Facts and Truths About Fastfood Gluten-free Products

If you are on the go and you need to find a gluten free meal fast the options can be limited and risky. Some fast food restaurants will claim their products are gluten free but most of the time there not. A great example is Wendy's new all natural sea salted fries. They may say that there fries are gluten-free but if one staff member makes one mistake all the rest of the fries will all have gluten in it. I learned from experience the hard way while i got a bad reaction when i ordered the fries. I highly recommend that you don't even try to order french fries from Wendy's unless you are 100% sure that they are gluten free. Chick-fil-a on the other hand has had very good reviews about there fries guaranteed to be gluten-free and I have never had a problem with it. Here is a list of Fast food places you can go to get gluten-free food to make sure you never have to worry about getting a reaction.

Chick-fil-A  -Has a bunch of gluten-free salads, sides, breakfasts, and sauces. Here is a link to all the gluten-free options you can get when you go to Chick-fil-A!
http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Food/Gluten



Subway   -Does not have any gluten-free subs (unfortunately), but they do have may different varieties of salads to choose from. Here is the list of gluten-free items you can have-  Chicken & Bacon Ranch (includes cheese), Cold Cut Combo, Ham (Black Forest), Italian BMT®, Roast Beef, Roasted Chicken Breast, Tuna , Turkey Breast, Turkey Breast & Ham, Spicy Italian, Subway Club®, Subway Club®, Veggie Delite® 

Chipotle   -Chipotle has so many different foods that are very healthy and guaranteed gluten-free. Chipotle's can also be found pretty much anywhere you go. You can get a burrito bowl, hard shell tacos, salads, and chips&quac. To me it is one of my personal favorite places to eat. Here is a link to there menu and allergy site.   Menu- http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/menu/menu.aspx                                  Allergy Info- http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/menu/special_diet_information/special_diet_information.aspx


Wendy's  -Wendy's is also spread out all along the country and has tons of gluten-free options like frosty's, salads, and baked potatoes. Although they say their fries are gluten-free i still would recommend that you do not order them bc they are usually fried with other foods. Here is a link to all the gluten-free foods from Wendy's.  http://www.wendys.com/food/pdf/us/gluten_free_list.pdf

What To Watch For While Eating at a Seafood Restaurant

If you have a gluten allergy like me, you never want to take any chances of eating gluten. Eating out can always be a tricky topic. Where to eat,  if what your ordering has gluten or not, and if you just want to eat normal things on the regular menu. Seafood most of the time is always a safe food to eat. But even though the actual product may be gluten free by itself, some of the time the seasoning isn't. Every restaurant adds seasoning to their Seafood that they serve. That's why you have to make sure what your getting before you order it. A great natural gluten free food you can order is fish. It's full of Omega-3's which is great for your heart. There are some ways that you can order fish that can be risky, but the 3 safest ways you can order fish that are gluten-free is grilled, broiled, and blackened. Rice is also a very safe food to eat and can also be delicious if served with scallops, fish, or any type of meat. The only type of rice you do need to stay away from would be fried rice. Anything fried is first of all unhealthy as we all know, and most important of all it will contain gluten. If you do order something off the regular menu make sure you do ask if it is gluten free because you never know what they will add to a meal. Two months ago when I was at a restaurant in Florida, I ordered a grilled salmon with a side of rice and didn't ask if it was gluten free. That was a very big mistake I made because it did happen to have gluten in it from the seasoning and did ruin the rest of my vacation.That just shows you should ALWAYS be careful of what you order when you do eat out.

Top Ten Restaurants With Gluten-free Options

Dining out with a gluten allergy can be really really tough.  After venturing through almost three years of living with a severe gluten allergy these are the places that I have found to be the most gluten allergy friendly.

