The other day I had some errands to run and I also wanted to visit my mom. I got to Portland at 12:00 noon – lunch time at the adult foster care home she lives in. I really wanted to get a visit in before a 2:00 appointment I had. I figured I’d grab something quick for lunch and take it to her place so we could eat together. (Seven years after being diagnosed with dairy, egg and wheat allergies and I still think I can grab something quick – I can’t.)
I had three fast food options: Burger King, Wendy’s and McDonald’s. I’ve gotten tired of rolling the dice when it comes to fast food, so I pulled into a parking lot so I could do some quick research. I googled each restaurant by name and went to their websites. From there I found they listed nutrition, ingredients and allergy information for each and every item they offer. (The sites were all very easy to navigate. Sorry, I’m not a tutorial kind of gal, you’ll have to figure these out on your own. You’ll be fine.)
My findings that day:
Burger King: They can only offer me coffee, juice and soda. They have a very thorough list of the ingredients in their foods. Also, they have a nice option where you are able to select what foods you need to avoid and they then give you a list of foods that are available for you – or in my case the drinks, no food for me. www.bk.com
Wendy’s: I can have a plain baked potato and soda. They have the little pictures of the allergens in the foods, along with complete lists of the ingredients. (Their chili has dairy in it, go figure.) www.wendys.com
McDonalds: I can have a side salad with balsamic vinaigrette, coffee, tea and soda. They also have a very thorough list of the ingredients in each of their food/drink items. (Their french fries contain dairy and wheat.) www.mcdonalds.com
So I whipped into McDonald’s, picked up a salad and arrived at Mom’s at 12:35. (I had thirty minutes invested in finding something I could eat.) She and I ate lunch together and were able to visit for an hour before I had to leave for my appointment.
So, if you’ve stayed away from fast food restaurants; maybe you want to check out their websites – no guarantees. But keep in mind they are still preparing their foods in common areas and are not using dedicated fryers, so cross-contamination is still a real possibility. You know best what you or your loved one can or cannot be exposed to.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover fast food franchises have come a LONG way on their websites regarding nutrition, ingredient and allergy information. Their websites are so much more informative than many of the sit-down restaurants I’ve checked out. Now if we can just get the sit- down restaurants to dedicate that kind of time and energy to their websites and menus.
Thanks for stopping.
Brenda
Disclaimer:
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know? Just read your labels! Do your research!)