Although you won’t find a true ketogenic meal at most fast food restaurants, Wendy’s offers lots of low-carb options that can get you by in a pinch. You can stay keto at Wendys by customizing your meal. Keep in mind, however, that eating fast food is only for the odd occasion and not for every week if you truly want to eat keto as a lifestyle.
Some of our favorite low carb Wendys meals are the grilled chicken sandwiches and salads without the bun and dressing. We also recommend the bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit (without the biscuit) and the breakfast baconator (no bun).
Our guide below lists plenty more options to help you stay on track. Here’s how to order low-carb at Wendy’s.
Tips For Ordering Low Carb at Wendys
We don’t recommend making fast food a daily or even weekly part of your ketogenic diet meal plan, but when an emergency strikes, it’s always best to fuel up on something low-carb.
We’ve put together a list of tips for ordering at Wendy’s the next time you find yourself hungry and in need of something quick.
#1. Go with a burger
Whenever you’re ordering at a fast-food restaurant, your best bet is to go for a bunless and sauceless sandwich or burger.
You can order a baconator cheeseburger with a half pound of fresh, never frozen beef, American cheese, and six pieces of bacon.
Just be sure to hold the bun and sauce on any burger you order to keep it low-carb. This particular sandwich comes with mayo and ketchup. You’ll want to hold both of these condiments as they contain added sugars, vegetable oils, and empty calories.
#2. Order a salad
Ordering a salad is a good way to eat low-carb as long as you choose your toppings and dressing carefully. Wendy’s has a Southwest avocado salad that comes with a lettuce blend, pepper jack cheese, tomatoes, avocado, bacon, grilled chicken, and creamy ranch sauce.
This salad (with dressing) contains 560 calories, 39 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbs (10 grams net carbs), 6 grams of fiber, and 40 grams of protein. If you hold the ranch dressing, this salad will contain 6 grams of net carbs.
Wendy’s also has a parmesan Caesar chicken salad made with romaine lettuce, grilled chicken breast, cheese, Parmesan crisps, and Caesar dressing that contains 440 calories, 28 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbs (4 grams of net carbs), and 42 grams of protein. If you hold the Caesar dressing, this salad will contain 2 grams of net carbs.
#3. What about their chili?
Some forms of chili can be ketogenic, but you’ll probably have to make these at home. The chili at Wendy’s contains beans and refined sugar, which are not keto-friendly ingredients.
It also contains 14 grams of net carbs for a small serving (the large has 20 grams net carbs).
If you’re in the mood for chili, check out this keto-friendly beef chili recipe.
#4. Choose your chicken carefully
Wendy’s has a few different chicken sandwich options, which are OK to eat as long as you go with the grilled chicken kind.
Crispy chicken is breaded and fried, which means that it contains enriched flour and is off limits on the ketogenic diet.
The same thing goes for their salads. If you pick a salad or chicken sandwich over a burger, then make sure you ask for grilled and not fried chicken.
Bonus tip: the chicken nuggets at Wendy’s are breaded and should be avoided, too.
#5. Consult the website for nutrition information
Wendy’s lists all of the nutrition information for each and every food item on its menu. Checking the website is a good way to calculate your macros before ordering.
Here are some of the lowest carb items you can order at Wendy’s:
- Sausage (or bacon), cheese and egg biscuit (minus the biscuit)
- Grilled chicken sandwich (minus the bun and honey mustard dressing; add bacon and avocado)
- Parmesan Caesar salad (minus the croutons, if any)
What To Order At Wendy’s For Every Meal
Here are acceptable options for ordering breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Wendy’s.
Breakfast Options
Wendy’s doesn’t have quite as extensive of a breakfast menu as McDonald’s does, but you’ll still be in luck if you have your heart set on a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich.
Keep in mind that some of their breakfast options come with a side and a drink. You can order black coffee or unsweetened iced tea, but hold all sides.
Here is a list of their breakfast sandwiches and how to order them.
