I'm gluten-free and survived on nothing but fast food for 5 days - here's what happened

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Chick-fil-A gluten free

Business Insider/Mary Hanbury

Fast-food restaurants in the US haven't done much to appeal to people who eat gluten free.

I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance six years ago, and have been gluten-free ever since.

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In that time, it has become easier and easier to find gluten-free foods, especially in New York City where I live.

That is, unless we're talking about fast food.

Even though an estimated 2.7 million Americans follow a gluten-free diet, fast-food restaurants in the US haven't done much to appeal to this growing population of people who avoid foods like bread and pasta made with wheat.

In an effort to survey the gluten-free landscape, I set out on a mission to see if I could survive only on fast-food for five days. My most important rule was to only eat at national fast-food chains and consume at least three meals a day.

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Here's how I did it: