Fast Food

[DonaldandAlanda Evans]

So after starting to feel a little better, I got a craving for fast food. I decided on Wendy's because it seemed like they had the largest selection. I went a little overboard and ordered everything I thought I could have. I consumed a classic double cheese burger w/ no bun and no mayo, a large fry (my wife asked about the deep fryer and they told her it was fine......she neglected to tell them why she was asking) A baked potato w/lite sour cream (on their gluten free menu) and chives, large chili and a large coke. About 2-3 hours later I started feeling like hell. It feels like I have the flu! Every bone in my body hurts, my legs hurt, my feet are freezing and I'm very light headed. I'm not getting any real GI issues other than bloating.......but I get that after I eat anything. I've only been gluten free for a few weeks, but in that time I have not felt this bad....nor did I before I was diagnosed Celiac. I guess I'm worried something else is going on because I don't know how I would feel this bad from cross contamination.......and not have any related GI symptoms. I used Neilmed (sinus irrigation) and that has helped a little but I wish I would feel better.......I don't really have a question, I'm just kinda venting I guess.

Hope everyone is feeling better than I am!

[coveowner]

I NEVER eat anything deepfried (french fries, etc) in a fast food place because they fry other things in the oil that have gluten in them or ON them.

I rarely go to any fast food place but I have been to Hardees and ordered their lo-carb char-broiled hamburger with tomato, cheese. It is wrapped in a lettuce leaf and is very tasty. I never get any reaction from it! I usually take it home with me and doctor it up with my Kraft mayo and Annie's gluten-free mustard!

Hope you feel better soon!

Rose

[psawyer]

I NEVER eat anything deepfried (french fries, etc) in a fast food place because they fry other things in the oil that have gluten in them or ON them.

Some places have dedicated fryers for their fries (McDonalds is one such place).

[lovegrov]

Rose, Wendy's has dedicated fryers at almost all of their restaurants, but you need to aks. McD has dedicated fryers at all of theirs. Same with BK, but they seem to be sloppy with it. Chik-fil-a has a dedicated fryer for its waffle fries and 5 Guys fries nothing other than gluten-free fries.

However, I have found that the vast majority of non-fast-food restaurants do NOT have dedicated fryers. Odd.

richard

[StacyA]

I've had chili and baked potatoes at several different Wendy's and was okay. I'd suspect their fries for your symptoms. Their own website doesn't list their fries as a gluten-free option (Open Original Shared Link) because of the whole fryer thing.

[RideAllWays]

Wendy's chili is a risk. I read either on their website or another gluten-free information site that the chili is made up of the meat that does not get used during the day. If a burger is messed up, they take the patty off the bun and throw it in the chili, so there is a definite risk of cc.

I eat the baked potatoes at Wendy's lots, but I'm too scared to put anything on them except my own margarine. I have gotten very sick from Wendy's fries as well.

[Traveller]

Wendy's chili is a risk. I read either on their website or another gluten-free information site that the chili is made up of the meat that does not get used during the day. If a burger is messed up, they take the patty off the bun and throw it in the chili, so there is a definite risk of cc.

I eat the baked potatoes at Wendy's lots, but I'm too scared to put anything on them except my own margarine. I have gotten very sick from Wendy's fries as well.

I've eaten safely at Wendy's many times. I've eaten baked potatoes with cheese and broccoli safely. And I always get a double without the bun. Yum. The only time I got sick was when I ate chili, which puzzled me. Now I may know why. Thanks!

[sandsurfgirl]

Oh no! Wendy's fries are NOT gluten free. They have wheat in them! Many fast food places have fries with wheat. McDonalds and Carls too. It's used as a binder. Poor thing!

The only fast food fries I eat are In N Out. they are totally safe. Even if they don't have wheat CC is a big danger.

[sandsurfgirl]

Wendy's chili is a risk. I read either on their website or another gluten-free information site that the chili is made up of the meat that does not get used during the day. If a burger is messed up, they take the patty off the bun and throw it in the chili, so there is a definite risk of cc.

I eat the baked potatoes at Wendy's lots, but I'm too scared to put anything on them except my own margarine. I have gotten very sick from Wendy's fries as well.

I'd hate for people not to eat something safe because of a rumor. That post about the unused meat was on here from about 4 or 5 years ago and the woman was saying that it happened when she worked there like 15 or 20 years ago in high school. So basically that's 20 year old information or even 25 or 30 years old. Back then there weren't all the food safety and allergen laws we have now.

