Fast food french fries are often not a good choice for gluten-free diners, and McDonald's fries are notorious among them for containing wheat. Does Mickey D's have any gluten-free menu options? The answer is... sort of. While McDonald's does offer some items that are technically free of wheat in terms of their ingredients, just about anything you order at the restaurant could still contain gluten. Per the fast food chain's website, McDonald's does not affirm any of its food to be gluten-free, referring diners to peruse the ingredients in different items to verify what they contain. 

Even if an item doesn't have wheat listed among its ingredients, the restaurant warns that cross-contamination can occur in shared kitchen and prep spaces. In other words, even if you order something that doesn't contain wheat, it can still come in contact with gluten before it reaches your tray. In terms of what's on the menu that doesn't contain wheat, there are some McD's items that are free of it — they're primarily on the dessert and beverage side, though. If you want a solid meal that's gluten-free, the Golden Arches isn't the place to go.

If you need to know the safest McDonald's options for your gluten-free diet — again, taking into account that anything technically wheat-free may still contain gluten — the list isn't particularly long. Any burger or sandwich will have wheat, as do the McNuggets, hash browns, and as previously mentioned, the fries. As far as U.S. McDonald's menu items that don't contain wheat, the only ones to fit that bill are the Fruit & Maple Oatmeal from the breakfast menu; apple slices from the sides menu; some of the dipping sauces, but not all of them; ice cream treats like the sundaes, milkshakes, and the M&M's McFlurry; and various drinks from the McCafé and beverage lineups. Menu items differ in countries outside the U.S., so before dining at one of the restaurant's international locations, ingredient information should be consulted for specific foods served in that country.

When you have a hankering for fast food, there are other chains better known for their gluten-friendliness. Chick-fil-A, for instance, is a chicken chain that's one of the best spots for gluten-free eats. Five Guys and In-N-Out Burger are also popular quick-dining spots for those with gluten intolerance, as they both cook their potato items in dedicated fryers that aren't used to fry wheat-containing foods, and each also offers a fairly plentiful lineup of other gluten-free options. In general, anything deep-fried is something you should think twice about ordering from any restaurant that doesn't operate dedicated gluten-free fryers, as cross-contamination is much more likely to occur in shared oil vats.