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

Fries- Fast Food Chains

munchkinette

By munchkinette
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

munchkinette Collaborator
munchkinette
Posted

I'm traveling next week (Honolulu) and I'm wondering if there are any major chains that have gluten free fries. I don't usually eat them so I don't pay attention, but McDonald's and Burger King seem to be in most airports and tourist destinations.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


MelindaLee Contributor
MelindaLee
Posted

I'm traveling next week (Honolulu) and I'm wondering if there are any major chains that have gluten free fries. I don't usually eat them so I don't pay attention, but McDonald's and Burger King seem to be in most airports and tourist destinations.

I can't help much, but I can tell you that McDonald's are NOT okay <_<

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

I can't help much, but I can tell you that McDonald's are NOT okay <_<

Yes, they are. There is a trace of wheat-based flavoring used in processing that McDonalds does disclose, but when the finished fries are tested independently there is no detectable gluten on the most sensitive assays.

Chick-Fil-A is good, and some Burger King restaurants have a dedicated fryer for their french fries. You have to ask every time, though.

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted

I'm not sure that I'd eat McDonald's fries after all the debate that has gone on with them about whether they are or aren't safe for celiacs. Depsite them testing with no levels of gluten, they're typically made in shared fryers. I know that all Chick-Fil-A's have dedicated fryers but depending on where you are in the country, it might be tough to track them down. When I'm in airports, I tend to stick to cashews, candy (terrible I know) or a bag of chips if I have to eat. I always try to keep some glutino crackers or pretzels or a granola bar in my bag for travel purposes too!

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

McDonalds have dedicated fryers for the fries in order that nothing else can compromise the flavor of the fries. In the store layout, those dedicated fryers are in a different part of the store, and are operated by different employees.

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

Peter is right. McD fries are definitely done in separate fryers and usually are nowhere near the other fryers. MOST Wendy's fryers are dedicated and the fries are gluten-free. Same with BK, although the fryers are near each other so CC is more likely. Hardees (Carls) does NOT have dedicated fryers.

Just to be safe, always ask about dedicated fryers.

richard

munchkinette Collaborator
munchkinette
Posted
  • Author

When I'm in airports, I tend to stick to cashews, candy (terrible I know) or a bag of chips if I have to eat. I always try to keep some glutino crackers or pretzels or a granola bar in my bag for travel purposes too!

Yeah... the only time I came home early from a trip due to glutening was 2 years ago in the Dominican Republic. I was living off peanut M&Ms. I can't do that again.

I do have some snacks to bring in my bag, as well as my soy sauce packets. The hostel has a kitchen. (I've stayed there before.) Still, I know that going out drinking involves late night snacks, and I like to know my options before my judgment is compromised.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


scarlett77 Apprentice
scarlett77
Posted

In & Out if they have them there. Ask for protein style burger and a separate box for your fries. Tell them you have a wheat allergy and to change their gloves. Usually they are pretty good about this. Try to make sure it is not peak hours because it will take more time for your food.

MaryJones2 Enthusiast
MaryJones2
Posted

I eat Five Guys Fries and bunless burgers all the time. Pretty sure they are in HI. Everything is safe there except the bun. The burgers are cooked on a seperate grill so as far as fast food goes there is very little chance of CC. Chick Fil A is the only other place I'll eat fries.

K-Dawg Explorer
K-Dawg
Posted

The McD fries thing is weird. I work downtown Toronto and there is a McD's near my office. I went there for fries a few weeks ago. I asked the girl behind the counter if the fries are done in dedicated fryers (cuz I always like to confirm before putting food in my mouth...what if a policy changes?) and she gave me a weird look. So I asked, "Do you fry your french fries in seperate fryers?" and she said, "yes" and I said, "so you don't fry anything else in them?" and she said "... pause....NO". Because of the pause, I asked "never?" and she said, "Well, we're not supposed to, but sometimes we do." I then told her I had celiac disease and could get sick if I ate fries cross-contaminated with items that have gluten.

I was so sad...esp cuz I had no lunch as my plan had been to get McD's fries.

Has anyone else ever encountered this? Maybe it was a one-off?

KDawg

McDonalds have dedicated fryers for the fries in order that nothing else can compromise the flavor of the fries. In the store layout, those dedicated fryers are in a different part of the store, and are operated by different employees.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Company policy may be nothing else in the fryers but in reality, they sometimes use them for something else. Appreicate her honesty.

