Business & Tech

Living Gluten-Free? Wendy's is the Place to Be

When you find yourself in search of fast food, Wendy's has a broad selection of choices, including gluten-free options.

Okay, let’s get it over with right away. Fast food isn’t health food. But, there are times when one finds oneself in the checkout line at a fast food establishment... well...because it’s fast.

As a mom, I try to avoid winding up in that checkout line too often. But, sometimes you give in to the begging and pleading and sometimes, you just can’t possibly stare into the great abyss that is the fridge and design a meal with cooked onions (that’s all the only kind of onion the little guy eats) and raw onions (that’s the only kind of onion the big guy eats), low-salt (the hubby’s request)…and most recently, no gluten (my own stumbling block, due to health issues.)

Believe it or not, if you are living a gluten-free life, you can eat, and eat well, at . There have been times where I have watched my brood eat in other fast-food-establishments-that-will-not-be-named, because, as the cashier told me “no way, there’s nothing gluten-free in here.”

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Wendy’s has a list of its gluten-free menu items in PDF form on its web site. The company has received TriumphDining’s 2011 Best of Gluten-Free Award in the fast food restaurant category.

But, I am not singing Wendy’s praises for its ability to please my gluten-free palate alone. The rest of my clan also prefers Wendy’s among the various fast-food venues. My husband describes their fare as fresher and says he feels a little bit less guilty about dining at Wendy’s because he adds a small salad to his burger and fries.

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My meal: Apple Pecan Chicken Salad (No pecans. They come on the side in a sealed packet and Wendy’s is quite explicit about the fact that the nuts are wheat-contaminated). The salad comes with Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing. (I had to triple-check that the dressing is actually gluten-free, as you don’t usually find such “exotic” offerings in the gluten-free category. It is and it’s wonderful. So wonderful, in fact, that I took the extra packet they gave me home and used it on a salad I made the family the next night and the kiddos raved about it.) I also had a Lemongrass hot tea (Absolutely delish)

Details: 
1080 Chestnut St, Emmaus, PA 18049
610-967-4947
Hours: Mon. – Thurs., 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Fri., Sat., 10 a.m. – 2 a.m.; Sun, 10 a.m. – 1 a.m.

Price range: $


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