Dining Smart At...Wendy's

Although the face of Wendy's is a red-headed little lady bearing a strange resemblance to Pippy Longstocking, the popular fast food chain was in fact founded by Dave Thomas in 1969. From that first hamburger joint in Ohio, Wendy's has rocketed to the third largest hamburger fast food chain, behind only 'The King' and those golden arches.

Set apart from other hamburger places, Wendy's has square patties, just to mix things up I suppose. Well, round or square (or even star-shaped for that matter) one must venture with caution when approaching the drive-through. With burgers boasting stacks upon stacks of beef, fries aplenty, and frosted shakes all up for the taking, what can you do to keep your diet in check when dining at this popular restaurant?

While Jenny Craig she is not, Wendy's does offer a few picks on her menu that appeal both to the palette and the waistline. For your burger fix, the Jr. Hamburger actually comes in at a reasonable 230 calories and 8 grams of fat. The Jr. Cheeseburger has a bit more, with 270 calories and 11 grams of fat. As for the chicken choices, they will run a bit higher in calories, but the Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich has 320 calories and 7 grams of fat. If you are itching to try one of those new wraps (although they are admittedly small) your best bet comes in the way of the Grilled Chicken Go Wrap, as it is only 250 calories and 10 grams of fat.

In the salad department, you can find a healthy option, but you are going to have to do without all the extra fixings. Stick to the Chicken Caesar Salad, nix the croutons and Caesar Dressing, and opt instead for the Light Ranch, and you'll have a lunch with just 270 calories and 12 grams of fat. You can even make a meal out of the Plain Baked Potato and a serving of shredded Cheddar Cheese and ingest 350 calories and under 10 grams of fat. Wendy's actually has a nice array of sides to choose from, including the Mandarin Orange Cup with just 80 calories, Small Chili with 190 calories and 6 grams of fat, and a side salad, when paired with the Fat Free French dressing has a meager 105 calories. Of course if you must get your fries, choose the Kids' Meal French Fries, as they are your best option with 210 calories and 10 grams of fat.

Steer clear of those annoying Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty concoctions and the like, as they will pack around 500 calories into that tiny cup! Even worse are some of those mountains of beef masquerading as burgers, namely the Triple with Everything and Cheese, tipping in at 970 calories and 60 grams of fat! Luckily, if you stick to items that won't tip over your platter our weigh down that paper bag, you can survive the take-out from Wendy's with your jean size intact!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy%27s
http://www.wendys.com/food/pdf/us/nutrition.pdf