As an adult recently diagnosed with a dairy and soy allergy (on top of ulcerative colitis and mastocytic enterocolitis, and environmental allergies to just about every tree and grass growing in California), I’ve had a hell of a time modifying my diet. Here at the start of things, I see soy is hiding in a lot more places than you would expect. (C’mon… wheat bread? really? why does that need soy?!) It’s proving a challenge to do weekly meal planning for a family of four that excludes BOTH ingredients. But it’s good to think about what exactly it is I’m shoving in my mouth.

This week I reached my limit just figuring out breakfast and dinner for the week and completely gave up on planning lunches for myself other than a head of lettuce and some soy-free vinaigrette. I thought it would be easy to find some quick workday lunch options at local restaurants, but boy was I wrong. NOT EVEN SALAD IS SAFE. Soy and milk ingredients pop up in burger buns, too! So I’ve been working on a list of “safe” options at local fast food joints near work.
TL;DR? Go for the Fresco Menu at Taco Bell.
Burger King
- Classic Grilled Dog
- Chicken Nuggets
- Chicken Fries
- Hash Browns
- French Fries
- Applesauce
Carl’s Jr.
- Kid’s Hamburger
- Natural Cut Fries
- CrissCut Fries
- Hash Brown Nuggets
In and Out
- Protein Style with mustard & ketchup instead of spread
- French Fries
- That’s it. No more milkshakes.
Jack in the Box
- Side Salad
- Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (does contain soybean oil)
- Spicy Corn Sticks
- French Frieds
- Onion Rings
- Potato Wedges
- Seasoned Curly Fries
- Stuffed Jalapenos
- Hash Brown
Taco Bell
- Hashbrown
- Cinnamon Twists
- Fresco Bean Burrito
- Fresco Burrito Supreme – Chicken
- Fresco Burrito Supreme – Steak
- Fresco Soft Taco – Shredded Chicken
- Fresco Soft Taco – Steak
- Black Beans
- Black Beans & Rice
- Chips and Guacamole
- Chips and Pico de Gallo
- Chips and Salsa
- Seasoned Rice
- Border Sauce – Diablo
Wendy’s
- Jr Hamburger / Kids’ Hamburger
- Spicy Chicken Nuggets
- Crispy Chicken Nuggets
- Spicy Chicken Sandwich
- Homestyle Chicken Sandwich
The main takeaway here is that Taco Bell is the real winner if you want variety in your Soy-and-Dairy-Free fast food. Their Fresco menu is generally touted as among the best lower calorie options for fast food chains. (I really wish more table-service restaurants included ingredient/allergen information with their menus, though.)