By: Shannon Clark

If you're someone who opts away from McDonald's but heads right over to Wendy's, you still have to be on top of your game when it comes to meal choices and portion sizes.

McDonald's often holds the position in many people's minds as the unhealthiest food chain but this isn't even close to the case. Many fast food chains will rank just as badly if you're not watching over what you order - Wendy's being no exception.

Click Image To Enlarge.
You Have To Be On Top Of Your Game When
It Comes To Meal Choices And Portion Sizes.

Let's dig a little further into what you'll find on their menu so you know what to order when you drive by.

Sandwiches

Both hamburgers and chicken sandwiches are available at Wendy's, both of which can be good or bad depending on how you order.

The Good:

To keep the meal light, your best bet is the Jr. Cheeseburger, which contains fewer calories and total fat, however has the same amount of protein (15 grams) as the Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe. It also is the lowest calorie sandwich on the menu with only 270 calories.

If fat is what you're most concerned over, the best option to choose will be the Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich, which contains only 7 grams of fat, but is still high in protein with 28 grams.

Click Image To Enlarge.
To Keep The Meal Light, Your Best
Bet Is The Jr. Cheeseburger.

The Grilled Chicken Go Wrap is also a good choice, although not a sandwich per say, but contains only 250 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 17 grams of protein.

Item	Calories	Fats	Carbs	Protein
Jr. Cheeseburger	270	11	26	15
Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe	300	14	28	15
Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich	320	7	36	28
Grilled Chicken Go Wrap	250	10	30	17

The Bad:

Worse options that would still be manageable if you cut back at your other meals include the Single w/ Everything (430 calories, 20 grams of fat) or either Chicken Fillet sandwiches (440 calories, 16 grams of fat).

FORUM THREAD
[ Click To Join The Thread. ] Healthy Food At Wendy's? Are there any healthy foods at Wendy's? I think some would make very good post workout snacks, maybe the salads, grilled chicken sandwich, etc.	Started By: jollyleafman

For those who have a higher daily calorie intake, they may find that it's not necessarily that hard to accommodate these meals.

Item	Calories	Fats	Carbs	Protein
Single w/ Everything	430	20	26	25
Spicy Chicken Fillet Sandwich	440	16	49	26
Homestyle Chicken Fillet Sandwich	440	16	49	26

The Ugly:

What you absolutely want to avoid when you visit Wendy's for a sandwich is the Double or Triple Burgers as well as their Baconator. These will pack away 830-970 calories and a scary 40-60 grams of fat.

Item	Calories	Fats	Carbs	Protein
Double w/ Everything	700	40	38	47
Triple w/ Everything	970	60	39	69
Baconator	830	51	35	56

Smart Sides

One nice thing about Wendy's menu is that they do have a number of sides you can choose from that are relatively healthy.

Topic Of The Week: Food Choices When Dining Out! Our forum members share some great tips and details of the good and not so good world of restaurant food. Find some favorites and alternatives right here! [ Check Out The Topic Of The Week Here ]

The Good:

The Chilli at Wendy's is a fairly safe bet with only 190-280 calories (small or large) and 6-9 grams of fat. On the salad side of things, choosing the Mandarin Chicken Salad or the Chicken Caesar Salad will be good, just avoid the crispy noodles, croutons, and full fat dressing if you want to save calories and fat.

They offer both a Light Classic Range, Balsamic Vinaigrette, and a Fat Free Ranch that are under 100 calories each.

Item	Calories	Fats	Carbs	Protein
Small Chili	190	6	19	14
Large Chili	280	9	29	21
Mandarin Chicken Salad	180	2	16	24
Chicken Caesar Salad	180	4	8	28

The Bad:

What you'll primarily want to avoid on the sides menu is the Chicken BLT and Southwest Taco Salad. Without all the fixing these already contain 400-470 calories and over 20 grams of fat, so once you add the extra's you're easily over 500 calories for that meal.

Item	Calories	Fats	Carbs	Protein
Chicken BLT Salad	470	27	23	35
Southwest Taco Salad	400	22	26	27

The Ugly:

Ugly for the sides would be any of the fries offered. Regardless of what size you choose these are loaded with fat and calories that you simply just do not need in your diet.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Ugly For The Sides Would Be
Any Of The Fries Offered.

Dessert

The dessert that Wendy's is most known for is its Frosty soft ice cream, which comes in a variety of flavors and sizes. If you decide to just have the small chocolate or Vanilla Frosty, it'll cost you about 320 calories and 8 grams of fat, but you will get 8 grams of protein as well.

Now the restaurant has also introduced 'Twisted Frosties', and these can easily rank in over 500 calories, so unless you're just treating yourself for a special occasion, these are ones you will want to stay away from. Their Frosty Shakes don't come any better and will contribute 400 to 550 calories as well.

Item	Calories	Fats	Carbs	Protein
Small Frosty	310	8	52	8
Twisted Frosty	450	14	72	9
Strawberry Frosty Shake, Large	510	13	94	11

Conclusion

So make sure you're keeping these points in mind as you choose what to eat when head over to Wendy's. If you make the right choices you shouldn't have any problem sticking with your healthy diet and including the meal as part of your day.

Check Out Wendy's Complete Nutritional Details Here.

ShannonC_77@yahoo.ca

Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here!

Back To Shannon Clark's Main Page

Back To The Articles Main Page.

Related Articles
Fast Food Nutrition Plan!
Eat Clean While Traveling: The Road Rules!
Why We Get Fat: Hunting Big Macs & Gathering French Fries!

SciFit Fat Suppress Fat Suppress - The All Natural Fat Binder! Learn More!