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

• Starbucks cut its gluten-free breakfast sandwich this month, and angry customers are complaining about it on social media.
• This is partly because the gluten-free options for food that can be eaten on the go are extremely limited in the United States.
• An estimated2.7 million Americans follow a gluten-free diet in the US. But despite this, fast-food restaurants have done little to appeal to the 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. 

When it comes to finding gluten-free, on-the-go food in the United States, it's slim pickings.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Starbucks customers with celiac disease or who otherwise don't eat gluten  have taken to social media to complain after the chain cut its gluten-free breakfast sandwich this month, reducing the options even further. 

"Starbucks decided to discontinue the gluten-free breakfast sandwich and I, a stressed celiac, am CRYING trying to finish a final because my once-favorite chain decided my dietary restriction is no longer important and now I have to do work on an EMPTY A-- STOMACH," one customer wrote on Twitter.

I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance seven years ago and have been gluten-free ever since. 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 convenient food, especially fast food. 

An estimated2.7 million Americans follow a gluten-free diet in the US. But despite this, fast-food restaurants have done little 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 fast-food chains and consume at least three meals a day. 

Here's how I did it:

SEE ALSO: I tried to eat only vegan fast food for a week — and my failure revealed one of the industry's biggest mistakes

First, I mapped out exactly what I could eat.

I kicked off day one with breakfast at McDonald's.

This was my first time eating breakfast at McDonald's so it was a big moment. My first hurdle was finding something filling that I could actually eat.

What I ate: Yogurt Parfait (without granola) and two bags of apple slices. 

Verdict: The yogurt was extremely sweet. I gave up halfway through and decided to move on to the apple slices, assuming that these would be a safe bet. I was wrong. The apples were peeled and had lost all their crunch. Overall, not a good start to the day.

By lunch I was starving, so I headed to Shake Shack for a burger.

Shack Shack is one of two fast-food chains that offers a gluten-free bun and prides itself on serving 100% Angus beef meat, free of hormones and antibiotics.

What I ate: Shake Shack's gluten-free bun with a burger patty.

The verdict: I was so insistent that my meal be gluten-free that I confused the server when ordering. I ended up with a very bland sandwich that didn't contain Shake Shack's typical burger toppings, like tomato and lettuce. While the bread was tasty, it felt dry, and the limp meat inside was a bit disappointing. But at least I was full.