Following a gluten-free diet is challenging, especially when you’re a fan of fast food. If Chick-fil-A is one of your favorite fast foods, you’ll be happy to learn that this restaurant offers gluten-free menu items.
So, what is gluten-free at Chick-fil-A? Gluten-free options at Chick-fil-A include a gluten-free bun made from a mix of grains like sorghum, teff, millet, amaranth, and quinoa. Other gluten-free products are milk, waffle potato chips, cinnamon apple sauce, Simply Orange orange juice, and Honest Kids Apley Ever After Organic Juice Drink.
Keep reading to discover other gluten-free items on Chick-fil-A’s menu suitable for customers looking to minimize gluten intake.
What is Chick-fil-A?
Chick-fil-A is one of the largest fast-food restaurant chains in America and the largest fast-food chain specializing in chicken sandwiches. The company’s headquarters are located in College Park, Georgia. Chick-fil-A operates 2,836 restaurants in 49 states.
While many fast-food chains expand their menu offerings to attract more customers, Chick-fil-A focuses on a small menu and customer service. The company’s business model is to remain focused on selling chicken sandwiches.
The company’s effort to emphasize quality and customer service ensured that Chick-fil-A consistently leads the fast-food industry in customer satisfaction. These practices are the main reasons for the company’s massive growth in the United States.
Is Chick-fil-A Gluten-Free?
Chick-fil-A isn’t a gluten-free fast-food restaurant. But this company offers a select list of menu items that are gluten-free and safe for people diagnosed with celiac disease or other gluten-related disorders.
Gluten-free items from a select menu are sealed before arriving at Chick-fil-A restaurants. This helps avoid cross-contamination with other food items which are made with gluten-containing ingredients.
Does Chick-fil-A Have Any Gluten-Free Products?
Chick-fil-A has several gluten-free options that are entirely safe for people following a gluten-free diet for medical reasons. Food items on the select gluten-free menu are sealed before arriving at Chick-fil-A restaurants to prevent cross-contact with gluten-containing foods.
Gluten-free Chick-fil-A menu items are:
Gluten-Free Buns
The gluten-free bun is made from a mix of ancient grains, such as amaranth, quinoa, teff, millet, and sorghum. The new gluten-free bun makes eating a grilled chicken sandwich possible for people with celiac disease or those following a gluten-free diet.
People following a gluten-free diet should remember that while the bun is gluten-free, the sandwich fillings may be cross-contaminated with gluten during the cooking process.
Honest Kids Apley Ever After Organic Juice Drink
Honest Kids Apple Juice is 100% gluten-free and suitable for kids or adults with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease. One drink box contains 35 calories and 9 grams of carbs.
This organic apple juice is made from filtered water, organic apple juice from concentrate organic natural flavors, natural flavors, vitamin C, and citric acid.
Buddy Fruits Cinnamon Apple Sauce
Buddy Fruit Cinnamon Apple Sauce is blended from 100% real fruit and is suitable for people eating gluten-free foods. In addition to being gluten-free, this healthy snack is made without preservatives, colorings, artificial flavors, dairy, corn syrup, nuts, and BPA.
One pouch of Buddy Fruit Cinnamon Apple Sauce contains 45 calories, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, and 8 grams of total sugars.
Milk
Chick-fil-A’s cow milk is gluten-free and suitable for people following a no-gluten diet. A 7 oz bottle of milk contains 90 calories, 2 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbohydrates, and 7 grams of protein.
Simply Orange Orange Juice
The Simply Orange Orange Juice is made from real, ripe oranges. This is a 100% pure-squeezed pasteurized pulp-free orange juice with the addition of calcium and vitamin D.
An 8 oz bottle of orange juice contains 120 calories, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 23 grams of total sugars, and 2 grams of protein.
Waffle Potato Chips
Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Chips are gluten-free and made from potatoes, vegetable oil (one or more of the following, corn, cottonseed, soybean, sunflower), and salt. One bag of Waffle Potato Chips contains 220 calories, 13 grams of fat, 25 grams of total carbohydrates, and 3 grams of protein, among other nutrients.
List of Chick-fil-A Gluten-Free Products
Chick-fil-A doesn’t claim to be a gluten-free fast-food restaurant, but it offers gluten-free options on its menu. The company uses shared cooking and preparation areas, and the supplier ingredients may vary.
As a result, Chick-fill-A can’t guarantee that any food items prepared in its restaurants (except those listed above) are gluten-free.
