Wendyâs Under 500
Most people would agree that fast food isnât good for us, and itâs definitely the number one thing to avoid when youâre watching your weight. However, one week after hurricane Matthew--and a four-day-long power outage that spoiled every nutritious thing in my fridge--I have realized that sometimes, avoiding fast food entirely can be impossible under certain circumstances. When both you and your local grocery store has lost most of your food supply and you couldnât cook even if you wanted to, for example.
Wendyâs was my poison of choice during those dark (literally dark) days. Unfortunately, Wendyâs does not list nutritional information directly on their menu--they do on their website, but in my case, I had no power and no internet, so I had no idea if what I was eating was 100 or 10,000 calories (donât laugh at that huge discrepancy, fast food can be tricky like that). However, I wanted to make a point that, nutrition aside, there are some fast food items that can fit into your diet if it has to. So Iâve compiled a list of menu items from Wendyâs that come in under 500 calories.
Taco Salad - Half
The full size taco salad from Wendyâs comes in at about 660 calories, but the âhalfâ size is roughly 470. Donât let the âhalfâ fool you, by the way--this is a pretty big salad once youâve mixed in the salsa and the chili. You can even shave off 220 calories if you choose not to eat the chips that come with it--but what kind of taco salad doesnât have a taco shell?
Value Menu Mix nâ Match
Value menu items typically arenât that great (or filling, for that matter), but if youâre budgeting more than just your calories, they can be a low cost way of keeping your waist from expanding. You can even sneak in a sweet treat with some of these value menu combinations.
Junior Cheeseburger + Value Fries
If youâre a fan of the classic fast food meal, this one just barely peaks over the limit at 510 calories.
Small Chili + Baked Potato (sour cream and chives)
This combo is a favorite of my motherâs and it comes in at 480 calories. Itâs also really, really filling for what seems like such a small meal.
6pc Nuggets + Junior Chocolate Frosty
Donât act like you werenât expecting a frosty somewhere on this list. Everyone wants an excuse to get a frosty when they go to Wendyâs, so hereâs one: this combination comes in at 470 calories, but just be aware, sauces are not figured into this total.
Daveâs Single, No Mayo
If I were to give out one tip to anyone trying to cut calories, it would be to ditch the mayonnaise. The mayo alone accounts for roughly 60 calories on this burger, and if you ask them to leave it off, that brings the total down to a comfortable 490 calories.
Crispy Chicken BLT
Do you miss bacon? We all miss bacon. Hereâs some bacon. 440 calories.
These are just a few examples of what you can expect from most fast food places. Many establishments like Wendyâs have nutritional information on their websites, and it doesnât hurt to have a fast food emergency list just in case you find yourself in a situation where you canât avoid it--at least this way you can at least avoid letting it wreck your calorie budget!
















