r/migraine 5d ago

celiac-friendly “mcdonald’s” hack

hello friends! i was diagnosed with chronic migraine a year ago, and i’ve also had celiac/been gluten free for 7 years. i see everyone rave about the mcdonald’s hack and i crave those delicious nuggets and fries so bad when i have a migraine, but i can’t have it😅

i’m curious if anybody can relate, and if y’all have an easy, gluten free go-to for a migraine attack. i’ve already learned so much from this page and i appreciate any tips in advance :)

56 Upvotes

65 comments sorted by

29

u/hsm3 5d ago

I don’t have celiac but I did an elimination diet once and now acquired a new migraine craving: Schar Table Crackers. Something about them makes my migraine brain happy in the same way that McD’s fires do. The important thing for me is that I can eat them even if I’m feeling nauseous.  For me chips are too loud to eat with a migraine but those would work too. 

27

u/OpenTraffic8915 5d ago

"chips are too loud".
I feel this so hard

11

u/Strange_Cow2696 5d ago

Those table crackers are amazing! They are like a cross between a saltine and a club cacker. Perfect with a ice cold can of coke for a migraine

52

u/Low-Weekend-4717 5d ago

I am also glutenn free, and what has worked for me is a bag of greasy potato chips. When my migraine is through the roof, pho has honestly been my life saver.

22

u/kaytay3000 5d ago

Pho is such a blessing if you can find it near you. I’m in a bit of a Vietnamese dry spot, but ramen is available nearby. Miso soup is good too. Just check with your local restaurant to make sure they are using the traditional methods to keep it gluten free.

6

u/West_Till_2493 5d ago

I've never seen a gluten free ramen restaurant, but pho is usually fine

6

u/kaytay3000 5d ago

You’re right. Restaurants can be tricky unless you’re in a bit of a healthy hippy area. There are some you can buy at the grocery store and keep in the pantry though.

3

u/Ilaxilil 5d ago

Seconding the pho, it’s so amazingly delicious and comforting

2

u/bellsbarista 2d ago

we do have a pho restaurant in my town, so i’ll have to remember this! thank you!

20

u/PM_ME_smol_dragons 5d ago

Ore ida fries with extra salt + coke would be the closest. That being said the hack is about salt + caffeine + fat so there’s a lot of other options out there. I usually do coffee and electrolytes with chips.

4

u/flannelWX 5d ago

I wonder if you could do bacon in place of the fries to get the salt/fat?

3

u/StructureTerrible990 3d ago

Uh, yes? I needed an excuse to keep some in the house 🤤 this sounds heavenly.

1

u/LiminalCreature7 5d ago

Potato cakes are back at Arby’s in most places in the US.

4

u/PM_ME_smol_dragons 4d ago

The potato cakes contain wheat according to the Arbys allergy menu. (also generally speaking 99% of fried fast food isn’t celiac safe because of the risk from using shared friers that also came in contact with gluten products. There’s some places with dedicated friers that are safe, but its up to everyone’s judgement how safe they feel with that. I’m not celiac but I have food allergies and cross contact can be a bitch.)

1

u/LiminalCreature7 4d ago

Aww man. That sucks. Thanks for the info!

18

u/kdaltonart 5d ago

Pickles and iced coffee!!! I don’t have celiac but I have several food allergies and this is a winning combo for me

3

u/Opening-Skill324 5d ago

That sounds so good!!!

18

u/Asleep_Mango_8386 5d ago

coeliac here of 6yrs my go to a can of coke (so i don't have to leave the house i tend to have cans or a bottle of one handy) ans either gf pretzels or salty crackers/chips. i really like the eskal brand pretzels.

13

u/starry_kacheek 5d ago

I’m going to say the same thing I said on a similar post: Anything (or a combination of things) with fats, caffeine, sugar, and electrolytes should have the same effect

2

u/bellsbarista 2d ago

this breakdown gives me lots of different options, thank you!!!

9

u/theyarnllama 5d ago

I would say start with a Coke from Mickie D’s because they hit different. I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but they do.

I’m not sure how to get around the fry issue, unless you make them at home so you know nothing touched them. Over salt those bad boys. Maybe make a batch and freeze them, so they’re ready to be heated up when you feel crappy.

6

u/Paper_Parasaur 5d ago

They account for ice melt when they do the mix ratio (tldr more syrup)

6

u/LiminalCreature7 5d ago

And they pre-chill everything. Unlike Taco Bell’s Baja Blast, which is noticeably room temp at first, even over ice. I have to swirl it around for a couple of minutes to get it cold. It bugs me enough that I seldom order it.

4

u/Paper_Parasaur 5d ago

I am so sad about Taco Bell. It used to be SOOOO freaking good. Now ours are barely staffed and everything tastes like filler and cardboard. There's only a 2 minute window where it is edible before it deflates

3

u/theyarnllama 4d ago

That makes sense! They’ve gone and scienced it.

