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Find Gluten-Free Groceries at Hy-Vee Foods

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

For most of us who find ourselves living in the Midwest, we don’t have many of the gluten-free grocery luxuries that the rest of the country enjoys. Most notably, we don’t have any Trader Joes or Whole Foods Markets. One thing we do have, however, is a major grocery chain that has worked hard to become very friendly to those who follow a gluten-free diet. This major grocery chain is of course Hy-Vee Foods.

A few years back, Hy-Vee added a health food section to their stores which included several of the essential gluten-free packaged items. This is very convenient because our small town doesn’t have a health food store as an option.

In addition to the new health foods section, they’ve also gone through their shelves and built a mammoth list of confirmed gluten-free products, which they’ve made available for anyone to download on their website here (scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the PDF link). I didn’t link directly to the list as it changes a few times each year, so I figured it would be better to link directly to the source. Because Hy-Vee is our primary grocery store, I went through the list and built a smaller list of gluten-free products which would fit on one page, then my wife or I will take that with us when we go shopping.

If that convenience wasn’t enough, I know my local Hy-Vee store and many of the other Hy-Vee stores also staff dietitians which are available to Hy-Vee shoppers. In addition to performing their normal roles, these dietitians will also accept feedback on existing gluten-free products and often bring in requested products to their stores (our location now stocks Chebe products!).  Overall they have been great to work with!

To our readers who live in the Midwest, have you had the pleasure of working with a Hy-Vee in your area?  I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!

Ted’s Montana Grill Gluten-Free Menu

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 8 Comments

Several years ago Ted’s Montana Grill created a gluten-free menu. Some locations did fine with gluten-free service and some did not. We can not expect the gluten-free service at every location of a chain restaurant to be equal, though it would be nice if we could.

Official Website Menu Information: Ted Montana Grill Gluten-Free Menu
Location Finder: Find a Ted Montana Grill Location Near You

Ted’s Montana Grill was founded by media giant and environmentalist Ted Turner and acclaimed restaurateur George McKerrow Jr. The menu features classic American grill entrées including beef, bison, chicken, shrimp, and fish. The atmosphere is decidedly masculine, invoking thoughts of a rustic retreat in the middle of Montana.

Previous visits to the Ted’s near us (Atlanta area) have gone well, though it was annoying that there was no real gluten-free menu. The booklet that contained the safe gluten-free menu selections was often hard for the staff to find so I just printed the menu from Ted’s website and took it in to save time and aggravation for all.

During a recent visit to Ted’s, we found out that our location now has one bound gluten-free menu. You still have to cross-reference it with the regular menu for descriptions and prices, but to my delight, I saw French fries listed on the menu in “sides”. Some companies are actually not aware of the cross-contamination issues regarding fryers that cook gluten-containing foods. Therefore, I never order anything fried without confirming there is a dedicated fryer first – no matter what the menu says.

Sure enough – Ted’s Montana Grill has a dedicated fryer  – at least at the Lawrenceville, GA location. Their fries are simply made from real potatoes and are excellent! Unfortunately, Ted’s corporate office could not confirm which locations have dedicated fryers at this time. They ask that people call their local Ted’s Montana Grill to inquire about the issue. They also warn customers who can’t eat gluten not to order French fries at Ted’s without confirming they have a dedicated fryer.

You can view the complete gluten-free menu here. You’re going to see French fries listed but please heed the request above to order safely. With or without fries, there should be something to satisfy everyone’s tastes at Ted’s. The only gluten-free menu limitations are the dessert options. Ted’s can certainly step up their game there. Even something as simple as chocolate mousse with fresh whipped cream (that everyone can enjoy) would be a nice addition.

So the food at Ted’s Montana Grill is made with real ingredients, is very tasty, and gluten-free options abound. That alone is worth giving the restaurant a try if there is one in your area. But there is a bigger picture going on at Ted’s. Their serious commitment to the environment led them to implement the following standards in all their restaurants:

  • Each location is 99% plastic-free – they even use paper straws.
  • To-go cups are made of cornstarch that bio-degrades in just 50 days.
  • Menus are printed on 100% recycled paper.
  • Take-out food goes in Bio-Plus Earth Containers, which are high-quality, bio-degradable containers that are microwavable.
  • Low-wattage lighting is used at all locations.
  • Regardless of the state laws where they operate, all Ted’s Montana Grill restaurants are non-smoking.

