoothie gives an allergen notice on its website regarding cross-contamination due to shared cooking space and utensils.
Just wanted to put it out there for those who might not be comfortable eating at such places.
What’s Vegan at Tropical Smoothie?
Vegan options at Tropical Smoothie include:
- Smoothies
- Peanut Butter Banana Crunch Flatbread
- Plant-Based Chicken items – with custom instructions
- Sides
- More Drinks
Keep reading to find a complete list of options in each category that you, as a vegan, can order at Tropical Smoothie.
Tropical Smoothie Vegan Options 2024 – A Detailed Overview
Here’s everything vegan at Tropical Smoothie café:
Vegan Smoothies
If you’re a regular here at Vegan Calm, you would know that I always discuss beverages in the last in all my restaurant-menus-related articles. That’s my usual practice.
But it’s Tropical “Smoothie” we’re talking about today, so it only made sense that I talk about them first.
Interestingly (and quite surprisingly, too), most Tropical Smoothies are vegan-friendly the standard way. You don’t have to request any substitutions. Isn’t it incredible?
Here’s the list of vegan smoothies at Tropical Smoothie for your reference (brace yourself for an amazing collection of delicious vegan beverages):
- Hurricane Smoothie
- Blueberry Bliss
- Acai Berry Boost
- Chia Banana Boost with Strawberry
- Chia Banana Boost with Peanut Butter
- Strawberry Limeade
- Blimey Limey
- Avocolada
- Island Green
- Detox Island Green
- Dragon Fruit Smoothie
- Pomegranate Plunge
- Jetty Punch
- Paradise Point
- Sunrise Sunset
- Lean Machine
- Kids Jetty Junior
- Kids Lil’ Lime Berry
Fresh Vegan Add-Ins and Supplements for Smoothies
Make your Tropical Smoothie drinks richer, more nutritious, and delicious with your choice of add-ons from the following vegan-friendly choices:
- Chia Seeds
- Ground Flaxseeds
- Raw Almonds
- Peanut Butter
- Whole-Grain Oats
- Fresh Ginger
- Spinach & Kale Super Pack
Double the fun by getting an edible straw with your smoothie. Yes, you read that right. Tropical Smoothie also offers edible straws!
These come in lime and strawberry flavors, both of which are vegan-friendly. Choose the one that best goes with your drink for an unparalleled fun experience.
Supplements
- Energizer
- Probiotic
- Vitamin C Immune Complex
- Vitamin B12
- Multivitamin
- Vital Proteins Collagen
- Pea Protein Powder
- Fat Burner
Peanut Butter Banana Crunch Flatbread
Crisp on the outside and soft, gooey on the inside, this Tropical Smoothie’s flatbread wrap is a breakfast menu item that includes peanut butter and banana (as evident from the name), along with granola and honey.
When ordering vegan at Tropical Smoothie, ask for it to be made without honey.
Plant-Based Chicken Items
Tropical Smoothie offers plant-based chicken, which means you can get literally any meat dish customized for your vegan diet.
However, you will have to check other ingredients as well, as the café only provides information as to what items can be made vegetarian. It doesn’t tell you anything about how to order vegan at Tropical Smoothie.
Here are the key guidelines on how you should go about it:
- Clearly tell your server that you want to order vegan, and not vegetarian, food.
- Ask to replace any form of meat – chicken, bacon, shrimps – a food item may have with plant-based chicken.
- Remove all types of cheese.
- Inquire about the sauce(s) used in a food item. Make sure it doesn’t have egg or dairy. If it does, get it replaced with a dairy-free and egg-free sauce. Ask your server for their options.
- Tropical Smoothie flatbread is vegan-friendly. But, if you’re ordering a sandwich or burger, ask your server for vegan-friendly bread varieties.
Tropical Smoothie Vegan Sides
When eating vegan at Tropical Smoothie, you can order the following sides with your meal or on their own, as snacks with your smoothie:
- Baked Lay’s Original
- Maple-Kissed Sweet Potatoes
- Jalapeno Corn – without chipotle mayo
- Miss Vickie’s Simply Sea Salt
- Apple
- Banana
More Beverages
Smoothies aren’t the only beverages Tropical Smoothie offers. There are some more options, most of which happen to be vegan-friendly as well. While you may not want to have any drink that’s not a smoothie here, it’s good to know your options. So, here they are:
- Coca-Cola
- Coke Zero
- Diet Coke
- Sprite
- Minute Maid Lemonade
- Organic Half Teas & Half Lemonade
- Organic Peach Tea
- Brewed Sweet Tea
- Brewed Unsweet Tea
Tropical Smoothie Vegan Menu FAQs
- Is Tropical Smoothie pesto vegan?
There is no information available on the Tropical Smoothie website regarding the vegan status of their pesto sauce. However, one other online source says that it’s vegan.
You can only know for sure by asking your server at a Tropical Smoothie outlet. So, make sure to do that.
- Is Tropical Smoothie kale apple slaw vegan?
No, it isn’t. As per the Tropical Smoothie nutrition guide, it contains eggs.
- Is Bahama Mama vegan at Tropical Smoothie?
It’s not. The smoothie contains milk.
- Is Tropical Smoothie Beach Bum vegan?
Tropical Smoothie Beach Bum drink contains milk, making it non-vegan.
- Is Tropical Smoothie chocolate vegan?
It’s not. Tropical Smoothie uses regular, dairy-based chocolate, so all the chocolate drinks (including those containing white chocolate) are not suitable for vegans.
Conclusion – Is Tropical Smoothie Vegan-Friendly?
If we ignore the fact that Tropical Smoothie foods come with a cross-contamination warning (considering that almost every restaurant that’s not 100% vegan has this risk), the café can be termed vegan-friendly.
The reason is the plenty of dairy-free smoothie options plant-based chicken it offers.
If you don’t mind eating meat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free food prepared in shared spaces /equipment with non-vegan items, Tropical Smoothie is a great place, particularly for some healthy, refreshing smoothies.
Did you find this article helpful? Interested to learn about vegan options available at other smoothie places in the country?
Check out my article Vegan Options at Sonic to find out what this fast-food chain known for its drinks has in store for vegans.
