The Mediterranean diet has in some sense been around forever, but in recent years it’s been praised as an extremely balanced and hearty-healthy approach to eating.
The diet is fairly flexible, but it mainly focuses on whole foods and lean proteins while eliminating things like refined carbs and sugar as well as processed or unnatural ingredients – so finding diet-friendly food at a fast food restaurant like McDonald’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s can definitely be challenging.
If you’re a Wendy’s lover, what can you eat at the burger joint that falls in line with the Mediterranean diet? We’ll take you through all the items on the menu that’ll make for the best diet-friendly choices.
Diet-friendly food and drinks available on the Wendy’s menu
Starting with what not to order, there are a few foods generally frowned upon on the Mediterranean diet that will eliminate many of Wendy’s menu items as appropriate choices on the diet. These are ingredients like refined carbohydrates (so any bread or breaded items), red or processed meats (which cancels out bacon, sausage, and all burger patties), and added sugar (which means most condiments, desserts, and sweetened beverages are off limits).
That’s a whole you can’t eat at Wendy’s…so what can you order? Luckily, Wendy’s is one of the few major fast food chains that still offers salads on the menu. Since most of the ingredients are vegetables and grilled chicken, ordering one of Wendy’s entree salads and modifying it accordingly will be your best bet for a meal that keeps you in line with the Mediterranean lifestyle.
Other than that, since eggs and grilled chicken are both great lean protein options, you do have a handful of breakfast sandwiches or wraps on the menu that you can order without the bread or tortilla. Unfortunately most of Wendy’s chicken-based menu items are breaded and fried, so it’s best to stay away from those. But Wendy’s does offer several types of potatoes – while the french fries and seasoned potatoes are more processed, the baked potato can make for a good diet-friendly choice.
When it comes to dairy on the Mediterranean diet, it’s one of those foods that’s allowable but advised to be consumed in moderation, and when possible it’s best to stick to low-fat or less-processed dairy products. That won’t necessarily be the case at a fast food restaurant, but if you do allow for some dairy in your diet that can also open up some options.
Lastly, aside from the obvious sugary items like Wendy’s famous Frosty or their baked goods and sodas, it’s best to steer clear of any condiments since these usually come packed with added sugar or unnatural, processed ingredients. When in doubt, remove any condiments or dressings and opt for your own diet-friendly ingredients like olive oil or vinegar.
Below is the complete list of options on the current Wendy’s menu that you can order (and modify) for the occasional meal or snack that fits within the Mediterranean diet.
| Diet-Friendly Breakfast Items | Required Modifications |
| Egg & Cheese Biscuit* | No biscuit |
| Egg & Cheese English Muffin* | No English Muffin |
| Diet-Friendly Hamburgers + Wraps | Required Modifications |
| Grilled Chicken Wrap* | No tortilla No ranch |
| Diet-Friendly Salads | Required Modifications |
| Parmesan Caesar Salad* | No croutons No dressing |
| Cobb Salad* | No crispy onions No bacon No dressing |
| Apple Pecan Salad* | No pecans No dressing |
| Diet-Friendly Sides | Required Modifications |
| Apple Bites | |
| Plain Baked Potato | *Can add chives or salsa |
| Diet-Friendly Condiments + Dressings | |
| Mustard | |
| Diet-Friendly Beverages | |
| Minute Maid Light Lemonade (Zero Sugar) | |
| Coffee (Regular + Decaf) | |
| Cold Brew | |
| Iced Tea (Unsweetened) |
If you’re eating in accordance with the Mediterranean diet, your best option for a meal at Wendy’s will be one of the salads on the menu. As long as you’re okay with some dairy on your diet, both the Parmesan Caesar Salad and the Apple Pecan Salad can make for good diet-friendly choices when modified a bit and ordered without the dressing.
Wendy’s doesn’t offer a lettuce wrapped item or ordering option on their menu, but if you order in person at your local Wendy’s and ask for your meal to be lettuce wrapped, the restaurant will most likely be able to accommodate.
Since all of Wendy’s burgers use red meat and all of their chicken sandwiches are breaded and fried, the only option that can be modified to fit within a Mediterranean diet will be the one wrap on Wendy’s menu, which is made with grilled chicken. You can order the Grilled Chicken Wrap without the tortilla or Ranch Dressing for a diet-friendly meal.
Leave a Comment