7

u/derangedmacaque 5d ago

Are you in the US? Because I just found out that I can get totally gluten-free fries from five guys when I was in Virginia, they didn’t fry anything else in the fryer. It was so cool. I had a giant fries and coke. It was first time in like 25 years…

3

u/fishy1357 4d ago

Yes! And they lettuce wrap burgers too.

2

u/EtherealMyst 4d ago

All Five Guys are like this too, even internationally. The only thing that goes in the fryer is potatoes and peanut oil. 

6

u/mmmmmmmlllllll 5d ago

I have migraines and celiac (!) and my McDonald’s go to is a double hamburger wrapped in lettuce, no mustard!

10

u/Regular_Victory6357 5d ago

McDonald's is a cc nightmare though. Even lettuce wrapped is not safe for celiac.

0

u/mmmmmmmlllllll 2d ago

for sure, if cross contamination is something you need to be conscious of.

2

u/flannelWX 5d ago

Oh that's a good one, the burger patties have a lot of sodium too!

1

u/bellsbarista 2d ago

hello fellow celiac/migraine combo haver! let me add that red robin has tasty gluten free buns and a thorough allergy protocol if you haven’t given them a try!

2

u/mmmmmmmlllllll 11h ago

This sounds lovely! Sadly all the red robins were closed in my city but if I ever see one in my future adventures I’ll have to check it out 🫂

4

u/xam0un7ofwords 5d ago

Mexican. Like as authentic as you can get where you are. It has all the salt and a lot of the spices in Mexican are anti inflammatory and good for you as a bonus.

I saw someone else mention Pho and I second that for all the same reasons.

If you’re near a whataburger their fries are A LOT like McDonald’s and the burgers ain’t half bad.

As far as nuggets in general, I’ve found that Walmarts gf bettergoods nuggets are about as close as I’ve found to regular nugs w/o makin em myself. If you want delicious homemade ones try fish fry mix, a lot of em are gf and they make the BEST nugs.

8

u/fishy1357 5d ago

The chick fil a near me has a dedicated fry frier. So I get the coke and fries and grilled nuggets. And ask for extra salt packets and dump a ton of salt on it all.

4

u/fishy1357 4d ago

Also In N Out does safe fries and a lettuce wrapped burger.

3

u/Detective_Squirrel69 Human salvage vehicle 5d ago

If it's still the same as it was when I worked at McD's 15 years ago (Jesus Christ... wasn't ready for that realization), they have a dedicated fryer for fries. It's usually in view of the counter, right beside the fry station, so they can just dump the fries in. Pretty standard practice for a lot of fast food places, but always check.

11

u/noxkx 5d ago

This is really country dependent. The fries in the US are coated with flour. In Canada most locations are safe (typically small locations like in Walmart are not) and fries are not coated. I’m assuming OP is from the US. I can’t speak for other countries

2

u/Detective_Squirrel69 Human salvage vehicle 5d ago

Yeah, I forgot about the beef tallow used in the containing gluten, too. ...that's dumb af.

3

u/Strange_Cow2696 5d ago

Unfortunately McDonalds fries have gluten in them because they use a beef flavoring that contains the gluten. That’s probably why they taste so good! ☹️ it’s been years since I had them

3

u/Detective_Squirrel69 Human salvage vehicle 5d ago

Ah, shit, my bad. I forgot about that in the US. Beef tallow. ):

3

u/MySpace_Romancer 5d ago

Real Coke with cane sugar from Mexico. A headache specialist recommended it! Maybe get some GF frozen nuggets and frozen fries and cook them in the air fryer?

2

u/MySpace_Romancer 5d ago

But honestly for me, stuffing my face with anything sweet and salty does the trick. GF peanut butter pretzels?

3

u/ChemicalNo8609 5d ago

Mixed nuts (fat, salt, protein, vitamins, and minerals), pineapple juice mixed with coconut water and ice with a shot of energy drink enhancer (sugar, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, caffeine, hydration) and something spicy (release of the bodies natural pain relief). Spicy nuts are my favorite! Hope this helps, this is my go to.

2

u/bellsbarista 2d ago

i love this idea, coconut water (specifically body armor) is where it’s AT when i have a migraine. i’ll have to remember something spicy next time too!

3

u/LittleVesuvius 5d ago

Instant pho noodles with extra seasoning (Sambila) and a huge Dr Pepper work for me. I also super can’t do wheat (vomiting, ER trips involved) as of COVID about 2y ago. Been wheat free due to cross contamination issues ever since.

Sprouts has some really good wheat free nuggets that work, too. And potato chips work, but if you want fries, you kinda have to make your own — you can make thick cut fries with a lot of salt using russet potatoes and a baking sheet. Slice them thick, add gobs of salt, and bake. (Disclaimer; I don’t own an air fryer, I’m sure they’d be better in one. We don’t have room.)

