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    Scott Adams

    Is Taco Bell Gluten-Free?

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Wondering how to avoid gluten while ordering Taco Bell? Here's a guide.

    Is Taco Bell Gluten-Free? - Image: CC BY 2.0--JeepersMedia
    Caption: Image: CC BY 2.0--JeepersMedia

    Celiac.com 05/22/2021 - We get a lot of questions from celiac community members wondering if certain fast food restaurants are gluten-free, or have gluten-free options. We've shared information about the gluten-free options at McDonald's in Europe, and offered some other info on other fast food options.

    One question we see a lot is about Taco Bell. Is Taco Bell gluten-free? The short answer is no. Taco Bell does not specifically label any of its food gluten-free.

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
    However, while Taco Bell does not specifically label any of its food gluten-free, and they don't recommend it for people with celiac disease, they do have some dishes that contain no gluten ingredients, and they have a guide for how to eat Taco Bell while you are avoiding gluten. The guide is called How To Eat Taco Bell When You’re Avoiding Gluten.

    The list includes the following Taco Bell options, which do not contain gluten ingredients:

    • Power Menu Bowl, which includes rice, black beans, cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, and Chicken, Steak, or Veggies
    • Black Beans and Rice
    • Crunchy Taco 
    • Crunchy Taco Supreme
    • Doritos Locos Tacos
    • Hash Brown

    Naturally these items, even if they happen to be gluten-free by themselves, could get cross-contaminated in a busy fast food environment, so beware!



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    Recommended Comments

    Oldturdle

    Wow!  Had no idea tacos could be gluten free!  I am on my way!

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    Guest GFmama

    Posted

    When I reached out to Taco Bell they told me they use oats in their ground meat. They could not say if the oats were gluten free. 

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    Guest Katy

    Posted

    I thought Taco Bell enhanced their taco meat w/oatmeal? Is that ‘old’ news?

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    trents

    The Taco Bell items listed in this article as not purposely having gluten but subject to cross contamination is the kind of situation where a product like GliadinX comes in handy.

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    Guest Dianne Spooner

    Posted

    45 minutes ago, trents said:

    The Taco Bell items listed in this article as not purposely having gluten but subject to cross contamination is the kind of situation where a product like GliadinX comes in handy.

    You can also request to substitute beans for the beef in the taco.

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    Scott Adams

    The article does say: "Taco Bell does not specifically label any of its food gluten-free, and they don't recommend it for people with celiac disease." There is also a chance of cross-contamination. 

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    Guest Amers

    Posted

    On 5/30/2021 at 5:34 PM, Oldturdle said:

    Wow!  Had no idea tacos could be gluten free!  I am on my way!

    Yes Taco Bell does use oats in their ground beef to keep the cost down, so it may not be safe for those with Celiac. I personally can't tolerate it.  Their cheese sauce (nacho cheese) also contains wheat, so I gave up on Taco Bell, too many contamination's :(

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    Guest Laura

    Posted

    Taco Bell has wonderful looking "protein bowls" but too much cross-contamination. 

    I eat out at El Pollo Loco once a week.  The "bowls" are all good, with the exception of the whole kernel corn that comes on one of the bowls.  It has an additive (gluten-free cross reactor: yeast).

    Basically, eating out is high risk.  I prepare my own meals 99.5% of the time.  Hubby says he eats better tasting food now than ever before.  We have several set recipes that are truly loved. It's mostly the ambiance of restaurants that is missing.  My dislike of eating grows with each passing day.  Just wish I did not require food as sustenance.  It is a pain in the you know what.

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    Oldturdle

    Guest Laura, that struck me as so sad that you dislike eating food more everyday.  Eating is supposed to be one of life's always dependable self gratifications.  I admit that giving up all things gluten cuts into the fun, but there is so much yumminess still available.  I don't hesitate to go out and eat.  I just let the waiter know that I have Celiac's disease and need to eat gluten free.  They frequently give me the, "we can't promise there will be no cross contamination," speech.  I take one or two Gliadenx when I see the food coming, and have not had a single problem!  We are going out to eat more and more as the Covid restrictions end, and I am happy and surprised that so many restaurants are offering gluten free menue items.

     

     

      

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    Guest Art
    On 6/3/2021 at 5:38 PM, Oldturdle said:

    Guest Laura, that struck me as so sad that you dislike eating food more everyday.  Eating is supposed to be one of life's always dependable self gratifications.  I admit that giving up all things gluten cuts into the fun, but there is so much yumminess still available.  I don't hesitate to go out and eat.  I just let the waiter know that I have Celiac's disease and need to eat gluten free.  They frequently give me the, "we can't promise there will be no cross contamination," speech.  I take one or two Gliadenx when I see the food coming, and have not had a single problem!  We are going out to eat more and more as the Covid restrictions end, and I am happy and surprised that so many restaurants are offering gluten free menue items.

     

     

      

    I hate eating also, but I don't hate it more all the time. It's very painful to chew/swallow so if I could do without I would. Half the time I end up gagging and choking during a meal at some point and feeling that little slice of death when assistance is needed to keep breathing may only happen once a month or so out of all that choking, yet once is enough to make one not one to put my life at risk just to try and keep living with some solid sustenance. It's much easier to eat a few light things each day and otherwise have liquid/semisolid nutrition, so in general I would say drinking is far preferred over eating and eating isn't really necessary at all (thankfully). Eating out with others is the absolute worst kind of experience adding the complexities of trying to interact to the noise and lighting complications atop the allergen considerations. I have no idea how some people can eat for pleasure or what that is supposed to be like, but that has never been my experience. Gratification for me comes from helping others, and thankfully that has nothing to do with eating most of the time unless they're having problems securing a food source and that's what help is needed. I'm not sure what self-gratification would really be with respect to food since my understanding is that's to be used in reference to pleasing oneself in a specific way I wouldn't associate with food other than that I suppose for some a shared orifice may be used for eating and pleasuring.

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    Oldturdle

    Guest Art.  I am so sorry to hear about your struggles to enjoy eating.  I am sure you have had your swallowing dissorder thoroughly evaluated, and treatment options explored.  My father had the same swallowing issues after his stroke.  It sounds like you made a very sound decision to take your nourishnent as a lliqid, or pureed.  

          We all need to find our own pleasures in life.  Having celiac disease is somewhat restrictive, but their are many pathways to our internal pleasure/reward center, of which eating is only one.  It sounds like you have found that helping others is gratifying for you.  The world could do with more people like you!

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    Scott Adams

    Scott Adams was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1994, and, due to the nearly total lack of information available at that time, was forced to become an expert on the disease in order to recover. In 1995 he launched the site that later became Celiac.com to help as many people as possible with celiac disease get diagnosed so they can begin to live happy, healthy gluten-free lives.  He is co-author of the book Cereal Killers, and founder and publisher of the (formerly paper) newsletter Journal of Gluten Sensitivity. In 1998 he founded The Gluten-Free Mall which he sold in 2014. Celiac.com does not sell any products, and is 100% advertiser supported.


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