Wendy's corporate says that unused burgers are never put in their chili and I would think that it would be true. If the health department found out that was happening they could be shut down for a period of time, fined, etc. Wendy's chili is gluten free.

Any time you eat out, CC is a possibility but I would not rely on that old rumor as a reason for not eating the chili.

[Peace41]

Hello Donald,

I am so sorry. For a time u may have to have some time out on take away food or eating out until ur family and u and ur body becomes stronger in the gluten diet. I just bought for my son, in our freezer, things he likes at Mcdonalds, so he can have take away at home and make it. We are having time out on eating out, or we will bring our food from home. The nearest Mcdonalds is an hour away, and for Mcdonalds here to have dedicated fryers, could be a possibility, but would have to check. Where we live we have the local shop, but the public bar now has prizza that is delivered. Yes small town area we live in. And none here are gluten, probably can't get a lot of gluten foods here. I did buy Nuttlex which is the margarine at the bigger local shop, but for me to be able to go to where there was a large gluten-free range, is over an hour away drive. But the good news is, we don't have the temptations here as well.

Ur problem could also be overloaded from the food that u ordered and what u thought u could have. U may need to listen to ur wife next time and take it a bit easier, smaller meals are best, especially if u have stomach and bowel problems.U also may need to look at colic. My son stopped eating fast food for a time, and went to a party without me, and someone gave to him something that he couldn't have and he screamed for around 48 hours with pain and had to go to hospital, ended up being colic.

And I am like u, not feeling very well either at the moment. But mine is made worse, because my reaction is not only having the pain in stomach, bowels etc...its at the throat at the voice box and make it hard to swallow and eat. And my whole diet got taken away from me and my family have been put into a fast type situation. If one goes on a fast or can't eat etc...then we see it as a family thing happening.

Take care and hope it passes soon. Ad that we all feel better soon.

Peace 41

[sandsurfgirl]

Hello Donald,

I am so sorry. For a time u may have to have some time out on take away food or eating out until ur family and u and ur body becomes stronger in the gluten diet. I just bought for my son, in our freezer, things he likes at Mcdonalds, so he can have take away at home and make it. We are having time out on eating out, or we will bring our food from home. The nearest Mcdonalds is an hour away, and for Mcdonalds here to have dedicated fryers, could be a possibility, but would have to check. Where we live we have the local shop, but the public bar now has prizza that is delivered. Yes small town area we live in. And none here are gluten, probably can't get a lot of gluten foods here. I did buy Nuttlex which is the margarine at the bigger local shop, but for me to be able to go to where there was a large gluten-free range, is over an hour away drive. But the good news is, we don't have the temptations here as well.

Ur problem could also be overloaded from the food that u ordered and what u thought u could have. U may need to listen to ur wife next time and take it a bit easier, smaller meals are best, especially if u have stomach and bowel problems.U also may need to look at colic. My son stopped eating fast food for a time, and went to a party without me, and someone gave to him something that he couldn't have and he screamed for around 48 hours with pain and had to go to hospital, ended up being colic.

And I am like u, not feeling very well either at the moment. But mine is made worse, because my reaction is not only having the pain in stomach, bowels etc...its at the throat at the voice box and make it hard to swallow and eat. And my whole diet got taken away from me and my family have been put into a fast type situation. If one goes on a fast or can't eat etc...then we see it as a family thing happening.

Take care and hope it passes soon. Ad that we all feel better soon.

Peace 41

Dedicated fryers don't matter. There is wheat in the actual fries. Don't ever ever eat MCDonald's fries. Ever. Or Wendy's or most fast food places. They make a paste and then shape it into a fry. It's not made of cut potatoes.

[Peace41]

Dedicated fryers don't matter. There is wheat in the actual fries. Don't ever ever eat MCDonald's fries. Ever. Or Wendy's or most fast food places. They make a paste and then shape it into a fry. It's not made of cut potatoes.

