Wendy's Best Menu Picks, by a Nutritionist | CNN (2024)

Editor's Note:This story is part of a series about finding the healthiest menu options at some of the most popular fast food restaurant chains.

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If you're the type of person who likes to customize meals to meet your health goals, Wendy's is worth the trip. Like many others, the chain allows you to customize a meal to your liking.

You can order a sandwich in a lettuce leaf instead of a roll if you're cutting carbs, giving up gluten or just cutting calories. Plus, you can leave mayonnaise on sandwiches, leave chicken out of any of the salads, and even order your fries unsalted for a significant sodium savings. (On the other hand, we try to avoid fries in general.)

Wendy's offers a variety of salads in both whole and half portions. You can also order burgers in junior sizes, which will cut down on calories, sodium and saturated fat. And we like that you can eat a healthier baked potato as part of your meal, a high-protein option for vegetarians.

As always, be careful with spices and extras, especially when it comes to sodium. For example, removing roasted tomato salve from the taco salad (half size) drops the sodium content by about 50%, from 1,320 milligrams to 670 milligrams. Also worth noting: Wendy's large salads come with two packets of dressing; use only one to keep sodium levels in check.

There are a few things you'll want to avoid at Wendy's. Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks, especially Frosty, a creamy dairy dessert drink that ranges from 27 grams of sugar, or about 7 teaspoons for a junior size, to 81 grams of sugar, or 20 teaspoons for a large vanilla Frosty. Choose water or unsweetened iced tea, with 0 grams of sugar.

Wendy's mobile-friendly website is very easy to use. If you hover your finger over each menu image to see its nutritional content, you can easily compare and contrast items within a category quickly. In addition, the site offers allergen information for the menu items, as well as a dedicated gluten page.

Below are the best Wendy's options if you're focused on healthy choices within the confines of the menu. We break it down by our picks for kids, athletes, drivers, vegetarians and vegans, as well as low-calorie, low-sugar, low-salt, gluten-free and low-carb options.

For children

Our choice:Quadruple chicken nuggets (for small children); or grilled chicken wrap (for older children); and apple slices and 1% milk

When it comes to feeding little mouths, you don't have to worry at Wendy's. A kids meal can be a healthy lunch or dinner. We like the four-piece white meat chicken nuggets for the smaller stomachs and the grilled chicken wrap with grated cheddar and honey mustard sauce for the bigger, more refined appetites.

Skip the fries and opt for apple slices to boost fiber and vitamin C. Adding skim milk provides calcium and vitamin D for bone growth and hopefully eliminates the need for a Frosty if you can get away with it.

For vegetarians

Our choice:Broccoli cheese, baked potato and garden salad with light balsamic dressing; or kraft Mediterranean salad without chicken

If someone asked us if we could get a baked potato topped with cheddar cheese and broccoli that had 15 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber and a healthy dose of potassium, we'd say yes, even if we weren't following a vegetarian diet. eating pattern. This nutritious potato will satisfy anyone looking for a meatless meal with carbs, protein and vegetables. If saturated fat or sodium is an issue, order the baked potato without the cheese, which will bring the counters to 0 grams of saturated fat and 45 milligrams of sodium. Add a garden salad with a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing for even more greens.

Vegetarians can also order the powerful Mediterranean salad without chicken. The combination of feta, hummus, and sun-dried tomato quinoa still gives this salad a respectable amount of protein and fiber. Plus, you'll cut 360 milligrams of sodium.

For vegans

Our choice:Baked Potato with Broccoli and Garden Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing and Roasted Pecan Nuts; or kraft Mediterranean salad without chicken or cheese; and apple slices

Thank goodness Wendy's offers baked potatoes. After all, they are a healthier choice than fries and one of the few options for vegans. Wendy's also does not have a vegetarian burger.

Even without the cheese, a baked potato with broccoli at Wendy's provides 9 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein, with a significant savings on saturated fat and sodium. Pair the potato with a garden salad with pomegranate dressing and add toasted pecans to boost the protein content of the meal.

Another vegan option is the hearty Mediterranean salad without chicken or cheese. It provides 7 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber, thanks to the red and white quinoa and brown rice in the salad's sun-dried tomato grain mix. Add some apple slices if desired.

For calorie counters

Our choice:Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad (half size); or grilled chicken wrap; and apple slices

Wendy's Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad was recently added to the chain's menu and is perfect for waistline watchers. It's a mix of grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, feta, hummus, and sun-dried tomato quinoa blend, along with three types of salad, providing 20 grams of satiating protein and 5 grams of fiber for just 240 calories in the half serving. That includes clothing.

If you'd rather skip the salad, the grilled chicken wrap is similar in calories, even with honey mustard sauce and cheese, and offers the same amount of protein.

The apple slices pair well with either option, providing 2 grams of extra fiber for just 35 calories.

