Hello, fellow keto enthusiasts! Ever found yourself at Wendy’s, wondering what’s keto-friendly? You’re not alone.
I’m John, a seasoned keto dieter. I’ve spent years navigating restaurant menus, and I’m here to share my knowledge with you.
In this article, we dive into Wendy’s menu to uncover the best keto options.
From burgers to salads, we’ll find out what to enjoy and avoid. With my experience, we’ll turn your Wendy’s visit into a keto-friendly feast.
So, whether you’re a seasoned keto veteran or a newbie, join me on this culinary adventure.
You might be surprised at what we discover. Let’s see what it takes to eat Keto at Wendy’s.
Table of Contents
Quick Tips for Eating Keto at Wendy’s
Let’s start with a few quick tips for sticking to the keto diet at Wendy’s.
Use the Wendy’s Mobile App
One of the best tips I can give you about eating low-carb at Wendy’s is using the mobile app. It’s available for iPhone and Android.
The great thing about the Wendy’s mobile app is that it displays the nutrition information for each menu item.
Not only that, but it allows you to customize each item, and the nutrition information is updated to reflect the modifications that you have made.
For example, if I select the Jr. Hamburger, it has 25g of carbs with the standard toppings, but if I remove the bun and ketchup, it’s 0 carbs.
Wrap It in Lettuce
Another quick keto hack at Wendy’s is that you can replace buns with a lettuce wrap or a bed of lettuce.
This is a really easy way to ensure your meal is low-carb and fits the ketogenic diet. Skipping the bun will reduce the carb count by nearly 20g on most sandwiches.
Watch Out for Sauces and Dressings
Many sauces at fast-food restaurants are high in carbohydrates. To eat keto at Wendy’s, you must know the sauces.
They can sneak up on you. This is another reason to take advantage of the Wendy’s app.
Breakfast Options at Wendy’s for the Keto Diet
Wendy’s has been making a big push into the breakfast market, but what low-carb options does the breakfast menu offer?
Here are keto-friendly options for breakfast at Wendy’s. Order the sandwiches to keep the grams of carbs low.
Keto Breakfast Sandwich Options
- Classic Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich (2g net carbs)
- Sausage Egg and Cheese Sandwich (3g net carbs)
- Breakfast Baconator (6g net carbs)
Keto Breakfast Side Options
- Side of Applewood Smoked Bacon (1g net carbs)
- Side of Sausage (2g net carbs)
Keto Lunch and Dinner Options at Wendy’s
There is a much wider selection of low-carb options for lunch and dinner. These include burgers, chicken, salads, and others.
We’ll take a look at each category to see which foods are keto at Wendy’s.
Keto Burger Options
When it comes to keto, the classic burger with no bun is a good option at most fast-food restaurants. It makes for an easy-to-order keto-friendly meal.
Here are some of my picks for the best keto-friendly burgers at Wendy’s. Order these with no bun:
- Baconator (6g net carbs)
- Son of Baconator (3g net carbs)
- Double Stack (2g net carbs)
- Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger (2g net carbs)
- Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe (3g net carbs)
- Dave’s Single (5g net carbs)
- Dave’s Double (6g net carbs)
- Dave’s Triple (7g net carbs)
Keto Chicken Sandwich Options
The chicken sandwich at Wendy’s can be another option to help you eat a keto-friendly lunch or dinner.
On keto, the best option is usually a grilled chicken sandwich over crispy chicken sandwiches. That is because the fried sandwiches use breaded chicken, and that breading contains additional carbohydrates.
Grilled chicken breast is the most keto-friendly option. Order these chicken sandwiches without a bun:
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich (0g net carbs)
- Grilled Asiago Ranch Club (2g net carbs)
- Grilled Bacon Jalapeno Chicken Sandwich (3g net carbs)
Like the burgers, these chicken sandwiches can be made with a lettuce wrap or a bed of lettuce.
