Pink-red hair and light blue bows always seem to whet the appetite for plant-based burgers and fries. But just because we're craving vegan burgers doesn't mean we can get them at this fast food restaurant with a lot of animals. Is anything vegan at Wendy's?
We took up the challenge to find out for you. What have we learned? Most importantly, keep in mind that ordering from Wendy's may lead to a rumbling stomach. If you are careful and follow our suggestions, you may be able to leave without too much disappointment. As long as you don't mind fruit for dessert.
Above all, be prepared. It's probably not the best idea to go to Wendy's after a long day at work or when you're so stressed that you can barely make healthy decisions. Stick to our guide and you're good to go!
Table of contents
- Navigate Wendy's menu
- Vegan breakfast choices
- Har Wendy's and veggie burger?
- Are the sandwiches vegan at Wendy's?
- Experienced salad options
- Tasty sides
- Dressings and dips that are vegan
- Drinks
- NOT vegan at Wendy's Restaurant
- Frequently asked questions about vegan options at Wendy's
- Useful tips if you order vegan at Wendy's
- Historic vegan moments in Wendy's history
- Fascinating facts about Wendy's Restaurant
- Creëer een vriendelijkere en toegankelijkere Wendy's veganistische ervaring
- This is how you order vegan at other fast food burger chains
Navigate Wendy's menu
When you walk into a Wendy's restaurant, it's safe to say you might be overwhelmed by the offerings. Stick to this plan and we're sure you'll make the best plant-based purchases. This is what we propose:
- Say yes to the salad– Choose a salad without meat, cheese or croutons and enjoy with a vegan-friendly dressing, salsa or avocado as a topping.
- Soften potato preferences– Choose a regular potato or a potato with chives and ask for no butter, cheese or sour cream.
- Lav and “Meh” Burgerfri Veggie Burger– Make your own vegetarian “burger” (see below), a bun filled with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and add avocado and/or seasoned potatoes or fries. Make a DIY Wrap in the same way, replacing a flour tortilla with a roll.
- Choose a "dessert"– Aim for apple bites or consider buying the mixed berry cup, if available.
REMARK: If you're concerned about cross-contamination with animal foods, you may want to skip the fries. Unfortunately, they are cooked in the same oil as everything else (including fish and dairy products).
Are Wendy's Fries vegan?
Yes, vegans can enjoy Wendy's fries, but only if you don't worry about cross-contamination. Both Wendy's Natural Cut fries and Seasoned Potatoes are made without animal products, but are fried in the same oil as the animal menu items. It's entirely up to you; it makes no difference to the animals. No judgment here.
Vegan breakfast choices
While we don't recommend choosing Wendy's to create your breakfast, here are a few menu items you might like. Please note that breakfast is served from 6:30 AM to 10:30 AM. It is therefore possible that some products will no longer be available after that time.
- Aeblebid
- Mixed Berry Fruit Cup (ask for availability)
- Apple or orange juice
- Seasoned home-made potatoes
Har Wendy's and veggie burger?
While we list this as a vegetarian "burger" option, it's just so sad to suggest. Order a Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe and ask for no meat, no mayonnaise and no cheese. Ask for extra veggies and avocado and you'll get their premium roll filled with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and raw onions.
If you really want to go all out at Wendy's, add a small order of fries in the middle of this burgerless sandwich. Not healthy at all, but it will probably satisfy your taste buds, especially if you wash it down with plenty of spicy ketchup and fresh mustard.
Are the sandwiches vegan at Wendy's?
Yes, the Premium buns in this burger bar do not contain milk or eggs. Abundance!
Experienced salad options
Saved by the salad! This option is hardly worth the price when so many ingredients are removed, but at least you can add some extra vegetables to your day. Which selection would you choose?
- Chicken Salad with Apple Pecan Nuts– Don't ask for chicken, blue cheese or pecans (they contain milk). What remains is romaine, spring mix, dried cranberries, sliced apples and pomegranate vinaigrette.
- Zijsalade– Order without cheese or croutons and add a vegan-friendly dressing. (Salsa or pomegranate vinaigrette are two choices.)
- Southwestern Avocado Salat– Do not choose cheese, chicken or bacon. Ask for salsa as a dressing. You get a bowl of mixed romaine and spring vegetables, avocado and tomato.