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted

This was definitely the first I have heard of McDonald's using dedicated fryers, but I will be the first to admit that I zoned out after the first 1082913712 pages during the initial debate :blink: I have, however, in the past when eating those evil fries, found pieces of fried chicken or bits of coating in the bottom of the fry thing...which to me tells me they're sharing something they shouldn't!!

I totally forgot about Five Guys. LOVE THEM!

i-geek Rookie
i-geek
Posted

I eat Five Guys Fries and bunless burgers all the time. Pretty sure they are in HI. Everything is safe there except the bun. The burgers are cooked on a seperate grill so as far as fast food goes there is very little chance of CC.

Yes. Five Guys is an awesome chain. Love them.

To the OP- you mentioned that you're staying at a hostel with a kitchen, which is a big plus. I would like to mention that if you're planning on cooking, pack your own skillet, cutting board, and utensils. Those things are likely provided in the hostel kitchen, but it's anyone's guess what was previously prepared using them and how well they were cleaned.

As for airport food: I didn't trust the McD that I found in the O'Hare airport (Chicago). They were absolutely mobbed and I didn't see evidence of separate fryers. I stuck with a fruit cup and Kind bar from the Starbucks kiosk.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

This was definitely the first I have heard of McDonald's using dedicated fryers, but I will be the first to admit that I zoned out after the first 1082913712 pages during the initial debate :blink: I have, however, in the past when eating those evil fries, found pieces of fried chicken or bits of coating in the bottom of the fry thing...which to me tells me they're sharing something they shouldn't!!

I totally forgot about Five Guys. LOVE THEM!

Betcha it was bits of breakfast hash browns, which are cooked at the same station. Little bits break off easily and we always ended up with hash brown crumbs in the fry bags at the changeover from breakfast to lunch.

I worked in a McDonald's in high school and not much has changed as far as their fried foods. We would have been reprimanded the first time and fired the second if we put something other than fries into the fry station. The grease is a different temperature and the foods do not cook correctly in the wrong fryers. McDonald's is all about process control and consistency.

I'm pretty sensitive and I've eaten plenty of McDonald's fries without problems.

scarlett77 Apprentice
scarlett77
Posted

Betcha it was bits of breakfast hash browns, which are cooked at the same station. Little bits break off easily and we always ended up with hash brown crumbs in the fry bags at the changeover from breakfast to lunch.

I worked in a McDonald's in high school and not much has changed as far as their fried foods. We would have been reprimanded the first time and fired the second if we put something other than fries into the fry station. The grease is a different temperature and the foods do not cook correctly in the wrong fryers. McDonald's is all about process control and consistency.

I'm pretty sensitive and I've eaten plenty of McDonald's fries without problems.

I'm wondering if I should give McD's a try again. I had done research awhile back and decided that McD's fries were OK and so let my son have them (which was his absolute favorite treat). After a couple of months I saw that his improvement had stopped and thought maybe it was the fries (although it could really have been a number of other things). It is incredibly hard to tell if he has been glutened.

Hubby & I hate driving by McD's because our son asks for fries every time he sees the sign.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

I'm wondering if I should give McD's a try again. I had done research awhile back and decided that McD's fries were OK and so let my son have them (which was his absolute favorite treat). After a couple of months I saw that his improvement had stopped and thought maybe it was the fries (although it could really have been a number of other things). It is incredibly hard to tell if he has been glutened.

Hubby & I hate driving by McD's because our son asks for fries every time he sees the sign.

You could always talk to the manager at that particular store and see whether their policies about the fryers are as strict as when I worked there.

modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted

hmm...it could've been a burnt hashbrown....I didn't think of that one.

I always did love McDonald's fries...maybe because I know they're bad for you which is why they're so delish. Perhaps I'll give her another go!

  • 2 weeks later...
cyberprof Enthusiast
cyberprof
Posted

hmm...it could've been a burnt hashbrown....I didn't think of that one.

I always did love McDonald's fries...maybe because I know they're bad for you which is why they're so delish. Perhaps I'll give her another go!