Keto Chicken Nugget Options
The chicken nuggets at Wendy’s are breaded, but you may be able to eat some in moderation. We would still recommend that you substitute grilled chicken for breaded nuggets if you can.
- 4 Piece Spicy Chicken Nuggets (8g net carbs)
- 6 Piece Spicy Chicken Nuggets (12g net carbs)
- 4 Piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets ( 9g net carbs)
- 6 Piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets (13g net carbs)
Keep in mind that these net carbs are without any dipping sauce.
Keto Salad Options
Salads seem easy and healthy, but they can be deceiving, especially if you are trying to follow a low-carb diet.
Often restaurants load up salads with carbs from things like croutons, chips, or fruit. Plus, some of the salad dressings are not keto-friendly at all.
You have to be careful in ordering a salad on the ketogenic diet. All of these salads are without dressing.
- Parmesan Chicken Ceasar Salad with no croutons (4g net carbs)
- Cobb Salad with no crispy onions (7g net carbs)
- Strawberry Summer Salad with no candied almonds (6g net carbs)
You can modify salads in the Wendy’s app, but the options are limited compared to sandwiches. You can still make a low-carb salad work at Wendy’s.
Keto Salad Dressings at Wendy’s
As we mentioned, you must watch out for sugar in salad dressing. It’s very easy to go over your carb limit with the wrong dressing.
- Caesar Dressing (2g net carbs)
- Creamy Ranch Sauce (2g net carbs)
You want to avoid the other salad dressing options because they have a high carb count.
Keto Condiments
Like salad dressing, condiments can easily add sugar and carbohydrates to your meals.
You want to make sure that the condiments you choose fit into the keto diet.
- Mayonnaise (0g net carbs)
- Mustard (0g net carbs)
- Creamy Ranch Sauce (1g net carbs)
- Southwest Ranch Dressing (2g net carbs)
- Creamy Sriracha Sauce (3g net carbs)
Keto Drinks at Wendy’s
Wendy’s has a few keto drink options. You want to choose the right drink because many of them are loaded with sugar.
- Water (0g net carbs)
- Coke Zero (0g net carbs)
- Diet Coke (0g net carbs)
- Unsweetened Iced Tea (0g net carbs)
- Fresh Brewed Coffee Black (0g net carbs)
- Fresh Brewed Decaffeinated Coffee Black(0g net carbs)
- Minute Maid Light Lemonade (4g net carbs)
Items Should You Avoid at Wendy’s on the Ketogenic Diet
As with any restaurant, there are several menu items that you want to avoid at Wendy’s if you’re following a low-carb diet.
- Sandwich Buns
- French Fries
- Baked Potatoes
- Chili
- Bakery Items like cookies
- Frostys
- Apple Pecan Salad
- Taco Salad
- Ketchup
- Crispy Onions
- Croutons
- Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing
- Champagne Vinaigrettee Dressing
- Non-diet beverages
- Cold brew iced coffee
- Honey butter chicken biscuit
- Hot honey chicken biscuit
Final Thoughts on Eating Keto at Wendy’s
Staying in ketosis and grabbing something quick at a fast-food restaurant can be hard.
Thankfully, many menu items at Wendy’s can be slightly modified to make them a keto-friendly meal.
Sticking to burgers or grilled chicken sandwiches without a bun or lettuce wrapped can be a simple choice. One of my favorites is simple bacon cheeseburger mayo and no bun.
There are also a few salads that you can eat on the keto diet, but make sure you choose a keto-friendly salad dressing.
Avoid sugary drinks and choose options like Diet Coke or unsweetened iced tea. If you like your coffee sweet, then make sure to choose a zero-calorie sugar substitute or bring your own sugar-free sweetener.
Most sides, including those delicious french fries, are off-limits on the keto diet.
If you make the right choices, use the mobile app, and be aware of hidden sugar, eating keto at Wendy’s is possible.
