Is Their A List Of gluten-free Foods At Fastfood Restaurants?

[Guest micah]

I'm sure it is risky to eat anything at a fast food restaurant...

But is there anything anywhere? I'm always finding myself caught out in an errand and starving and can't think of anywhere to get gluten-free food quick.

Thank you for any information.

Micah

[Karen B.]

  micah said:

I'm sure it is risky to eat anything at a fast food restaurant...

But is there anything anywhere? I'm always finding myself caught out in an errand and starving and can't think of anywhere to get gluten-free food quick.

Thank you for any information.

Micah

I actually have really good success at Taco Cabana. I've only had a problem twice in 3 years and I eat there at least 2-3 times a week. Once was when I got refried beans which s/b gluten-free but I know they are spreading them on flour tortillas all day. Now I order boracho beans. The other time was when I ordered enchiladas without gravy, which s/b gluten-free but I think someone got a smear of gravy on them. Now I stick to fajitas or chicken or beef tacos and don't have any problem.

I've never had a problem at McDonalds with their grilled chicken breast but I always make sure I speak with a manager and emphasize that it can't touch bread or lay where bread has been. I tell them it's like a peanut allergy level of sensitivity but I get sick instead of going into anaphalactic shock.

Wendy's baked potato and chili is a good, safe, fast-food meal.

I don't have the links handy and they wouldn't work right for the computer I'm on at the moment, but there have been several discussions of this in the last few months. You may want to do a search because I know I've seen McDonalds, Wendy's and others.

[Guest micah]

Thank you so much Karen!

I'll do the search and see what I find. I actually have never eaten at Taco Cabana, but there is one around here so I'll have to try that. I didn't know corn tortillas were okay, but that makes sense...

Thanks,

Micah

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Karen,

FYI, The grilled chicken at McDonalds has gluten (wheat in it).

From their website...

Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:

Chicken breast filets with rib meat, water, seasoning (salt, sugar, food starch-modified, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed [corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten] proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (plant and animal source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika), modified potato starch, and sodium phosphates. CONTAINS: SOY AND WHEAT.

BB

p.s. I eat out more than most Celiacs, but you could not pay me to eat at Taco Bell. 95% of their food has gluten in it. The restaurant is set up so that cross contamination is not a possibility, its likely. No way will I ever eat there.

[Karen B.]

If you go to their website and ask them, they'll send you a list of their gluten-free items. The list I have on my work computer is old but I don't think it's changed much.

As of 11/08/05, their gluten-free stuff was:

TACO CABANA

[Karen B.]

  broncobux said:

Karen,

FYI, The grilled chicken at McDonalds has gluten (wheat in it).

From their website...

Grilled Chicken Breast Filet:

Chicken breast filets with rib meat, water, seasoning (salt, sugar, food starch-modified, maltodextrin, spices, dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed [corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten] proteins, garlic powder, paprika, chicken fat, chicken broth, natural flavors (plant and animal source), caramel color, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum, onion powder, extractives of paprika), modified potato starch, and sodium phosphates. CONTAINS: SOY AND WHEAT.

BB

p.s. I eat out more than most Celiacs, but you could not pay me to eat at Taco Bell. 95% of their food has gluten in it. The restaurant is set up so that cross contamination is not a possibility, its likely. No way will I ever eat there.

Hmmm... I haven't been there for a couple of months. I just checked my McDonalds list and yep, that's what it shows. I'm sensitive enough that giving my hubby a peck after he's had gluten can give me trouble but McD's grilled chicken hasn't bothered me in the past. I wonder when that changed? So now, the only meat I can get from McD's is the beef patty. That bites! (no pun intended)

[Rosewynde]

I came up with these two sites when doing a google search for this because we do regular trips and I needed to know what was safe

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

You can also buy books that have restaurant guides from Clan Thompson and The Essential Gluten Free Restaurant Guide. I've not tried either so can't claim they work. I've also found some free cards you can print out with instructions in different languages from someone that made a Celiac travel site.