Hello Sandsurfgirl,

I wasn't talking about fries and we don't have a deep fryer. I was talking about the breakfast menu, I bought him some hash browns and he can use leg ham instead of bacon. He likes his bacon and egg deluxe breakie roll, and hash browns with orange juice, he also likes the deluxe chicken burger, so that can be made at home too etc..... We don't do Mcdonald's fries, but we do like potato slices which are nicer. That he really likes and I know to keep these things separate. I am not new to allergies, and living with allergies, for my son has a fish allergy that will bring on an asthmatic, anaphylatic reaction which is then a rush to hospital and for him to also be put on an oxygen tank , so we know all too well about food contamination...we are just new to gluten intolerance. But thanku for being diligent and making sure that we do things properly. Our throats are keeping us accountable too.

Also I have just found this point and an article about contamination and eating out u may like to read, Donald...here is the point they made about eating hamburgers ...

14 - Don't fall for traps such as eating just the "burger" from a cheeseburger, or just the cheese from a pizza, or the meat and vegetables from a soup made with pasta/noodles. The contamination has already happened.

u may like to read what they wrote about eating out and contamination...

Open Original Shared Link Advertisement.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/contamination-and-coeliacs-605164.html

Our goal at present is to turn our kitchen into a beautiful type cafe restaurant a joy for us to eat in and what we prepare, that we don't need to eat out at present.

Peace 4 1

[sandsurfgirl]

It all depends on the place where you eat. There are plenty of fast food places where the burgers are grilled on a separate grill from the bun and they aren't contaminated. More often than not, the grilled chicken will have wheat in it. You really have to check each individual place. Wendy's grilled chicken used to have wheat but they updated their site last month and now it doesn't. Yay for us!

It hides in so many things. Hash browns often have wheat in them, so you have to check and read labels unless of course you are making them from scratch at home. McDonald's hash browns sadly have wheat in them, too.

For me, I'm not going to hole up in my house and never eat out again. I need to live my life and I'm willing to take the risk. So far no glutening when I've eaten out.

[sandsurfgirl]

Adults and kids don't get colic. Only babies get colic. Did your son have colitis?

Colic is unexplained crying in a newborn baby. They used to think it was gas, but that was disproven years and years ago.

[Peace41]

Adults and kids don't get colic. Only babies get colic. Did your son have colitis?

Colic is unexplained crying in a newborn baby. They used to think it was gas, but that was disproven years and years ago.

Here are somethings about colic for u, that I got off the web...

Colic is the name given to the sharp, intermittent abdominal pains suffered by 20-25% of babies.

gastrocolic reflex (gas-troh-kol-ik) n. a wave of peristalsis produced in the colon by introducing food into a fasting stomach.

In young infants and children, some problems may be associated with GERD and include:

* Colic (frequent crying and fussiness)

Colic

Symptoms and indications: Cramping, spasmodic waves of pain. Usually the symptoms last for a fairly brief period. Infantile Colic characteristically causes the baby to cry loudly for several hours, especially in the evening, and the legs may be drawn up in pain. Colic is a painful but usually short-lived. A doctor should be consulted if the symptoms continue for a long time. Infantile colic can be alarming and parents often need reassurance that there is nothing seriously wrong with their baby. However, this condition does not require medical intervention.

Treatment: Involves finding the most comfortable position to relieve the pain and resting until the symptoms subside. A hot-water bottle is also helpful.

Persons most commonly affected: Adults and children of all ages and both sexes. Infantile colic affects babies between the ages of about two weeks and four months.

That weekend my son cried non stop because he was given frankfurts, when he was not suppose to have them and he didn't do it again and the lady that allowed him to do this, heard those screams all weekend. She appologised to me. He also had to go to the hospital for it because it was really bad.

My son was seven at the time, and no it wasn't colitis.

Also in Australia a lot of places don't have separate grills etc...for frying different things such as gluten-free and Non gluten-free meals, and there are places that do cater for Gluten Free etc...and keep things separate, but they are still in our area non existant and in the bigger areas, the few although the cities here may be better. Its not like in USA where there may be a lot more, and we have Wendy's here too, but I have not seen a gluten-free selection nor even in the local Mcdonalds. So that quote was written by an Australian and is about also burgers in Australia, but was added because it makes good sense, and in burgers they can use gluten or it could even have traces of it. But u also have to think about contamination is possible when establishments have dual gluten and non gluten meals. That is why we can't eat in a fish and chip shop, or in a seafood restaurant for my son.