Chipotle
When it comes to fast eats Chipotle is the best of the best for those who are bound to a gluten free diet.  Their food is freshly prepared and their menu is almost 100% void of gluten. Stear clear of the flour tortillas but feel safe knowing that you can indulge on the chips and corn tacos.
Click here to view Chipotles Gluten Free Menu Options

Noodles & Company

Believe it or not, Noodles & Company is one of the most food allergy friendly casual restaurants on the market.  Their extensive guide helps patrons with food allergies or special diets navigate through their menus easily.
http://www.noodles.com/nutrition/index.php

PF Changs
PF Chang's has one of the most extensive gluten free menus on the market.  The entire back side of their menu is dedicated to gluten free options.  They offer everything from Chicken Lettuce Wraps to Fried Rice to Moo Goo Gai Pan to Street Noodles with a Gluten Free Sauce.  They even go as far as to offer a gluten free dessert a Flourless Chocolate Dome served with fresh berries and raspberry sauce!
http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/

BJ's Brewhouse
If your looking for a sit down restaurant with an upscale american grill atmosphere and a gluten free beer BJ's Brewhouse is the place to be.  BJ's offers and extensive gluten free menu including pizzas, giant stuffed potatoes, balsamic glazed chicken, steak, salmon, specialty salads and soups.  Redbridge Gluten Free Beer is also on the menu.
http://www.bjsbrewhouse.com/menus/gluten-menu-options

Bostons Pizza
If you have a hankering for pizza or bar food Boston's Pizza is the place to go.  The gluten free eater has an array of choices with their gluten free crust option which actually tastes very good!  Other gluten free items are baked cheese fries spinach & artichoke dip, amongst many other options.  Click here for Boston's Gluten Free Menu

First Watch
Breakfast can be limited, like all meals, when your living with a gluten free diet.  First Watch offers a very large extensive gluten free menu that helps direct in substitutes or altering menu options.  First Watch also allows gluten free dieters to bring in their own gluten free bread for breakfast sandwiches.
http://www.firstwatch.com/menu-gluten-free.htm

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants
All of the Cameron Mitchell restaurants have extensive gluten free menus.  Please see the links below to view the gluten free menu with the associating restaurant http://cameronmitchell.com/ourlocations.cfm

Shane's Rib Shack
When living with a gluten allergy or intolerance eating barbeque can sometimes be tricky.  Shanes Rib Shack has a dedicated menu to help those of us living on a gluten free diet.  The menu consists of pork, bbq chicken, grilled chicken tenders, beef brisket, ribs, salads, collard greens, cole slaw, baked beans and more.  For a place to grab a quick meal that is gluten free Shane's Rib Shack is definitely a place to add onto your list.  Check out their website for more gluten free options.
http://www.shanesribshack.com/menu/gluten_free/

Pei Wei Asain Diner
For a faster safer Asian meal Pei Wei is definitely the way to go.  Pei Wei offers a dedicated gluten free menu that gives those who are living a gluten free life tasty options that are a bit out of the norm.  Menu items consist of Vietnamese rolls, sweet & sour chicken or shrimp, Pei Wei spicy chicken or shrimp, and more.
http://www.peiwei.com/Menu/

Outback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse has one of the most extensive dedicated gluten free menus on the market. Ahi Tuna, Grilled Shrimp, Filets, Grilled Salmon, Salads are just a few of the items listed on their menu.
http://www.outback.com/menu/pdf/glutenfree.pdf

Rusty Bucket

Primarily found in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan the Rusty Bucket has just debuted their new gluten free menu offering hard to find items for those living a gluten free life when dining out. 

Menu options include pesto chicken pasta, double stacked quesadilla, blackened salmon salad and bbq chicken.

Click here for the Rusty Bucket Gluten Free Menu
Click here for the Rusty Bucket Website

The Best Places To Get the Best Tasting Gluten-Free Items

There are many different companies you can buy gluten free products from. But some of the gluten free foods can be bland and tasteless, almost like cardboard. Most people don't know you can still get very good tasting gluten free food that's much healthier for you too. One of the best companies out there for gluten free foods is Udi's. Udi's has amazing tasting products that most if not all people miss like muffins, hotdog buns, hamburger buns, bagels, many different flavors of bread, and pizza crust. These products are by far the best tasting gluten free foods you can get with such a wide variety. Udi's products can be very hard to find in some places but they can be found at Kroger, Trader Joes, Rasin Rack, and whole foods all in the central Ohio district. In every store there is always an allergy section for the people with a lactose or gluten allergy. Although these sections tend to be small they are full of many different varieties of foods we all miss. So check it out and enjoy eating the foods you love again!!