Wendy's fast food restaurant first opened in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio, according to the Wendy's website. Like most other fast food restaurants, many of the items on the Wendy's menu are high in calories, fat and sodium. But if you know the nutrition information before dining, you can make healthier selections.
Side Dishes
Wendy's offers a number of healthy side dish options that you can turn into a healthy mean. For example, you can order the Plain Baked Potato -- without butter, margarine or sour cream -- with a small order of chili and a side salad with fat-free french dressing. This meal contains 555 calories, 7 g of fat, 3 g of saturated fat, 1,020 mg of sodium, 97 g of carbohydrates and 26 g of protein. The only problem with this meal is that it meets nearly 50 percent of your daily sodium needs. The USDA recommends you limit your total sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg a day. High intakes of sodium increases your risk of high blood pressure.
Salad Entrees
Wendy's offers a number of different salads, most with less than 500 calories a serving without the dressing or toppings. The light ranch dressing and the fat-free french dressing are the lowest calorie dressings at Wendy's, with 40 to 45 calories per serving, and make the best choice when trying to limit your calorie intake. A healthy salad option at Wendy's includes the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad with fat-free french dressing and the added pecans. This meal contains 500 calories, 21 g of total fat, 8 g of saturated fat, 1,365 mg of sodium, 43 g of carbohydrates and 38 g of protein.
Hamburgers
If you need to eat a hamburger when dining out at fast food, select a small burger without added sauces and cheese. The Jr. Hamburger at Wendy's makes a good choice with 230 calories, 8 g of total fat, 3 g of saturated fat, 480 mg of sodium, 26 g of carbohydrates and 12 g of protein. The Jr. Cheeseburger deluxe is also an acceptable hamburger option at Wendy's with 300 calories, 14 g of total fat, 6 g of saturated fat, 720 mg of sodium, 29 g of carbohydrates and 15 g of protein.
Chicken Sandwiches
The Wendy's menu also features some healthy chicken sandwich options which are lower in saturated fat than the hamburgers. High intakes of saturated fat increase your risk of heart disease. The USDA recommends you limit your saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of total calorie intake. The Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich without sauce contains 370 calories, 7 g of total fat, 1.5 g of saturated fat, 1,150 mg of sodium, 42 g of carbohydrates and 34 g of protein. A plain Grilled Chicken Go Wrap is another low-calorie option with 260 calories, 10 g of total fat, 3.5 g of saturated fat, 750 mg of sodium, 25 g of carbohydrates and 20 g of protein.
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