The following menu items are naturally gluten-free but may become contaminated with trace amounts of gluten during preparation and cooking.
Grilled Nuggets
Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Nuggets are available in three serving sizes, ranging from 5 to 12 nuggets. These nuggets are made from freshly marinated chicken breast and grilled for a tender and smokey flavor.
These tasty grilled chicken nuggets are naturally gluten-free but can come into contact with gluten-containing ingredients.
Grilled Market Salad
Grilled Market Salad is a tasty and healthy option for people looking to cut down on calories and enjoy a nutritious meal at a fast-food restaurant. Chick-fil-A offers several types of Market Salads with a grilled filet, grilled nuggets, strips, and no chicken.
The salad is made from gluten-free ingredients but can be topped with harvest nut granola, which isn’t gluten-free. The good news is that the granola topping is individually packaged, and you don’t have to add it to the dish.
Cobb Salad
Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad is another healthy option that is made with spicey grilled filet, strips, grilled nuggets, grilled fillet, spicey fillet, and no chicken. The Cobb salad is prepared daily from fresh mixed greens, roasted corn kernels, a blend of shredded cheeses, bacon, boiled eggs, and grape tomatoes.
Spicy Southwest Salad
Spicy Southwest Salad is made of slices of chicken meat served on a bed of fresh greens, topped with a blend of cheeses, grape tomatoes, roasted corn, black beans, poblano chiles, and red bell peppers.
The Spicy Southwest Salad is naturally gluten-free and doesn’t contain eggs, tree nuts, wheat, or fish. But ingredients used to make this salad can become cross-contaminated during the preparation process.
Hash Brown Scramble Bowl
The Hash Brown Scramble Bowl is made from sliced Chick-fil-A nuggets, crispy hash browns, scrambled eggs, and a blend of cheddar cheeses. To make this hearty breakfast gluten-free, choose a grilled chicken filet or sausage instead of breaded chicken nuggets.
Fruit Cup
The Chick-fil-A fruit cup contains naturally gluten-free ingredients. The small or medium-sized fruit cup is made of chopped pieces of red and green apple, mandarin orange segments, blueberries, and fresh strawberry slices served chilled.
Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries
Waffle Fries are a popular gluten-free side dish, available in three sizes – small, medium, and large. These tasty fries don’t contain common allergens, including dairy, eggs, soy, wheat, tree nuts, or fish.
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
The Chick-fil-A’s regular grilled chicken sandwich isn’t gluten-free because the bun contains wheat. Luckily you can order a gluten-free grilled chicken sandwich without a bun or with a new gluten-free bun.
The grilled chicken sandwich is made of marinated boneless chicken breast, served with green leaf lettuce and tomato. For a completely gluten-free meal, pair the grilled chicken sandwich with waffle potato fries and a beverage of choice.
Does Chick-fil-A Have a Gluten-Free Bun?
Yes, Chick-fil-A has a gluten-free bun that can be ordered instead of the regular bun with any of the current sandwich offerings. The gluten-free bun is made of a mix of ancient grains, like quinoa, millet, teff, sorghum, and amaranth.
The bun arrives at Chick-fil-A restaurants pre-packaged to avoid cross-contamination with gluten-containing ingredients in the shared kitchens. Once the bun is removed from the packaging, it’s no longer considered gluten-free.
To prevent cross-contact with other gluten-containing ingredients, Chick-fil-A encourages its customers to assemble the sandwich themselves.
Are the Breaded Chicken Nuggets at Chick-fil-A Gluten-Free?
No, the breaded fried chicken nuggets at Chick-fil-A aren’t gluten-free. The breading for chicken nuggets are made with flour and contains wheat.
Chick-fill-A grilled nuggets are a gluten-free alternative to breaded nuggets and are safe for people following a gluten-free diet.
Conclusion
Chick-fil-A is a popular fast-food restaurant chain that offers many choices for people following a gluten-free diet. This company doesn’t mark its food items gluten-free, but it offers gluten-free menu items.
The company has a select list of items that are sealed before arriving at restaurants and are considered gluten-free. A new gluten-free bun, milk, waffle potato chips, Buddy Fruits fruit sauces, Honest Kids Juices, and Simple Orange Orange Juice are gluten-free options offered by Chick-fil-A restaurants.
People following a gluten-free diet can order Cobb salad, Green Market Salad, grilled nuggets, or waffle potato fries. Don’t forget that these food items can be subject to cross-contact with gluten-containing ingredients and cause problems for people with gluten-related disorders.
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