I like hash browns too, but it looks like he may not even be able to eat those hash browns, I know it contains wheat, so it looks like Mum's potato slices instead. And although u r not holding up in ur home, we need to, because for us, unless we have time out, we can not do what we need to,and can cause debilitating consequences and a lot of the time, we are house bound. We have more than just a gluten intolerance to deal with. So we take our time with the new, stay at home, save our money, we are going to be buying a house soon, and then when we become strong in our diet, then we can go and eat out. We are also blessed in Australia there is the Coeliac's Association and they have on their website places that u can eat out, that do have gluten-free diets, and in one area there are six places on there, that we could eat at, when we go shopping but also in other parts of Australia, so if we go on holidays we can take that list. We also live in a rural isolated area, but very beautiful area, so going out to eat for us, is not like just going down the road. And we can not be in a lot of environments for too long so eating out for us, its not just about food, its about all these other factors, like environment too.

Also when u have dysphagia and throat problems u really don't want to go out or even try and eat out, in case u choke, and also in case I can't swallow and then have to spit what I am eating out, because there could be a fibre hairs in it, that are stuck in my throat, or I can't break the food in my mouth down, so it has to come out, etc.... At present I think a baby can eat better than I can.

[lovegrov]

Sandsurfgirl, McD's fries have been independently tested by celiac organizations and they test free of gluten. Wheat is NOT used as a binder in them. There is a some small amount of wheat in something to do with the oil before the oil is processed, so they list wheat in the ingredients, but the gluten is processed out.

Wheat is also NOT used in Wendy's fries. Here are the ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (contains one or more of the following: soy, canola, cottonseed, partially hydrogenated soy and/or cottonseed), Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (to protect color), Dextrose. Cooked in Soy, Corn, Cottonseed, & Hydrogenated Soy Oil. The only reason Wendy's does not list fries as gluten-free is because at a very few of their restaurants, they don't have dedicated fryers. If you go to one with a dedicated fryer, the fries are gluten-free.

Wheat is not used in BK or Hardee's fries, but at Hardee's they don't have dedicated fryers, so the fries are contaminated. Chik fil a fries have no gluten and are cooked in dedicated fryers. Same with 5 Guys.

Finally, fast food fries (which I almost never eat) most definitely are not a paste formed to look like a fry. I'm not sure where you got that one from. They are cut up potatoes.

richard

[lovegrov]

Wendy's chili is a risk. I read either on their website or another gluten-free information site that the chili is made up of the meat that does not get used during the day. If a burger is messed up, they take the patty off the bun and throw it in the chili, so there is a definite risk of cc.

I eat the baked potatoes at Wendy's lots, but I'm too scared to put anything on them except my own margarine. I have gotten very sick from Wendy's fries as well.

Sandsurfgirl is right, the chili thing is completely untrue. Not only does Wendy's have a policy against doing this, in most places it would probably violate health laws.

richard

[sandsurfgirl]

Sandsurfgirl, McD's fries have been independently tested by celiac organizations and they test free of gluten. Wheat is NOT used as a binder in them. There is a some small amount of wheat in something to do with the oil before the oil is processed, so they list wheat in the ingredients, but the gluten is processed out.

Wheat is also NOT used in Wendy's fries. Here are the ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (contains one or more of the following: soy, canola, cottonseed, partially hydrogenated soy and/or cottonseed), Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (to protect color), Dextrose. Cooked in Soy, Corn, Cottonseed, & Hydrogenated Soy Oil. The only reason Wendy's does not list fries as gluten-free is because at a very few of their restaurants, they don't have dedicated fryers. If you go to one with a dedicated fryer, the fries are gluten-free.

Wheat is not used in BK or Hardee's fries, but at Hardee's they don't have dedicated fryers, so the fries are contaminated. Chik fil a fries have no gluten and are cooked in dedicated fryers. Same with 5 Guys.

Finally, fast food fries (which I almost never eat) most definitely are not a paste formed to look like a fry. I'm not sure where you got that one from. They are cut up potatoes.

richard

Here is the link for McDonald's website with their ingredients.

Open Original Shared Link

Here is the ingredient list with all warnings, which McDonald's themselves have bolded for you to read cut and pasted from their website.

French Fries

French Fries:

Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor [wheat and milk derivatives]*, citric acid [preservative]), dextrose, sodium acid

pyrophosphate (maintain color), salt. Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to

preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent.

CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK *(Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients).

Here is the link for Wendy's listing WHEAT as an ingredient in their fries.

Open Original Shared Link

If they don't bother you eat them, but you ARE eating wheat in them and it IS an ingredient.

