Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Fast Food French Fries...is Anywhere Safe?

taweavmo3

Recommended Posts

taweavmo3 Enthusiast
taweavmo3
Posted

The only place I've let my kids have french fries is Chick fil a, but they seem to still react. This was the one place I thought was safe after talking to the manager. I know cc is always a risk, so maybe they are just really sensitive. I did also just read that they could have soybean oil, so it could be that. I don't know, but I guess our fast food days are completely over now. Not a huge deal, I guess we could just get drinks and still let them play in the germ ridden plastic tubes, lol.

Do any of you do fast food fries????

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


flagbabyds Collaborator
flagbabyds
Posted

since that McDonalds "scare" we've made our own fries. We bought a cheap deep fryer, and just throw cut up potatoes in the olive oil and let them fry.

i think they taste better than the FF ones, plus they're healthier

i don't eat at ANY Fast Food restaruant EVER.

Guest j_mommy
Guest j_mommy
Posted

McDonalds French fries do containe wheat. The Culvers and Burger King website both say their french fries do not conatin wheat. That said I react to everything at Burger King but seem to be Ok at Culvers!

Phyllis28 Apprentice
Phyllis28
Posted

In and Out french fries are gluten free but are only available if you live in California, Nevada or Arizona. I am not sure what kind of oil they use.

Juliet Newbie
Juliet
Posted

In N Out has a dedicated fryer for their french fries and they use 100% vegetable oil. Their french fries are also just sliced potatoes.

You can also get their burgers "protein style" where it's wrapped in lettuce. They can't guarantee their special sauce is gluten free, but everything else but the bun is safe. You can also get the "flying dutchman" which is two burger patties with cheese as the "wrap".

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted

There's a constant debate about whether McDonald's fries are gluten-free or not...they don't actually contain wheat but there has been a lot of issues with that, you could probably search the page and see that debate taking place on the board. I've eaten at Chick-fil-a several times without getting sick, they have a seperate fryer for their fries...so maybe your children have an allergy with something in the oil? I've heard of several Wendy's having dedicated fryers, as does Steak and Shake. I'm sure there are several places, some Burger Kings...just have to call and ask if they share fryers! I know that small towns generally are more willing to work with you. The Wendy's in my town knows me by name and have since switched to a dedicated fryer...not completely for me but just because it is a bit healthier! I'm not sure if it's a good thing that my Wendy's knows me by name...perhaps I should cut back a bit :blink:

cruelshoes Enthusiast
cruelshoes
Posted
McDonalds French fries do containe wheat.

McDonalds Fries are gluten free. There is a small amount of wheat in the beginning par-fry process, but there is no gluten in the end product. They have been tested by a third party and they are gluten-free.

*****************

McDonald's Media Statement - 02/20/2006

McDonald's Fries are "Gluten and Allergen Free," According to Expert

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Guest Doll
Guest Doll
Posted

McD's in Canada- The fries are gluten-free.

confusedks Enthusiast
confusedks
Posted

Just thought I'd add that In-N-Out's fries are made in Cottonseed Oil.

Kassandra

EmmaQ Rookie
EmmaQ
Posted

My celiac disease child reacted to McD FF before all the debate was started, he won't eat them period. And from his painful experience won't eat any, not even ones I make. The McD debates gets me b/c the US has set NO standard as to what is gluten-free and what is not. Many adults will tell you some are super sensitive to minute particles and others are tolerant of some. But any gluten exposure in a celiac disease child is dangerous in my opinion, the risk for long term disease is too high.

Chic fil a uses peanut oil.

BK here has separate fryers, but I spoke w the manager and she told me the other frier was right next to it and cc was a big problem.

Eating out is just dangerous, salads can be contaminate w disease, food might contain unknown allergens, is it really worth it?

lfij Newbie
lfij
Posted
My celiac disease child reacted to McD FF before all the debate was started, he won't eat them period. And from his painful experience won't eat any, not even ones I make. The McD debates gets me b/c the US has set NO standard as to what is gluten-free and what is not. Many adults will tell you some are super sensitive to minute particles and others are tolerant of some. But any gluten exposure in a celiac disease child is dangerous in my opinion, the risk for long term disease is too high.

Chic fil a uses peanut oil.

