Going out for fast food with friends and family can be a difficult experience for people with gluten allergies: The choices are have a skimpy meal or risk getting sick by indulging in what everyone else has.

The awareness about Celiac disease and other forms of gluten intolerance is growing. Celiac disease is a condition when gluten consumed can cause damage to the small intestine.

People have a choice of several fast food restaurant chains that will serve them gluten-free food. Here is what can be found at the following chains:

In-N-Out Burger can be gluten-free because it offers an option to have burgers made protein-style, which is a hamburger wrapped in lettuce instead of a hamburger bun. The fries and shakes are also gluten-free.

When ordering, make sure to order the burger without sauce or grilled onions because those items are not gluten-free.

Chipotle is another restaurant with gluten-free options. The flour tortillas and the garden blend are the only two items containing gluten.

Some items to consider getting are the tacos and the burrito bowl because the tacos can be made with soft or crispy corn tortillas and the burrito bowl does not include any flour tortillas.

People can choose the meat and other sides to go in the bowl with the rice and beans.

Chick-Fil-A is a fast-food restaurant to recently add a gluten-free menu.

The restaurant offers salads, fruit cups and grilled chicken filets without the bun as options.

The grilled chicken nuggets are an alternative choice to other restaurant’s fried chicken nuggets because they are not offered at many places.

The nuggets are juicy, tender and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Dipping them in ranch or applesauce gives them a boost of sweet or salty flavor.

Wendy’s and Burger King are two other fast-food restaurants now offering gluten-free menus as well.

When ordering any kind of hamburger, request it without a bun and the restaurant should serve it wrapped in lettuce or offer it with the hamburger patty and toppings.

Burger King came out with a gluten-free menu in 2010 while promoting their “BK Positive Steps” program.

This menu includes hamburger patties and chicken filets both without buns, french fries and tacos.

Wendy’s gluten-free menu includes baked potatoes, salads without croutons, shakes, frosties, hamburgers patties without buns and chili.

When going to any fast food restaurant, there is always the risk of cross-contamination with the food.

According to mayoclinic.com, gluten cross-contamination is defined as when gluten-free food comes into contact with food containing gluten.

Examples of gluten cross-contamination in a restaurant include servers who do not change their gloves when preparing food or not cleaning the grill afterward.

Cooking gluten-free food in the fryer with other fried food can also cause cross-contamination.

Servers will likely be more than willing to take the precautionary measures to ensure the food is made safely if informed of a customer’s gluten allergy.

Those with gluten allergies should avoid places like Panda Express, Taco Bell and McDonald’s.

Panda Express states on its company website it does not offer gluten-free items.

Most of its food is fried and made with soy sauce, a sauce containing wheat ingredients.

On McDonald’s website, customers can view the allergen information for its food.

According to the list, the hamburger patties and chicken filets, sauces and yogurts are gluten-free.

McDonald’s French fries contain wheat ingredients and should not be a side option ordered for those with a gluten allergy.

Taco Bell is a popular place for college students to eat on the go, but there are barely any gluten-free options. According to the menu, the tostadas, Mexican rice and the taco salads without the taco shell or beef are considered gluten-free.

Tacos with corn tortillas can be a gluten-free dish but on the Taco Bell website, it states all the tortillas contain flour and the beef also contains wheat ingredients.

The growing popularity of gluten-free food has made an impact on the fast food industry.

More restaurants are changing the menus and offering healthier options to accommodate the customer’s food allergies and to compete with other businesses.

In the future, it will likely become a common practice to offer gluten-free options in restaurants.

People who suffer from Celiac disease are slowly going to have an easier time going out to eat with their families and friends.

Brittany Lambert can be reached at [email protected]