The Best Wendy’s Salads – What’s In Them?

For a long time, Wendy’s has been known as a fast food powerhouse, synonymous with burgers and fries.

However, it wasn’t until recently that Wendy’s expanded their menu to include breakfasts, fried chicken, and even salads. 

Typically, when you go to a fast food restaurant, the last thing you’re thinking about is a salad or anything remotely healthy for that matter.

However, at Wendy’s, you’ll find a range of different salads, and toppings, that are just as good as their burgers and fries!

With such a wide variety of salads, sometimes you can get overwhelmed by the different choices.

However, don’t worry, we have taken it upon ourselves to uncover all the best Wendy salads – so you can order with confidence! 

In this guide, we have bottled down all the salads into the best eight salads to choose from.

If you’re ever stuck on what salad to get, remember to always come back here for some advice. 

With this in mind, let’s get straight into it!

1. Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

This Apple Pecan Chicken Salad is among one of the best salads you can find on Wendy’s menu.

The combination of healthy ingredients and delicious flavors makes it hard to believe that this salad came from a fast-food establishment. 

Not only is this Apple Pecan Chicken Salad incredibly refreshing but the addition of apples and pecans offers a satisfying crunch. 

In this salad, you’ll find both green and red apples to provide a more diverse flavor to the salad. 

The best thing about this Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, besides the crumbles of blue cheese, is the Marzetti Simply Dressed Pomegranate Vinaigrette dressing which works to bring all the different flavors together in harmony. 

2. Taco Salad

The next salad we’ll be looking at is the Taco Salad, another popular salad from Wendy’s.

To keep things interesting, this salad offers more of a Mexican flair and is heartier than some of the other salads mentioned in this list. 

An attractive feature of this salad, which sets it apart from other salads, is the finishing touch of Wendy’s famous chili heaped on top of the salad. 

In addition to Wendy’s iconic blend of salsa, lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese, you’ll also find crunchy tortilla chips – adding an extra flair to this salad. 

If you’re looking for a leisurely lunch that will keep you full until dinner, then this hearty salad is a great option. 

3. Harvest Salad 

The Harvest Salad is another iconic salad featured on Wendy’s menu. 

However, unfortunately, the availability of this salad is entirely dependent on where you live.

Some places will have it stocked; although, in most cases, you may find that it has been discontinued. 

Although, having said that, we hope the salad makes a comeback in all Wendy’s restaurants since everyone needs to try this salad at least once!

The salad consists of green and red apples, juicy grilled chicken slices, lettuce, dried cranberries, applewood smoked bacon, and brown sugar walnuts – if this doesn’t sound amazing, we’re not sure what will! 

Next time you’re at Wendy’s, look out for this salad on the menu. If you do manage to find it, definitely order it! 

4. Parmesan Caesar Chicken Salad

The next salad featured on this list can be considered the ultimate classic Wendy’s salad. 

If you’re looking for the perfect caesar salad, then you will love this Parmesan Caesar Chicken Salad. 

This fresh salad is composed of juicy grilled chicken breast, romaine lettuce, creamy caesar dressing, parmesan chips, and various Italian slices of cheese – it’s hard to go wrong with a caesar salad, and this salad definitely does not disappoint! 

When you’re next at Wendy’s, make sure to keep an eye out for this salad. 

A notable feature of this salad is the tortilla chips, who would’ve thought that salad and tortilla chips would make the perfect combination?

From the crunchy, saltiness of the tortilla chips to the burst of flavors you experience from the salad ingredients – you’ll have a mouthwatering experience for sure. 

5. Side Caesar Salad

The Side Caesar Salad is next up on the list. 

Similar to the other caesar salad mentioned on this list, this side salad is made fresh each day composed using a blend of romaine lettuce, bacon bits, a combination of three kinds of cheese, and, of course, the iconic zest caesar dressing which makes the caesar salad what it is. 

This caesar salad is the perfect portion to substitute for a side of fries if you’re looking to make health-conscious decisions.

This is highly recommended to those who simply want a small salad that perfectly complements the rest of their Wendy’s meal.

Not only will you enjoy this salad as a main meal, but also as a perfect side meal, too. 

6. Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad

Featured next on this list is the Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad straight from Wendy’s menu. 

For the ultimate satisfying meal, you’re going to love this Southwestern-style salad. 

At the end of the day, ultimately, salads can become slightly boring.

However, you won’t experience this with the Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad!

This salad spices it up with unique flavors and ingredients that will have you coming back for more. 

In this salad, you’ll find Wendy’s ultimate blend of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon, pepper jack cheese, juicy, tender chicken breast, and avocado.

To top it all off, you’ll find the salad drizzled with a zesty Southwest Ranch Dressing that pulls all the flavors together. 

There’s something about the amalgamation of bacon, avocado, and chicken that simply can’t go wrong!

With each bite, you’ll experience bursts of flavors and textures. 

7. Baja Salad

This is another great salad for those looking to skip the additional bread roll for alternative protein options. 

In this salad, you’ll find a mix of lettuce, southwest-style grilled all-white chicken breast, red onions, tomatoes, corn tortilla strips, and all drizzled with a creamy pepper jack sauce. 

If you’re watching your weight, then this is the perfect salad for you.

All in all, this bowl comes to approximately 400 calories, unless you add the depressing which takes it up to a humble 500 calories. 

8. Asian Cashew Chicken Salad

Featuring red cabbage, crispy all-white chicken meat, Asian sesame dressing, iceberg lettuce mix, and Asian cashews. 

All these ingredients come together to create a good source of fiber and protein, particularly due to the added cashews, as well as omega-3 fatty acids from the Asian dressing. 

All in all, if you’re looking to experiment and try some oriental flavors, then this is a great salad to start with. 

Choose Fresh, Choose Wendy’s

Established in 1969, Wendy’s is among the only fast-food chain restaurants to boast a fresh ingredient supply chain. 

Multiple times a week, fresh ingredients are shipped to different Wendy’s locations.

From seasonal fruits and vegetables to whole heads of lettuce, these are all washed and chopped in-house to provide the freshest flavors possible. 

Whether it is lunch or dinner time, you can rest assured that each salad is prepared then and there for the freshest of flavors – you can definitely taste the difference!

Ideal Vs. Real World

In an ideal world, you’d want to prepare yourself a salad for every lunch, using fresh fruit and vegetables straight from the garden.

However, this simply isn’t realistic. 

Work, school, and busy schedules can get in the way of the ideal world.

Thus, when in the ‘real world’, quickly stopping at your local Wendy’s for a fresh, perfectly prepared salad is the best option, and there is nothing wrong with it! 

Customizable Salads with Reasonable Calories

The beauty of Wendy’s is that every salad is completely customizable.

If you’re following a dairy-free diet, simply request a salad without cheese.

Similarly, if you don’t like a certain ingredient, for instance, onions, request an onion-free salad. 

In addition to removing ingredients, you can also request additional ingredients.

For instance, extra ingredients include chili, sour cream, chips, and salsa.

Therefore, you simply can’t go wrong with these salads since you can modify them completely to your liking. 

Are The Salads At Wendy’s Healthy?

The only component that makes Wendy’s salads unhealthy is the dressing since they contain high fat and sodium content. 

The salad itself is dependent on the ingredients added.

However, most contain an abundance of saturated fats and calories. 

The salad contains approximately 300 calories per serving, while the dressing adds an additional 240 calories. 

Healthiest Wendy’s Food

On the menu, Wendy’s has a few sides that are low in sodium and healthy.

These are baked potato, frozen yogurt, apple slices, and buffalo chicken salad. 

When looking at the nutritional data regarding the healthiest side options available at Wendy’s, it demonstrates that there are 4g of saturated days, 0mg of sodium per serving, less than 100mg of cholesterol per serving, no trans fats, and 10g of carbohydrates per serving. 

Final Thoughts…

Wendy’s is one of the most popular fast-food restaurants in the United States.

However, you wouldn’t believe that they make delicious salads.

In addition to being both healthy and flavorful, these salads are incredibly delicious.

A great alternative to the typical burger and fries!

Hopefully, this guide has informed you of all the best Wendy’s salads and what is inside them!