Three Burger Joints
Fast food restaurants that accommodate food allergies
Fortunately, many fast food chains are jumping on the allergen evaluated menu bandwagon.
Fast food restaurants may not always be the healthiest places to eat but, they are certainly fast and convenient. Even people with food allergies deserve the convenience of grabbing a bite to eat on the go. Fortunately, many fast food chains are jumping on the allergen evaluated menu bandwagon. Here are three of the best burger joints to try!
Mc Donald's is surprisingly one of the best places to start with. Their preparations are very compartmentalized (dedicated grills and fryers) and they assemble most of their food items in the container they are served in. This makes it so cross contamination is less of an issue. On their website they no longer have an allergen evaluated chart of their menu. They do however, have ingredients list for all of their food items and list common allergens, so you can easily make informed food choices. It may also be a good idea to speak with the manager at your local Mc Donald's the first few time you eat at there if you are unsure of what to order.
In n Out Burger has a very limited menu, fortunately for some people with food allergies, this is good news. The only fried food served at In N Out is french fries. That means little possible cross contamination of the fries. Also for those with a wheat or gluten allergy they have a “protein style” burger (which means, you can order any hamburger they have with out a bun). It is not listed on the regular menu (check out their secret menu). They do not have allergens list on their site but, most locations they are very willing to help people with food allergies.
Wendy's actually has allot more than just burgers. In most of their restaurants they even have a chart posted that gives information on many of the common allergens in their food items. With a little creativity and an open mind, most people with a food allergy could come up with a suitable meal here.
Tips for eating at a burger joint
There are plenty more burger chains to choose from. Do not be afraid to check them out. Here are a few tips to make your trip safer.
- Check the website. More and more restaurants are getting there menus evaluated for food allergens or even changing some of their items to accommodate people with food allergies.
- Ask for the manager. Many have been trained to help, take advantage of it.
- When in doubt, walk out! Do not take any chances, if they seem like they do not understand what you are talking about: leave.
- Be nice and smile allot! It is important to be kind and understanding on both ends. You are making some special requests that they might not see often.
- If they make a mistake- send it back (see tip 4).
- Bring a restaurant card. These are cards that explain you allergy and common ingredients that you must avoid. This can really help in communicating properly.
Food allergy sufferers do not have to hermits that cook everything from scratch. Just do a little research and follow the tips above and eating out can be fun!