I might try too...I haven't eaten anything but fries at McD's since 1986 (including on a trip where I attended a convention for three days at Hamburger University in 1990). But pre-gluten-free I would get drive-thru fries and a coke once a week. Bad for the waistline but a quick, cheap treat.

Frances03 Enthusiast
Frances03
Posted

The only place I will eat fries is Chick-Fil-A. I've recently started making my own fries and I LOVE them. It is SO easy too. I don't crave fast food fries at all any more.

  • 2 months later...
3Celiacs Newbie
3Celiacs
Posted

I'm traveling next week (Honolulu) and I'm wondering if there are any major chains that have gluten free fries. I don't usually eat them so I don't pay attention, but McDonald's and Burger King seem to be in most airports and tourist destinations.

My understanding is that the only gluten free french fry is the unprocessed french fry, ie: In N Out, & Wendy's now has natural fries too. As for how they're cooked, if you were at a place that had onion rings or other battered, fried food, I highly doubt that a fryer is dedicated to just fries unless it's openly mentioned on the gluten free portion of their menu. You could always ask the staff, but good luck communicating. I've tried to ask about gluten free french fries and the response has been: "No, we don't have free fries"! You know the saying, "Better safe than sorry",? Well, better no gluten fries than sorry!

3Celiacs Newbie
3Celiacs
Posted

You could always talk to the manager at that particular store and see whether their policies about the fryers are as strict as when I worked there.

We used to feel sorry for ourselves at first too, then I went and purchased a small fryer. Ya, it sucks not being able to hit the drive thru, but not as bad as feeling sick. When I feel the need to do my extra mommy thing I make my boys fries, but now Wendy's has gluten free fries so we're not limited to mine or In N Outs.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

We used to feel sorry for ourselves at first too, then I went and purchased a small fryer. Ya, it sucks not being able to hit the drive thru, but not as bad as feeling sick. When I feel the need to do my extra mommy thing I make my boys fries, but now Wendy's has gluten free fries so we're not limited to mine or In N Outs.

How did you find out that Wendy's fries are gluten-free? Aren't they fried in the same fryer with something else? The Wendy's website clearly states they may be fried with gluten containing items.

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

How did you find out that Wendy's fries are gluten-free? Aren't they fried in the same fryer with something else? The Wendy's website clearly states they may be fried with gluten containing items.

MOST Wendy's have dedicated fryers but a few don't, hence the warning at the website. Just ask.

richard

RideAllWays Enthusiast
RideAllWays
Posted

Peter is right. McD fries are definitely done in separate fryers and usually are nowhere near the other fryers. MOST Wendy's fryers are dedicated and the fries are gluten-free. Same with BK, although the fryers are near each other so CC is more likely. Hardees (Carls) does NOT have dedicated fryers.

Just to be safe, always ask about dedicated fryers.

richard

Always ask, this was not the case in the McD I worked at; the nuggets were fried in the same oil, right next to the french fries.

Laura Apprentice
Laura
Posted

Adding my vote to everyone who said Five Guys and In N Out. So, so good, and since it's just straight-up potato and they don't have anything else deep-fried, you know what you're getting.

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. trents
      - trents replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      So, essentially all of the nutrition in the food we eat is absorbed through the villous lining of the small bowel. This is the section of the intestinal track that is damaged by celiac disease. This villous lining is composed of billions of finger-like projections that create a huge amount of surface area for absorbing nutrients. For the celiac person, when...
    2. catnapt
      - catnapt replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      thank you so much for your detailed and extremely helpful reply!! I can say with absolute certainty that the less gluten containing products I've eaten over the past several years, the better I've felt. I wasn't avoiding gluten, I was avoiding refined grains (and most processed foods) as well as anything that made me feel bad when I ate it. It's the...
    3. trents
      - trents replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      Welcome, @catnapt! The most recent guidelines are the daily consumption of a minimum of 10g of gluten (about the amount found in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of two weeks. But if possible stretching that out even more would enhance the chances of getting valid test results. These guidelines are for those who have been eating gluten free for...
    4. catnapt
      - catnapt posted a topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      after several years of issues with a para-gland issue, my endo has decided it's a good idea for me to be tested for celiac disease. I am 70 yrs old and stunned to learn that you can get celiac this late in life. I have just gradually stopped eating most foods that contain gluten over the past several years- they just make me feel ill- although I...
    5. trents
      - trents replied to McKinleyWY's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      Accuracy of testing concerns