So far, I've had good luck with Hamburgers done Protein Style (I.E. wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun) at Carl's Jr and In-N-Out Burger. I wouldn't trust frys in most places as they usually do chicken nuggets and other batter items in the same oil. I've had ones at In-N-Out Burger but that's because they make their frys fresh and they only fry fry's ; D I've also had Sushi and white rice out but you need to be careful about the Imitation Crab they use as some has wheat and avoid all soy sauces or other sauces dribbled over things that have soy sauce in them. Occasionally the Wasabi (hot green stuff) has wheat flour in it too.

Most chain restaurants have a website that will have a ingredient or allergy list somewhere. You can also try emailing or snail mailing and asking.

[Karen B.]

Okay, I'm on my home computer and I have a list as of 1/9/07 from Taco Cabana:

TACO CABANA

[Guest micah]

WoooHoooo!!!! Thanks so much! I feel like a kid at Christmas! Food I can eat! I can go get a Frosty at Wendy's yay!!! I know I'm being a little silly, but I've just started this diet and have been reeeaaallly restricted because I know so little so far. Thanks!

Micah

[Karen B.]

  micah said:

WoooHoooo!!!! Thanks so much! I feel like a kid at Christmas! Food I can eat! I can go get a Frosty at Wendy's yay!!! I know I'm being a little silly, but I've just started this diet and have been reeeaaallly restricted because I know so little so far. Thanks!

Micah

Benn there! Finding fast food I could count on was a major step for me to feel like people again. Especially when I found I could have Taco Cabana's Chicken Flamente!

Just to be safe -- always check, but generally speaking, tamales are safe too (at least in Texas). Flour would screw up the texture of the masa and anyone that I've ever asked about it looks at me like I'm nuts. But you still have to ask because you never know. Casa Ole uses a flour rue in their refried beans and why anyone would add gravy to beans is beyond me!

[sombrita220]

  micah said:

Thank you so much Karen!

I'll do the search and see what I find. I actually have never eaten at Taco Cabana, but there is one around here so I'll have to try that. I didn't know corn tortillas were okay, but that makes sense...

Thanks,

Micah

Corn tortillas are ok usually but be careful of homemade tortillas or real mexican corn tortillas. Many mexican women put in some wheat flour to make them taste better.

[Guest micah]

Thanks everyone,

I found the nutrition info about taco bell and it has only two items that are gluten-free. Beans and mexican rice. Very boring.

But I did go out and get me a Wendy's frosty yesterday and it was sooo yummy! I am slowly learning...

Thanks,

Micah

[ItchyMeredith]

It looks like you can add the tostada and the southwest steak bowl to the list.

[Paul Jackson]

Hi, Micah!

As a celiac myself, I wouldn't dare touch any food made by Taco Bell. Nor would I dare eat most frozen french fries. You write that you experienced mental fog after eating eggs. Besides celiac disease, I have an allergy to eggs (as well as dairy and soy products). It's not unusual for a celiac patient to have other food allergies--allergies that are especially active when the disease first shows up!

Wendy's, which makes a complete list of ingredients of all its menu items available to customers upon request, is great for a baked potato and chili. I like to pour the chili onto the potato, and besides a plain green salad this is the only meal available at Wendy's. I could name a couple of other restaurants, but I don't know your whereabouts.

pjmaxx

Central California

[maddycat]

  pjmaxx said:

Wendy's, which makes a complete list of ingredients of all its menu items available to customers upon request, is great for a baked potato and chili. I like to pour the chili onto the potato, and besides a plain green salad this is the only meal available at Wendy's. I could name a couple of other restaurants, but I don't know your whereabouts.

Wendy's actually has many salads that are gluten free. I like the chicken blt salad (without croutons of course), even most of their salad dressings are gluten free. They have a listing on their website that lists all of the gluten free items on their menu. Wendy's by far has the most options of fast food chains that I have seen.

[sunshinen]

Here's a list of links of gluten-free and/or ingredient info. (It's a wiki, so feel free to add to it!)

Open Original Shared Link

[Karen B.]

  sunshinen said:

Here's a list of links of gluten-free and/or ingredient info. (It's a wiki, so feel free to add to it!)

Open Original Shared Link

That's handy! Thanks!

[swittenauer]

My husband eats at Taco Bell several times a week. It is actually a Taco Bell / Long John Silvers. He always gets the Southwest Steak Bowl with no jalapeno sauce & pinto & cheese. Never any bad experiences with them.