Why Fast Food French Fries Might Not Be A Good Choice For Gluten-Free Diners

Eating out is a definite challenge for gluten-free folks. But certain things are always safe go-tos — innocuous menu items like french fries, for instance, right? After all, they're just potatoes, aren't they? Unfortunately, if you have celiac disease or any other form of gluten intolerance, the only safe course when ordering in a restaurant (unless you're dining in a nongluten specialty establishment) is to read nutrition and allergen info ahead of time and, for extra safety, always ask your server about the gluten content of dishes and alert them that you're gluten-free. Even the last menu item you would ever expect to contain gluten can contain it in abundance, and french fries are no exception.

Many restaurants choose to serve frozen french fries, and these can be covered with coatings that contain wheat or other ingredients with gluten. Unless a fast food restaurant has a separate fryer for nongluten foods, cross-contamination can also occur even when the french fries themselves are gluten-free, as they are cooked in shared fryers where wheat-containing products are also cooked. This is why deep-fried foods are among the items to avoid when ordering in breakfast joints. Some fast food restaurants post a warning that, while they don't contain gluten themselves, their potato products are at risk for contamination in the factories where they're made. The bottom line: It's never safe to assume your restaurant fries are gluten-free.

So, is all lost if you're gluten-free? Are you doomed to a life that is empty of restaurant french fries? Definitely not. It just takes precaution and extra effort to ensure you're choosing the safest options.

Some fast-food chains are known to be more gluten-safe. Chick-fil-A is noted for using dedicated gluten-free fryers and lists its waffle fries (one of the many different types of french fries) among recommended items for people adhering to gluten-free diets. Chick-fil-A does disclaim that, aside from prepackaged items that are fully protected from cross-contamination by their packaging, it cannot guarantee anything prepared in its kitchens is completely free of gluten, due to the proximity of wheat-containing foods in the shared prep spaces.

Five Guys is another chain that uses dedicated fryers to cook its french fries, and the fries themselves contain no gluten. Five Guys admonishes diners to alert the cashier to their gluten sensitivity so the kitchen team can take extra precautions to prevent cross-contamination. In-N-Out Burger is also noted as a good gluten-free location within the GF community. Its french fries are gluten-free, made from hand-cut potatoes and fried in sunflower oil, and are the only deep-fried item on the menu, ensuring there isn't cross-contamination in the fryer.

As suppliers and practices can vary from restaurant to restaurant, even within a large chain, always ask whether a dedicated fryer is used and whether items are free of gluten. Make your servers aware of your sensitivity so they can take added precautions. In short, do all you can to verify you're getting safe food. Check among the privately owned restaurants in your area, too. Many establishments are keenly sensitive to gluten intolerance, and you may just find a hidden gem in your own backyard that caters well to the gluten-free.