- Taco-salat– Do not request cheese, chili or sour cream. You will be left with romaine, tomatoes, onions, salsa and tortilla chips. Add an order of avocado to top your taco salad.
Tasty sides
- Naturally cut fries
- Baked potato (plain or chives without butter, sour cream or cheese)
- Salsa
- Seasoned potatoes
- Tortilla chips (ask the server)
Dressings and dips that are vegan
- Avocado
- BBQ dip sauce
- Hot chili sauce
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Pomegranate vinaigrette
- Salsa
- Sweet and sour dipping sauce
Drinks
- Apple juice
- Coffee (cold and hot)
- Cola products
- Flavored lemonades
- Iced tea (normal and sweetened)
- Water bottle
NOT vegan at Wendy's Restaurant
- Pecans– Includes both dairy by-products andHoningwith the ingredients. Absolutely pathetic!
- Bakery goods– The cookies, biscuits or croissants aredoesn'tvegan friendly. They all contain eggs and dairy products.
- Chili– Contains meat.(Wouldn't it be great if they offered a bean-based chili in the future?)
Frequently asked questions about vegan options at Wendy's
Is Wendy's Frosty vegan?
We wish we could say yes to this. We think it would be a pretty easy swap to make with dairy-free milk and ice cream, but it looks like Wendy's isn't done yet. For now, Frosty drinks are frighteningly full of dairy.
Are Wendy's fries vegan?
Yes, Wendy's fries are vegan! They are made without animal products. Keep in mind that they are fried in the same oil as Wendy's other food, making it a no-go for some vegans. But this entirely depends on personal preference.
Is Wendy's Fresh Baked Oatmeal Bar vegan?
You might think this is a healthy plant-based breakfast option, but it contains both eggs and honey as ingredients. Unfortunately it's a no-go.
Useful tips if you order vegan at Wendy's
- Gennemse Wendy'smenubefore you order.
- If you order Wendy'sonline or via a delivery service, Make sure youclearlyPlease list any desired substitutions. If you're concerned that your request might not be honored (or not seen by the Wendy's server), it might be a better idea to go there directly to order.
- Check out theirsNutritional infopage to ensure you are purchasing a vegan friendly item. The menu items offered at Wendy's don't seem to change often, but you may want to double check before visiting.
- Exercise caution when new and exciting seasonal products are offered at Wendy's. Double-check allergens and ingredients to ensure the item is vegan before purchasing.
Historic vegan moments in Wendy's history
- June 2021– Although no longer available, Wendy's did try a Spicy Black Bean Burger (which was vegan with a few changes). Let's hope it comes fully vegan again soon!
Fascinating facts about Wendy's Restaurant
- The first Wendy's location was in Columbus, Ohio.
- Dave Thomas (the founder) used to work for Harland Sanders of KFC.
- Wendy's is named after Dave Thomas' daughter, Melinda Lou. Her nickname was Wenda.
- Wendy's sells 300 million Frosty's a year(hov!)
- This fast food restaurant claims to have opened the very first drive-up window in 1970.
Create a friendlier and more accessible Wendy's vegan experience
Wendy's, you shouldget started with it. Wake up and taste the plant-based burgers offered at other restaurants! Since there are many mainstream burger chains taking the train to Veganville, you can totally take the lead with your own vegan burger and come out on top. It's time to ditch the bun-only burger!(Please don't get me started on bun puns...). In the meantime (while we wait for Wendy to wake up), we can always do thatwrite, call or contact usthe managers of each location to make our requests.
What are your favorite items on Wendy's vegan menu? Tell usFacebook,On Twitter, InInstagram!
Have you found any other Wendy's?options to become vegan? Did you find something great that we missed? Let us know by tagging #worldofvegan and sharing your favorite vegan-at-wendys creations with all of us!
This is how you order vegan at other fast food burger chains
- burger King
- Carls jr.
- Five men
- In-N-Out-burger
- McDonald's
- TGI Friday
- white castle
Our Vegan at Wendy's article is not sponsored and we are in no way affiliated with Wendy's. At the time of writing this article, the menu items listed above are vegan. Because restaurants are constantly updating their menus and adding or removing items, keep this in mind when ordering your food. There may be new items at Wendy's that are vegan that are not listed, or items listed here as vegan that are no longer vegan. Make sure you double check this.