      The biopsy looks for damage to the mucosal lining of the small bowel from the inflammation caused by celiac disease when gluten is ingested. Once you remove gluten from the diet, inflammation subsides and the mucosal lining begins to heal.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,256
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Christie Fassel
    Newest Member
    Christie Fassel
    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)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      By trents · Posted

      So, essentially all of the nutrition in the food we eat is absorbed through the villous lining of the small bowel. This is the section of the intestinal track that is damaged by celiac disease. This villous lining is composed of billions of finger-like projections that create a huge amount of surface area for absorbing nutrients. For the celiac person, when gluten is consumed, it triggers an autoimmune reaction in this area which, of course, generates inflammation. The antibodies connected with this inflammation is what the celiac blood tests are designed to detect but this inflammation, over time, wears down the finger-like projections of the villous lining. Of course, when this proceeds for an extended period of time, greatly reduces the absorption efficiency of the villous lining and often results in many and various nutrient deficiency-related health issues. Classic examples would be osteoporosis and iron deficiency. But there are many more. Low D3 levels is a well-known celiac-caused nutritional deficiency. So is low B12. All the B vitamins in fact. Magnesium, zinc, etc.  Celiac disease can also cause liver inflammation. You mention elevated ALP levels. Elevated liver enzymes over a period of 13 years was what led to my celiac diagnosis. Within three months of going gluten free my liver enzymes normalized. I had elevated AST and ALT. The development of sensitivities to other food proteins is very common in the celiac population. Most common cross reactive foods are dairy and oats but eggs, soy and corn are also relatively common offenders. Lactose intolerance is also common in the celiac population because of damage to the SB lining.  Eggs when they are scrambled or fried give me a gut ache. But when I poach them, they do not. The steam and heat of poaching causes a hydrolysis process that alters the protein in the egg. They don't bother me in baked goods either so I assume the same process is at work. I bought a plastic poacher on Amazon to make poaching very easy. All this to say that many of the issues you describe could be caused by celiac disease. 
    • catnapt
      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      By catnapt · Posted