For the sugar sensitive

Our choice:Wrap with grilled chicken; or Caesar salad and baked potato with broccoli; or small, rich and meaty chili; and unsweetened iced tea

If you keep a close eye on sugars, you'll have plenty to choose from when it comes to food at Wendy's: the chain's grilled chicken wrap and Caesar side salad are among the lowest sugar items on the menu at 3 and 2 grams, respectively. If you're hungry, opt for the wrap, which contains more protein.

A baked potato with broccoli provides only 4 grams of sugar. Combine that with the Caesar salad and you get a total of only 6 grams (or 1.5 teaspoons) of sugar. Another option with 6 grams of sugar is the small Rich and Meaty Chili, although the sodium content is higher.

To drink, skip the juice-rich, tea-based Fruitea coolers (even a small one contains 42 grams of sugar, enough to meet your daily limit and more) and opt for water or unsweetened iced tea.

For people sensitive to salt

Our choice:Crème fraîche and chives, baked potato and garden salad without croutons and with light honey-French dressing; or apple-pecan chicken salad without cheese (half size)

If you're looking at sodium, Wendy's Sour Cream and Chive Baked Potato are a one-two punch. It contains only 35 milligrams of sodium and provides one-third of your daily potassium needs. It's a winning combination for those concerned about high blood pressure.

For those who love crème fraîche, the light version won't make a significant dent in your daily saturated fat budget, so enjoy it this time. Add a garden salad without croutons and with light honey French dressing for just 115 milligrams of sodium.

If you prefer a salad with chicken, the one with the lowest sodium content is the Apple Pecan Half Chicken Salad without cheese. Without the cheese (which contributes nearly 200 milligrams of sodium), it becomes the low-sodium chicken option on Wendy's menu.

For people sensitive to gluten

Our choice:Chicken Salad with Apple Pecans (half size); or grilled chicken sandwich as a salad wrap (without bun) and garden salad without croutons and with a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing

At Wendy's, like other chains, there is the potential for cross-contamination between non-gluten-containing foods, so it's not necessarily a preferred option for people with celiac disease. The chain even warns that the same cutting board and tongs can be used to cut both grilled and breaded chicken breasts; therefore, grilled chicken is omitted from the list of gluten-free offerings.

However, Wendy's offers a list of items for those who simply want to avoid gluten-containing ingredients. We love chicken salad with apple pecans, apples, cranberries, pecans and crumbled blue cheese. Half a size is sufficient, with 340 calories and 20 grams of protein. You can also order the grilled chicken sandwich as a lettuce wrap; Doing this will reduce more than 300 milligrams of sodium. Combine it with the garden salad with a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Don't forget to leave out the croutons.

Sandwiches can also be ordered without a bun or as a salad wrap and the potatoes are gluten-free.

For the athlete

Our choice:Grilled Chicken Sandwich; or small, rich and meaty chili and sour cream and chive baked potato; and 1% chocolate milk

The grilled chicken sandwich is a satisfying option for athletes. It provides 38 grams of carbohydrates to fuel muscles and 35 grams of protein to build and repair muscle, and it is relatively low in fat. It also provides a healthy dose of iron, an important mineral that helps transport oxygen to the muscles. It contains a little more sodium than some of our other choices, but athletes who lose sodium through sweat can afford the extra milligrams.

If you eat a lot of carbohydrates, you can't supplement the baked potato with sour cream and chives with 63 grams of carbohydrates and less than 3 grams of fat. For an extra protein boost (and even more carbs), enjoy it with a little chili.

Have chocolate milk for kids as a post-workout drink. It provides a beneficial amount of carbohydrates and proteins for muscle recovery.

For the road fighter

Our choice:Wrap with grilled chicken; or strong Mediterranean chicken salad without cheese (full size); and apple slices

The Grilled Chicken Wrap with Cheddar and Honey Mustard is one of our favorite items on the Wendy's menu, and makes for a quick grab-and-go meal when you're on the go.

If you have more time for a travel break, opt for the hearty Mediterranean chicken salad, another of our top picks. It's especially useful if your travel day is low on vegetables, as there's a mix of spring, romaine and iceberg lettuce, along with red onion, cherry tomatoes and hummus. If you skip the cheese, you won't miss the flavor, but you will save almost 300 milligrams of sodium. The final count contains 35 grams of protein and 8 grams of filling fiber, enough to tide you over until you reach your destination.

If you still think hunger will distract you while driving, grab some apple slices as well.

For the carbohydrate conscious

Our choice:Grilled chicken sandwich as lettuce wrap (without bun); or junior cheeseburger deluxe as lettuce wrap (without bun and mayonnaise); garden salad without croutons and with ranch dressing

Anyone who cuts carbs will feel welcome at Wendy's. The chain prepares a sandwich without the bun and serves it as a lettuce wrap. Our top pick is the grilled chicken sandwich wrapped in lettuce with honey mustard and tomato. It contains 28 grams of protein and only 6 grams of carbohydrates.

If you fancy a burger, order the junior cheeseburger deluxe as a lettuce wrap and without mayonnaise for only 5 grams of carbohydrates.

For more veggies and fiber, add a garden salad with ranch dressing to either option for an additional 6 grams of carbs.

Lisa Drayer is a nutritionist, author and health journalist.