[StacyA]

Here is the link for McDonald's website with their ingredients.

Open Original Shared Link

Here is the ingredient list with all warnings, which McDonald's themselves have bolded for you to read cut and pasted from their website.

French Fries

French Fries:

Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor [wheat and milk derivatives]*, citric acid [preservative]), dextrose, sodium acid

pyrophosphate (maintain color), salt. Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to

preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent.

CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK *(Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients).

Here is the link for Wendy's listing WHEAT as an ingredient in their fries.

Open Original Shared Link

If they don't bother you eat them, but you ARE eating wheat in them and it IS an ingredient.

Hi Sandsurfgirl.

When I first went gluten free my hightly esteemed and celiac nutritionist told me that McDonald fries were okay, but then I checked their website and read what you read and freaked. That same exact month those fries were on the cover of a gluten magazine saying they've been tested as gluten-free and very safe. I read through old posts on here and posted a question here about the discrepancy and got a lot of responses from people assuring me that McDonald's fries are okay. Richard was probably one of them, I don't recall, but he knows what he's talking about. I've seen from some of your recent posts that you're new to this, and since I'm still new I've found it good to search through old posts to see if answers have already been put out there. You'll start to recognize names of people who sound knowledgeable. Richard is one of them.

I've eaten McD fries at multiple restaurants - including when I've traveled hours from home - and I've never reacted to them (and I've reacted to other cc things in the last few months).

Yes, all this stuff is frustrating.

[psawyer]

I really can't comment on the Wendy's question, but I have been following the McDonalds question closely since the day it first came up here, just over four years ago.

A wheat-derived ingredient is used in a flavor added to the oil in which the fries are partially fried before freezing. This is true in the United States, but not in Canada. I believe the US is the only country where it is an issue.

The US fries have been independently tested and found to be free of detectable gluten. Open Original Shared Link

Find out *all* the facts, and then make your own personal decision. I consider McDonalds fries to be gluten-free and when I am in the US I eat them.

[StacyA]

Oh, and I meant to add: A million years ago I worked at Wendy's. We would keep several burgers cooking on the fryer at a time, in anticipation of a customer ordering a burger. If a burger cooked too long it would be immediately refrigerated to use in the next batch of chili. Those burgers never touched a bun. I wouldn't call that 'old' burgers - I myself cook up hamburger and freeze it to add to my spagetti separately since my husband is vegetarian. I thought it was a good idea when I worked there at Wendy's - fresh burgers with no waste.

I have no idea how they do it now at Wendy's - but I'm sure that started some urban legends of taking burgers off buns.

The link you gave for Wendy's doesn't say that wheat is an ingredient IN the fries, rather it's an allergen warning that would include ingredients and cross contamination (such as in the fryers).

[jerseyangel]

Wendy's fries are free of gluten provided they are cooked in a separate fryer away from breaded items. Many Wendy's have dedicated fryers for fries, but not all of them. We have to ask each time.

It should also be noted that there is a very high possibility of cross contamination at a fast food restaurant.

[sandsurfgirl]

Here's a different pdf for Wendy's and it does say that it is cooked in the same oil as allergens, but not that it contains wheat.

Open Original Shared Link

It's up to the individual and what risk you are willing to take. Just like Rice Dream having trace amounts of gluten due to the processing of it. Personally at this point, McD's says wheat as an ingredient and I would rather not chance it.

BTW, Wendy's updated their gluten free list and their chicken breast is on it now! A few months ago the chicken breast was listed as containing gluten and not to eat it. So that's good news.

[Dannyfor zsuzy]

Adults and kids don't get colic. Only babies get colic. Did your son have colitis?

Colic is unexplained crying in a newborn baby. They used to think it was gas, but that was disproven years and years ago.

MY daughter eats Carls Jr Chilli chease frys. She never has symptoms so it's hard to tell if their gluten free or not. Has anybody here ever had symptoms as a result of eating at Carls Jr?

[lovegrov]

As I said before, sandsurfgirl, McD fries have been independently tested as gluten-free. The most sensitive test in the world cannot find gluten. Also as I said before, the Wendy's fries do NOT have gluten (read the ingredient list) and in the vast majority of their restaurants they are cooked in dedicated fryers. But you DO have to ask.

I'm still curious as to where you heard that fast food fries are made from some type of paste instead of potatoes or that many of them use wheat as a binder. I haven't been able to find a single fry made either way.

richard