Dining Out
Eating Out Seed Oil Free
A restaurant-by-restaurant guide to navigating menus when you are avoiding seed oils. What to order, what to skip, and how clean each chain really is.
General Tips for Eating Out
- ✓Ask what oil they cook with — most servers will check
- ✓Request butter or olive oil instead of 'vegetable oil'
- ✓Skip fried items — almost all restaurants fry in seed oils
- ✓Go bunless — most buns contain soybean or canola oil
- ✓Ask for dressing on the side (or oil and vinegar)
- ✓Grilled, baked, or steamed items are usually the safest
Chipotle
Fast Casual✓ What to Order
- •Burrito bowl with carnitas or steak
- •Guacamole
- •Pinto or black beans
- •Cheese and sour cream
✕ What to Avoid
- •Tortilla chips (fried in seed oils)
- •Flour tortillas (contain soybean oil)
- •Vinaigrette dressing
One of the best fast casual options. Most proteins are cooked in rice bran oil, but their carnitas uses no added oil. Ask for a bowl to skip the seed-oil tortilla.
Chick-fil-A
Fast Food✓ What to Order
- •Grilled nuggets
- •Grilled chicken sandwich (no bun)
- •Side salad
- •Fruit cup
✕ What to Avoid
- •All fried items (peanut oil)
- •Buns (contain soybean oil)
- •Sauces (most contain soybean oil)
They use peanut oil for frying, which is better than soybean but still a concern for some. Grilled options are your best bet here.
In-N-Out Burger
Fast Food✓ What to Order
- •Hamburger or cheeseburger protein style
- •Mustard instead of spread
✕ What to Avoid
- •Spread (contains soybean oil)
- •French fries (fried in seed oil blend)
- •Buns
Short ingredient lists are a plus. Order protein style (lettuce wrap) with mustard to avoid the seed oil-containing spread and bun.
Sweetgreen
Fast Casual✓ What to Order
- •Custom salad with olive oil and lemon
- •Proteins (many are clean)
- •Raw vegetables
✕ What to Avoid
- •Most dressings (contain sunflower oil)
- •Crispy items
- •Warm bowls with pre-dressed grains
Great salad chain, but their dressings often contain sunflower oil. Ask for olive oil and lemon or vinegar on the side.
Five Guys
Fast Food✓ What to Order
- •Bunless burger
- •Grilled onions and mushrooms
- •Bacon
✕ What to Avoid
- •French fries (peanut oil)
- •Buns (contain soybean oil)
- •Mayo-based sauces
Fries in peanut oil. Burgers are cooked on a flat-top, not fried. Go bunless and load up on vegetable toppings.
Panera Bread
Fast Casual✓ What to Order
- •Green salad with oil and vinegar
- •Broth-based soups
✕ What to Avoid
- •Most sandwiches (bread contains soybean oil)
- •Mac and cheese
- •Baked goods
- •Cream-based soups
Surprisingly difficult. Most bread and baked goods contain soybean oil. Salads with simple dressings are the safest option.
Cava
Fast Casual✓ What to Order
- •Greens + grains bowl
- •Grilled proteins
- •Hummus and tzatziki
- •Fresh vegetables
✕ What to Avoid
- •Pita chips (fried)
- •Some spreads (check for seed oils)
Mediterranean fast casual with mostly clean ingredients. Their olive oil is real EVOO. One of the better chain options for seed oil avoiders.
McDonald's
Fast Food✓ What to Order
- •Black coffee
- •Apple slices
✕ What to Avoid
- •Essentially everything else
- •Fries (canola oil blend)
- •All fried items
- •Buns
- •Sauces
Nearly impossible to eat clean here. Everything is cooked in or contains seed oils. In a pinch, a bunless burger patty is your only option.
Olive Garden
Sit-Down✓ What to Order
- •Grilled salmon or chicken
- •Steamed broccoli
- •House salad with oil and vinegar
✕ What to Avoid
- •Breadsticks (contain soybean oil)
- •Alfredo sauce (likely seed oils)
- •Fried appetizers
Ask for olive oil on the side for your salad. Grilled proteins with steamed vegetables are the cleanest option.
Texas Roadhouse
Sit-Down✓ What to Order
- •Hand-cut steaks
- •Baked potato with butter
- •Green beans
- •Side salad
✕ What to Avoid
- •Dinner rolls with cinnamon butter
- •Fried appetizers
- •Most sauces and dressings
Steaks are cooked on an open flame, which is great. Rolls contain soybean oil. Ask for real butter instead of the cinnamon butter blend.
Wingstop
Fast Food✓ What to Order
- •Very limited clean options
✕ What to Avoid
- •All fried wings (soybean oil)
- •Most sauces
- •Fries
Wings are fried in soybean oil. Even their 'naked' wings touch the same oil. Very difficult to eat clean here.
Shake Shack
Fast Casual✓ What to Order
- •Bunless burger
- •Lettuce wrap option
✕ What to Avoid
- •Buns (contain seed oils)
- •Fries (fried in blend)
- •Shakes
- •Sauces
Burgers are cooked on a griddle. Go bunless and skip the sauce. Better than most fast food but still tricky.
Prefer Cooking at Home?
The easiest way to avoid seed oils is to cook with clean ingredients. Check out our recipes for simple meals the whole family will love.