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Do you know of any gluten free options at fast food restaurants?

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Andrea's picture
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Joined: 04/15/2013

I admit it. Before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, my favorite fast food "restaurant" was McDonald's. I would only get a Happy Meal... but there was just something about their food (especially those fries!) that was irresistible to me. Some find it repulsive, and I can totally see that side of it too. I know that the majority of McDonald's food is bad for you as well. Well.... after being diagnosed, I thought everything but the ketchup was going out the window, and it was probably best for my waistline anyway.

Along came the iPhone. I found a great app called Gluten Free Fast Food. While it doesn't have all of the fast food restaurants in North America listed, it has the big named ones, and it tells you what you can eat off of the menu. For instance, at McDonalds, someone with Celiac or a gluten intolerance can have the beef patty, canadian bacon, sausage, and scrambled egg. They can also caesar salads without chicken, side salads with many different dressings, the fruit and yogurt parfait (no granola), the ice cream sundaes and shakes, and many of the condiments and sauces. Yes, the ketchup too. But sorry... not the fries. They do contain a wheat derivative.

Chick-fil-A is another favorite of mine. For the entrees, you can can order the chargrilled chicken filet without the bun, the garden salad and fruit salad, as well as many side items such as: tortilla strips, fruits cup, cole slaw, carrot and raisin salad, waffle fries (yum!) and the yogurt parfait. (Most sauces and condiments are gluten free as well.) For breakfast you can have the hash browns, eggs, sausage, bacon, and American cheese. Have room for dessert? Try the Ice Dream Cup with the chocolate syrup or blueberry topping!

A great healthy option is Subway. Obviously the breads are out, but you can have a great salad with any of the following toppings (many of which I was surprised were gluten free!): Cold Cut Combo, Black Forest Ham, Italian BMT, Roast Beef, Roasted Chicken Breast, Tuna, Turkey Breast, Turkey Breast and Ham, Spicy Italian, Subway Club, Steak and Cheese, and Veggie Delite. Add on any cheese, eggs, any of the vegetables, Bacon Strips, Chicken Breast Patties and Plain Chicken Strips, condiments or sauces if you'd like too--- gluten free!

I suggest you check out the app or you can use good old Google to find more fast food restaurants in your area.

Andrea's picture
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Joined: 04/15/2013
iPhone Comes In Handy Yet Again

I was on a road trip to Ocean City, Maryland with some friends for the Memorial Day weekend when they decided to stop for a quick bite to eat. "Uh oh, I thought... the dreaded "quick bite." For a Celiac, or anyone with any type of food allergy/intolerance, it's difficult to just "stop by" anywhere. My friends know of my disease, but being the person I am, I just told them to stop anywhere they wanted to and not worry about me. I don't like to hold anyone back (not to mention we were hours behind anyway due to traffic....)

Boston Market it was. I wasn't sure if I could eat anything here, so I quickly checked my iPhone (this time not the app I mentioned above, just a google search for 'gluten free Boston Market') and found the nutrition/allergy information for all of the menu items at the restaurant. It was great! In a minute I was able to see what items I was able to eat, and to my surprise, it was many of them!! I ordered the three piece dark meal with mashed potatoes, and green beans. I wasn't fast enough on the internet to see if I could have the gravy--I assumed I couldn't-- so I didn't order that. I knew, unfortunately, that the cornbread was a no-no. The meal was delicious anyway! (By the way, you'll see below that the poultry gravy is gluten free!)

Items that are gluten free:

Rotisserie Chicken
Roasted Turkey Breast
Butternut Squash
Cinnamon Apples
Coleslaw
Creamed Spinach
Fresh Steamed Vegetables
Garlic Dill New Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Corn
Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Cranberry Walnut Relish
Mediterranean Salad
Southwest Santa Fe Salad
Poultry Gravy
Frank's Sweet Heat Sauce
Honey Habanero Sauce

Not too bad of a gluten free menu for a fast food chain, and if you take a look at the Boston Market website, they tell you that there are 100 meals that are under 550 calories. I'll be visiting again!