      thank you so much for your detailed and extremely helpful reply!! I can say with absolute certainty that the less gluten containing products I've eaten over the past several years, the better I've felt.   I wasn't avoiding gluten, I was avoiding refined grains (and most processed foods) as well as anything that made me feel bad when I ate it. It's the same reason I gave up dairy and eggs- they make me feel ill.  I do have a bit of a sugar addiction lol so a lot of times I wasn't sure if it was the refined grains that I was eating - or the sugar. So from time to time I might have a cookie or something but I've learned how to make wonderful cookies and golden brownies with BEANS!! and no refined sugar - I use date paste instead. Pizza made me so ill- but I thought it was probably the cheese. I gave up pizza and haven't missed it. the one time I tried a slice I felt so bad I knew I'd never touch it again. I stopped eating wheat pasta at least 3 yrs ago- just didn't feel well after eating it. I tried chick pea pasta and a few others and discovered I like the brown rice pasta. I still don't eat a lot of pasta but it's nice for a change when I want something easy. TBH over the years I've wondered sometimes if I might be gluten intolerant but really believed it was not possible for me to have celiac disease. NOW I need to know for sure- because I'm in the middle of a long process of trying to find out why I have a high parathyroid level (NOT the thyroid- but rather the 4 glands that control the calcium balance in your body) I have had a hard time getting my vit D level up, my serum calcium has run on the low side of normal for many years... and now I am losing calcium from my bones and excreting it in my urine (some sort of renal calcium leak) Also have a high ALP since 2014. And now rapidly worsening bone density.  I still do not have a firm diagnosis. Could be secondary HPT (but secondary to what? we need to know) It could be early primary HPT. I am spilling calcium in my urine but is that caused by the high parathyroid hormone or is it the reason my PTH is high>? there are multiple feedback loops for this condition.    so I will keep eating the bread and some wheat germ that does not seem to bother me too much (it hasn't got enough gluten to use just wheat germ)    but I'm curious- if you don't have a strong reaction to a product- like me and wheat germ- does that mean it's ok to eat or is it still causing harm even if you don't have any obvious symptoms? I guess what you are saying about silent celiac makes it likely that you can have no symptoms and still have the harm... but geez! you'd think they'd come up with a way to test for this that didn't require you to consume something that makes you sick! I worry about the complications I've been reading about- different kinds of cancers etc. also wondering- are there degrees of celiac disease?  is there any correlation between symptoms and the amnt of damage to your intestines? I also need a firm diagnosis because I have an identical twin sister ... so if I have celiac, she has it too- or at least the genetic make up for having it. I did have a VERY major stress to my body in 2014-2016 time frame .. lost 50lbs in a short period of time and had severe symptoms from acute protracted withdrawal off an SSRI drug (that I'd been given an unethically high dose of, by a dr who has since lost his license)  Going off the drug was a good thing and in many ways my health improved dramatically- just losing 50lbs was helpful but I also went  off almost a dozen different medications, totally changed my diet and have been doing pretty well except for the past 3-4 yrs when the symptoms related to the parathyroid issue cropped up. It is likely that I had low vit D for some time and that caused me a lot of symptoms. The endo now tells me that low vit D can be caused by celiac disease so I need to know for sure! thank you for all that great and useful information!!! 
    • trents
      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome, @catnapt! The most recent guidelines are the daily consumption of a minimum of 10g of gluten (about the amount found in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of two weeks. But if possible stretching that out even more would enhance the chances of getting valid test results. These guidelines are for those who have been eating gluten free for a significant amount of time. It's called the "gluten challenge".  Yes, you can develop celiac disease at any stage of life. There is a genetic component but also a stress trigger that is needed to activate the celiac genes. About 30-40% of the general population possesses the genetic potential to develop celiac disease but only about 1% of the general population actually develop celiac disease. For most with the potential, the triggering stress event doesn't happen. It can be many things but often it is a viral infection. Having said that, it is also the case that many, many people who eventually are diagnosed with celiac disease probably experienced the actual onset years before. Many celiacs are of the "silent" type, meaning that symptoms are largely missing or very minor and get overlooked until damage to the small bowel lining becomes advanced or they develop iron deficiency anemia or some other medical problem associated with celiac disease. Many, many are never diagnosed or are diagnosed later in life because they did not experience classic symptoms. And many physicians are only looking for classic symptoms. We now know that there are over 200 symptoms/medical problems associated with celiac disease but many docs are only looking for things like boating, gas, diarrhea. I certainly understand your concerns about not wanting to damage your body by taking on a gluten challenge. Your other option is to totally commit to gluten free eating and see if your symptoms improve. It can take two years or more for complete healing of the small bowel lining once going gluten free but usually people experience significant improvement well before then. If their is significant improvement in your symptoms when going seriously gluten free, then you likely have your answer. You would either have celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity).
    • catnapt
      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      By catnapt · Posted

      after several years of issues with a para-gland issue, my endo has decided it's a good idea for me to be tested for celiac disease. I am 70 yrs old and stunned to learn that you can get celiac this late in life. I have just gradually stopped eating most foods that contain gluten over the past several years- they just make me feel ill- although I attributed it to other things like bread spiking blood sugar- or to the things I ate *with* the bread or crackers etc   I went to a party in Nov and ate a LOT of a vegan roast made with vital wheat gluten- as well as stuffing, rolls and pie crust... and OMG I was so sick! the pain, the bloating, the gas, the nausea... I didn't think it would ever end (but it did) and I was ready to go the ER but it finally subsided.   I mentioned this to my endo and now she wants me to be tested for celiac after 2 weeks of being on gluten foods. She has kind of flip flopped on how much gluten I should eat, telling me that if the symptoms are severe I can stop. I am eating 2-3 thin slices of bread per day (or english muffins) and wow- it does make me feel awful. But not as bad as when I ate that massive amnt of vital wheat gluten. so I will continue on if I have to... but what bothers me is - if it IS celiac, it seems stupid for lack of a better word, to intentionally cause more damage to my body... but I am also worried, on the other hand, that this is not a long enough challenge to make the blood work results valid.   can you give me any insight into this please?   thank you
    • trents
      Accuracy of testing concerns

      By trents · Posted

      The biopsy looks for damage to the mucosal lining of the small bowel from the inflammation caused by celiac disease when gluten is ingested. Once you remove gluten from the diet, inflammation subsides and the mucosal lining begins to heal. 
×
×
  • 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.