Watching What You Order At Wendy's: The Good, Bad and Ugly!

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.

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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.

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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 se, but contains only 250 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 17 grams of protein.

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).

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.