- Bacon, egg and cheese biscuit (minus the bun)
- Sausage, egg and cheese biscuit (minus the bun)
- Breakfast baconator (hold the bun)
Lunch Options
Your lunch and dinner options are interchangeable, so don’t feel like you’re limited to what’s on this list for lunch.
Wendy’s has a lot of chicken sandwiches and salads, but most of them come with breaded chicken. We recommend asking for grilled chicken whenever possible.
Here are some other good lunch options:
- Grilled asiago ranch club (minus the bun and ranch dressing)
- Grilled chicken sandwich (minus the bun and honey mustard sauce)
- Grilled chicken wrap (with no honey mustard sauce or flour tortilla)
- Southwest avocado chicken salad (minus the dressing and creamy avocado if it contains milk!)
- Caesar side salad (minus the croutons and dressing)
- Plain side salad (minus the croutons and dressing)
- Grilled Avocado BLT Chicken Sandwich (no bun or dressing)
- Parmesan Caesar salad (no croutons)
- Grilled jalapeno popper sandwich (no bun)
Dinner Options
You can always use any of these dinner options for lunch or breakfast, too. They also make a great snack.
Keep in mind that most burgers come with some type of sauce. In addition to removing the bun, you’ll also want to ask for no sauce.
Some Wendy’s locations might be able to offer you an unwich. Ask to have your burger wrapped in a lettuce bun instead of the traditional one.
- Dave’s single (No bun, ketchup or mayo)
- Dave’s double (No bun, ketchup or mayo)
- Dave’s triple (No bun, ketchup or mayo)
- Baconator (No bun, ketchup or mayo)
- Son of a baconator (No bun, ketchup or mayo)
Best Snacks to Order at Wendy’s
If it’s the middle of the afternoon and you just need something under 300 calories to hold you over until you get home for dinner, then one of these options might be just the thing.
Grab a coffee to go along with them and watch your productivity levels soar.
- Junior hamburger (minus the bun and ketchup)
- Junior cheeseburger (minus the bun and ketchup)
- Double stack (minus the bun and ketchup)
- Junior bacon cheeseburger (minus the bun, mayo, and ketchup)
- Junior cheeseburger deluxe (minus the bun, mayo, and ketchup)
Foods To Avoid at Wendy’s When Following Keto Diet
Most of the foods that are off limits at Wendy’s are pretty obvious, such as their milkshakes and French fries. But just in case you get tempted, here’s a reminder. Don’t eat the following foods!
- Maple bacon chicken croissant
- Classic and spicy jalapeno popper sandwich
- Spicy pretzel bacon pub
- Pretzel bacon pub chicken
- Sausage gravy and biscuit
- BBQ and homestyle BBQ chicken sandwich (these are breaded)
- Spicy and homestyle avocado BLT chicken sandwich (both are breaded)
- Honey butter chicken biscuit
- Spicy chicken sandwich
- Homestyle chicken sandwich
- Asiago ranch chicken club
- Spicy asiago ranch club
- Spicy chicken nuggets
- Chicken tenders
- Crispy chicken BLT
- Crispy chicken sandwich
- Spicy chicken wrap
- Taco salad
- Chili
- Homestyle potatoes
- Baked potatoes
- French fries
- Chili cheese fries
- Baconator fries
- Apple bites
- All desserts, including frosty’s and cookies
- All sweetened beverages
- All kids meals
Related: How To Order Low Carb at Subway
Conclusion
When it comes to ordering low-carb at Wendy’s, your best bet is to go with a cheeseburger without the bun or sauce and pair it with a plain side salad. You can also get a breakfast sandwich minus the bun.
Be careful of their chicken options as most sandwiches are breaded. Make sure you choose only grilled chicken options. Also, stay away from all sides (even their chili)! Safe beverage options at Wendy’s include bottled water, coffee, and unsweetened tea if they offer it. Always ask before ordering a drink that could be sweetened.
Up Next: How To Order Low-Carb at Burger King
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