The first Ted’s opened in January 2002 in Columbus, Ohio, and has grown to over 50 restaurants in 19 states. If every location had dedicated fryers, they would do well to add more delectable gluten-free options in the future. Gluten-free onion ring anyone?

My absolute favorite item at Ted’s is the “Chicken Brick” entree. If you’ve been to a location near you, please tell us what you enjoy at Ted’s in the comment section below!

Note: It is possible that not all Ted’s Montana Grill locations already have the new menu, so please call ahead first if you plan to visit one in your local area to confirm the menu is available.

As always, when dining out gluten-free, do your due diligence and make sure the staff understands your needs. There are very few restaurants that are 100% gluten-free, so cross-contamination is always a risk. If you don’t feel comfortable with what you are hearing from the staff, perhaps it is best to dine elsewhere.

For information about other gluten-free restaurants menus, check out our gluten-free restaurants page.

Whole Foods Market’s Gluten-Free Products List

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

No matter where you live within the United States, there is a good chance that you will find a Whole Foods Market in your local area. This of course is a good thing, as Whole Foods Market has always been very good to the Celiac community. They are educated on the gluten-free diet, and most locations have a pretty impressive selection of gluten-free products.

While digging for a gluten-free products list for Whole Foods Market, I noticed a new section of their website devoted completely to the gluten-free groceries that they offer, which can be viewed here.  If you view the menu on the right where it says gluten-free Living, you’ll find some sublinks to more specific gluten-free information.

For your reference, here is the list of gluten-free products that Whole Foods Market currently carries: [Read more…] about Whole Foods Market’s Gluten-Free Products List

Jimmy John’s Gluten-Free Menu

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Typically when it comes to restaurants that serve sub sandwiches, it is usually best to stay away from these types of stores altogether as cross-contamination is such a huge concern. However, after reading a few different testimonials on message boards from people who have successfully eaten a gluten-free meal at a Jimmy John’s restaurant, I decided to look a little more into when foods they offer that are gluten-free.

Official Website Menu Information: Jimmy John’s Gluten-Free Menu
Location Finder: Find a Jimmy Johns Location Near You

A quick browse of their official website does not show any gluten-free menu, so I decided to contact them. Here is the list they sent me:

Jimmy John’s Gluten-Free Menu

Confirmed Gluten-Free Foods:

  • Bacon
  • Beef
  • Ham
  • Capicola
  • Salami
  • Turkey

Interestingly enough, they also went out of their way to point out that their cheese is NOT gluten-free (this is one of the few products Celiacs can usually rely on to be gluten-free at restaurants).

As always, when dining out gluten-free, do your due diligence and make sure the staff understands your needs. There are very few restaurants that are 100% gluten-free, so cross-contamination is always a risk. If you don’t feel comfortable with what you are hearing from the staff, perhaps it is best to dine elsewhere.

For information about other gluten-free restaurants menus, check out our gluten-free restaurants page.

Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Gluten-Free Menu

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 19 Comments

Looking for a nice gluten-free meal at Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)? Well, to make a long story short, good luck! Despite their recent menu revision which includes grilled chicken items, they still do NOT offer any type of gluten-free chicken. So, what do they offer?

Official Website Menu Information: Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Gluten-Free Menu
Location Finder: Find a Kentucky Fried Chicken Location Near You

According to a representative with KFC, the following few items are confirmed to be gluten-free (not all items are available at every KFC location):

Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Gluten-Free Menu

  • Green Beans
  • Potato Salad
  • Seasoned Rice
  • Jalapeno peppers
  • Corn

Note: mashed potatoes with or without gravy contain gluten.

It is a shame as the grilled chicken could have easily been made gluten-free, exposing their product to a large community of consumers that currently can’t or won’t go there.

As always, when dining out gluten-free, do your due diligence and make sure the staff understands your needs. There are very few restaurants that are 100% gluten-free, so cross-contamination is always a risk. If you don’t feel comfortable with what you are hearing from the staff, perhaps it is best to dine elsewhere.

For information about other gluten-free restaurants menus, check out our gluten-free restaurants page.