Does Chick-Fil-A Have Gluten-Free Items On Its Menu?

Chick-fil-A made headlines with news that it would be debuting its own streaming platform, but fans of the popular drive-thru restaurant would line up faithfully to munch on its chicken and waffle fries with or without family-friendly game shows. That is, of course, unless you are trying to cut back on gluten. The Cleveland Clinic estimates that 6% of Americans have a gluten intolerance. Eating out gluten-free is difficult, if not impossible in some places — how does Chick-fil-A fare?

There's tentative good news here. Chick-fil-A's website answers affirmatively that it has both gluten-free and less stringent gluten-friendly menu items. An assortment of packaged foods that are sealed before entering the CFA kitchens are certified to be gluten-free, but even if you order them all together, they aren't really enough to make up a filling meal. 

On the other hand, several of Chick-fil-A's handcrafted hot food items have little or no gluten, but cannot be safely promised to people with more intense intolerances (like celiac disease) because of the risk of cross-contamination. Therefore, Chick-fil-A is likely fine for people with mild gluten sensitivities and those wishing to cut back on gluten, but may be dicey for folks who get sick from gluten exposure.

While Chick-fil-A may have had its share of controversies, it is open and upfront about the nutritional info of its menu items. Its list of totally gluten-free food products, all of which are packaged offsite, includes certified gluten-free buns (as long as they remain in their packages), Buddy Fruits cinnamon applesauce, and Waffle Potato Chips. Its orange juice, milk, and Honest Kids juice drinks also meet the criteria. We can surely agree that chips and a bun do not make up a meal, however.

Items that do not contain gluten but cannot be declared totally safe for the gluten intolerant because of cross-contamination, are most of the meat products, minus the fried chicken items (probably due to the gluten-containing breading). All beverages also fit this category, along with the Frosted Lemonade and Frosted Coffee treats, milkshakes, and the Icedream Cup. Fans of the chain's famous Chick-fil-A sauce will be pleased to know that it is also safe for the gluten-sensitive. So, provided you use some caution, those voluntarily avoiding gluten should be good to load up their tray with grilled chicken and Waffle Chips and enjoy some Chick-fil-A!