Gluten Free on the Road

My husband recently attended a conference in New England. He drove, and while the conference organizers promised to accommodate his dietary needs (they didn't, but that's another topic) and he packed a Price Chopper bag full of gluten-free snacks for the hotel room, he was virtually guaranteed to have to eat on the road at least once.

With that in mind, I compiled the following list of "safe" foods (accurate as of March 2009) from various fast food restaurant websites. I guess I'll say first that this is not a complete list - I did not bother looking up food that I know he won't eat. Secondly, yes, fast food is terrible for many reasons and you can never guarantee against cross-contamination, but with those risks in mind, we're the type of people who get extremely irritable when our blood sugar levels get too low. :)

I thought Wendy's had the best information - and choices - of any fast food chain. They have a PDF you can print out, available here.

Here are the rest:

Boston Market

Entrees: Rotisserie Chicken, Roasted Turkey Breast, USDA Choice Roasted Sirloin

Sides: Butternut squash, cinnamon apples, cranberry walnut relish, creamed spinach, fresh fruit salad, fresh steamed vegetables, garden fresh coleslaw, green beans, sweet corn


Taco Bell

Entrees: Tostadas, Fiesta taco salad (chicken instead of beef, without the shell and without the red strips), Express taco salad (chicken instead of beef), Zesty Chicken Border Bowl (without zesty dressing and without the red strips) , Southwest Steak Bowl (without the creamy jalapeno sauce)

Sides: Mexican rice, pintos and beans


Subway

Salads: 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, Steak & Cheese, Veggie Delite.

Sauces and dressings: Chipotle southwest sauce, Honey mustard sauce, Light/regular mayo, mustard (both yellow and deli brown), oil, ranch, red wine vinaigrette, sweet onion sauce, vinegar


Burger King

Breakfast: Egg omelet (bacon, ham and sausage all OK)

Sides: French Fries (cooked in a dedicated fryer), BK Fresh Apple Fries


McDonald’s

Salads: Premium Bacon Ranch Salad (without chicken), Premium Caesar salad (without chicken), side salad

Salad dressings: Newman’s Own Creamy Southwest Dressing, Newman’s Own Creamy Caesar Dressing, Newman’s Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, Newman’s Own Low Fat Family Recipe Italian Dressing, Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing

Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry Triple-Thick Shakes