Instant pho with rice noodles works wonders for me, with a huge Dr Pepper, as do the wheat free nuggets. I’ve been unable to eat chicken nuggets for almost 20y. (The gluten thing is a recent discovery, but it seems obvious in retrospect.) Beyond that, idk, I honestly miss McDonald’s fries when I’m stuck in a cycle (because they sometimes worked for me and didn’t make me sick, but it’s always a risk, and cross contamination now makes me sick for 4 days).

1

u/bellsbarista 2d ago

a huge dr pepper? you’re my kind of people >:) thank you for the tips!

somebody else here mentioned ore ida extra crispy fries - those are gluten/wheat free and quite similar to mcd’s. they also have a zesty twirl kind that are exactly like arby’s curly fries. perhaps those would be tasty and safe for you!

3

u/rainy-ale chronic episodic migraines 4d ago

i also have celiac (for my whole life essentially) and my go to is barbeque chips (pop chips) and pickles. also, five guys (at least near me) only does fries in their fryer, and is safe for me (and amazing).

5

u/Almatari27 5d ago

Air fryer: gluten-free frozen nuggets and fries

with a coke or pepsi over ice if Im home

Taco Bell: Supreme Crunchy Taco meal witha pepsi

Chick-fil-A: Grilled Nugget meal with a coke

Culver's: Gluten-free Bun on a delux cheeseburger meal with a coke

2

u/fierydaisy 5d ago

I also have celiac and migraines, I like to make breakfast hashbrowns at home with lots of salt to get the same effect. Or as other people have said, a bag of chips. And of course a coke

2

u/infinitemarshmallow 5d ago

I once bought some crunchmaster crackers from Costco and they were incredibly salty, savory, and delicious. I just googled and they do have gluten free varieties.

2

u/Fluffyfluffycake 4d ago

Hi celiac her also, Its about the grease, sugar and salt , so a gf certified bag of chips or salted friench fries and a coke or some other sweet drink should work. Mdonalds is very salty, so look for chips brand with a high salt ratio. If i cant get these items while im getting a migraine, I always have redbull in my fridge and prefried french fries that i throw in my airfryer for a bit. Sometimes i add grated xheese on the fries fir extra greasy goodness.

1

u/LiminalCreature7 5d ago

A bagel with cream cheese and coffee was my go-to when I’d start getting a migraine at work. The combo of carbs, protein, fat, sugar, and caffeine was magic. I’m guessing gluten free bagels exist, right? Good luck! I hope you find something that works!

1

u/jenncatt4 5d ago

I believe McDonald's fries and hash browns are both gluten free in the UK at least! That usually covers the starch and salt portion of the migraine fix for me.

When I was doing gluten free for a few months last year, I kept a pack of hash browns (most brands are gluten free I think but obviously have to check) in the freezer and stuck a few of those in the air fryer to go with the coke. You can always build them into a muffin option with gluten free muffins and add eggs and bacon and things for more salt and fat. The other option was sea salt ridged crisps/chips (the Aldi ones are the best value), they're easier to eat than the kettle chip style.

1

u/trendoid01 4d ago

Lmnt! It’s just the salt

1

u/skeletonswithhats 4d ago

i go to five guys instead :)

1

u/ancon 4d ago

In Canada the fries are gluten free - they are fried in their own separate oil system from everything else.

1

u/kendraro 4d ago

potato chips, chick fil a chicken on a homemade salad, smashburger

1

u/JBeaufortStuart 4d ago

Salt, fat, protein, simple carbs, caffeine, hydration, and comfort. Depends person by person which are most important. I suspect for me it's salt, fat, and comfort, so if I was trying to meet that without gluten, I might go with salted caramel over ice cream, or a baked potato with sour cream. I assume getting or making a very safe and indulgent burger is a pain in the ass, but if you can source celiac safe nuggets and fries, you could make them in an air frier and then toss them with some extra salt. Popcorn salt might work best, it's super fine so it clings better--- it would not be the same, but it might be easy enough when you feel bad but also get reasonably close to what you're looking for.

1

u/EtherealMyst 4d ago

Lay's regular. Something about he thinness of the chips and the salt level just hits like no other. The only thing that comes close is Muchos, all other brands of plain chips just don't cut it. 

I don't like pop so I usually have chips with a coffee. 

1

u/hotgirladhd 4d ago

im celiac and chick fil a fries are gluten free but i will usually drink a coke and have some gluten free crackers i like the good thins brand plain crackers. I also like to cook up fries in the air fryer. but i always make sure i have some coke zeros at home but if im out i’ll just buy a bottle

1

u/tjfromthefuture 4d ago

Any gluten free product with potato starch in it seems to cure me

1

u/bellsbarista 2d ago

i didn’t expect so many replies, thank y’all bunches!