BK here has separate fryers, but I spoke w the manager and she told me the other frier was right next to it and cc was a big problem.

Eating out is just dangerous, salads can be contaminate w disease, food might contain unknown allergens, is it really worth it?

yes. it's not realistic to think you or your children will never want ot eat out. you can't be a hermit just because you have celiac and you shouldn't expect your children to never want to eat out. almost every fast food place has a safe green only side salad. and there are other options at places like wendy's and chipotle and in and out

ItchyMeredith Contributor
ItchyMeredith
Posted

I don't trust McDonalds fries. They didn't even admit to adding beef flavoring (which also has wheat) till recently. I would be nervous about the wheat in the flavoring as well as CC from the other breaded products that are fried there.

IN & OUT would be a great alternative (if you have one near you) because they have such a simple menu. Plain potatoes are the only thing they fry there.

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

Unfortunately, I am so sensitive that I continuously react at any and all places that serve fries. My reactions are pretty horrible, and for me, its not worth the 1 time out of 10 that I don't get sick. So no....french fries are definitely out for me.

kbtoyssni Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

Not exactly fast food, but Red Robin has a dedicated french fryer so they're gluten-free. Sometimes I go there just for the fries :) There's nothing wrong with ordering three baskets of fries and a water, is there???

janelyb Enthusiast
janelyb
Posted

for my family the only safe places for fries are Wendy's and in 'n' out, but we are also casein free as well and both react immediately when cc with dairy.

Random Guy Apprentice
Random Guy
Posted

wendy's fries are gluten free?

Wendy's doesn't list them on their gluten-free list of menu items

Open Original Shared Link

-rg

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

If I remember correctly, their fries themselves are safe. But because each store doesn't always have a dedicated fryer, its not on the gluten-free list....its up to each person at each location to make the decision based on the store's practices......I think thats the last I heard?

Open Original Shared Link

(I will stand corrected if wrong :))

suepooh4 Contributor
suepooh4
Posted
The only place I've let my kids have french fries is Chick fil a, but they seem to still react. This was the one place I thought was safe after talking to the manager. I know cc is always a risk, so maybe they are just really sensitive. I did also just read that they could have soybean oil, so it could be that. I don't know, but I guess our fast food days are completely over now. Not a huge deal, I guess we could just get drinks and still let them play in the germ ridden plastic tubes, lol.

Do any of you do fast food fries????

I think each state is different, here in Ohio McDonalds uses the same oil that they fry their chicken nuggets in, and someone said Red Robin has a different fryer for fries so they are gluten free, Not the Red Robin in Washington PA they have NOTHING on their menu there that is gluten free. When we want fries we buy Oreida shoestring fries and fry those up. If you go to their website and go under F & A they will tell you which of their fries are gluten free.

taweavmo3 Enthusiast
taweavmo3
Posted
  • Author

Someone posted on the gluten-free/cf yahoo group that Chick Fil A actually bread their own products in the store. Has anyone else heard this before?? That would definately explain why my kids seem to react, if there is flour floating around in the air. I spoke with the manager at our local store, and he never mentioned this little tidbit, lol.

Nikki2003 Contributor
Nikki2003
Posted

I asked an employee at the BK near me and the fries are ok,But they use the same oil for the nuggets etc. They just switch the oil around.

Sweetfudge Community Regular
Sweetfudge
Posted
Not exactly fast food, but Red Robin has a dedicated french fryer so they're gluten-free. Sometimes I go there just for the fries :) There's nothing wrong with ordering three baskets of fries and a water, is there???

I suppose it depends on where you live. At our red robins, they have offered to make me the fries w/out the seasoning salt, but then I asked, and they told me they cook them in the same oil as everything else :( Besides, they wouldn't taste as good w/out the seasoning! So I just make my own. I think I might react to the frying process of fries, the fat or something. I eat at chickfila, and I just ate today for the first time at Wingers! Bunless burger and fries! Yum!

Darn210 Enthusiast
Darn210
Posted

I've been told by somebody that has done this . . . Cheeseburger in Paradise will pan fry some fries for you since they don't have a dedicated fryer. Once again, this is not a fast food place, but might be worth asking at some of the other (non fast food) restaurants.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,331
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Kristy2026
    Newest Member
    Kristy2026
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.