Unhealthiest Wendy's Menu Items You Should Avoid

It's one of the most well-known fast food burger restaurants around, with the familiar red-headed, pig-tailed girl in the logo smiling cheerily from the signs out front of its 7,240 locations worldwide. That's right; we're talking about Wendy's. This Ohio-based company has done nothing but grow and expand since its very first location opened up in 1969 in Columbus, filling the bellies of hungry consumers with burgers, fries, salads, and signature Frosty drinks that you can enjoy in many different ways.

But just because you can doesn't always mean that you should in the case of some of Wendy's entrées, sides, and beverages. While as a general rule, fast food is not often heralded as being the most nutritious of food options, some of Wendy's picks go above and beyond this assumption in the way of excessive calories, questionable additives, added sugars, and more. You should know which ones trigger a caution flag before your next drive thru, takeout, or dine-in order. From sodium-heavy sandwiches to beverages overflowing with sugar, here are some of the unhealthiest items on Wendy's menu that you should probably avoid.

The Big Bacon Classic Triple from Wendy's is a monstrosity of a burger ... and we mean this in both a good and a bad way. While this incredible three-tiered beef creation features multiple layers of savory meat, cheese, veggies, bacon strips, and condiments guaranteed to leave you feeling satisfied post-consumption, this skyscraper of an entrée also comes with some hefty nutritional stats to match. To be clear, it will never come close to making the list of Wendy's most nutritious menu items.

In fact, the Big Bacon Classic Triple is the chain's highest-calorie burger, logging in at 1,220 calories with all the toppings included. Since the recommended daily goal for the average person is 2,000 calories, this equates to over half a day's worth of fuel in one shot ... and that's not even including the fries and other sides that may be eaten along with it. This burger also comes with 86 grams of fat (of which 36 grams are saturated fat and 4.5 grams are trans fat), 210 milligrams of cholesterol, and a whopping 1,850 milligrams of sodium, all finished off with a bun baked using high fructose corn syrup. While we can certainly see the appeal of a supersized burger from the standpoint of satisfying a craving, you may want to consider making this particular calorie bomb an occasional indulgence rather than an everyday extravagance.

What makes a standard buttery breakfast croissant even better? A buttery breakfast croissant stuffed with savory proteins, of course. The Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Croissant from Wendy's is a classic combination, pairing the popular flavors of eggs, cheese, and meat to create a mouth-watering, energy-providing, on-the-go breakfast. But despite the impressive 21 grams of protein that come in this convenient little sandwich, it also has a few less-than-positive nutritional attributes that you'll be swallowing right along with them prior to that morning work meeting.

There are 590 calories in the Sausage, Egg, & Swiss Croissant from Wendy's — a number that doesn't sound particularly offensive at first glance. However, both the fat and sodium contents, as compared to this sandwich's rather modest size, are relatively high: 40 grams of fat (of which 16 grams are saturated) and 960 milligrams of sodium. Seeing as the American Heart Association recommends a daily limit of around 13 grams of saturated fat as well as just 1,500 milligrams of sodium as part of a 2,000-calorie diet, this may not be the most ideal way to start your day, especially if keeping within these limits is a goal for you.

When it comes to ideal breakfast sandwich vessels with plenty of versatility, the English muffin is a top contender. Slightly crisp on the outside while maintaining delicate, bready softness on the inside, these flavorful little rolls can hold their own when stuffed with a wide variety of fillings. Wendy's has two English muffin sandwiches currently up for grabs on its menu — the Sausage, Egg, & Cheese and the Bacon, Egg, & Cheese. And if you're split on which one to select for your next takeout order, you may want to opt for the bacon variant if going slightly healthier is something that factors into your decision-making process.

The sausage English muffin sandwich from Wendy's sits at 540 calories — a full 160 calories more than the bacon version, which contains only 380 calories. The bacon muffin also sits lower in the overall fat, sodium, carbohydrate, and sugar contents, with the protein count being the only area in which the sausage sandwich comes out slightly on top (20 grams for the sausage option, and 17 grams for the bacon one). Whether or not this single victory will be enough to sway your vote in favor of the latter, we aren't sure. Do with this information what you will come your next breakfast run. 

If burgers just aren't your thing, Wendy's has you covered with poultry alternatives. The Classic Chicken Sandwich, the Grilled Chicken Wrap, and the Spicy Asiago Ranch Club are just a few choices ... but the one you should probably ignore if you're attempting to eat healthier is the Ghost Pepper Ranch Chicken Sandwich.

This chicken sandwich is a fiery creation that brings all the heat to spice-loving consumers. Complete with a spicy chicken filet patty, ghost-pepper-seasoned fried onions, American cheese speckled with ghost pepper, and a generous slathering of ghost pepper ranch sauce, which is hotter than ever, this sandwich is one your tongue will thank you for if it's craving a sizzle. The rest of your body? Well, it may not thank you quite so ardently. While the 690 calories that come in every one of these hot entrées is nothing to shake a stick at, the real kicker is in the sodium. A whopping 1,650 milligrams of sodium is contained in every sandwich — that's more than the level that the American Heart Association recommends an adult should eat in an entire day. An overload of sodium can cause bloating, nausea, or excessive thirst in the short term, but it can also lead to high blood pressure, kidney problems, osteoporosis, and other issues if consumed in excess consistently over time. Whether or not this spicy sando is worth all of the sodium it brings is up to you.

Just as there are two English muffin sandwiches offered up on the Wendy's breakfast menu, there are also two similarly named and flavored breakfast burrito choices up for grabs. The Bacon Breakfast Burrito and the Sausage Breakfast Burrito both include eggs, cheese, seasoned potatoes, and the customer's chosen protein — all wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla and served with a side of Cholula hot sauce. How's that for a breakfast upgrade?

Though both of these spicy breakfast takes come out relatively close in terms of nutrition, the bacon-filled version is the slightly superior choice if you want to start the day off lighter from a nutritional standpoint. The sausage wrap contains more calories than its bacon counterpart (830 calories compared with 720 calories) and brings with it more fat (53 grams vs 41 grams) and cholesterol (440 milligrams vs 420 milligrams). The only area in which the sausage fares slightly better than the bacon is sodium — 2,130 milligrams of sodium in the sausage burrito as opposed to the bacon burrito's 2,220 calories. Both of these totals are considered more sodium than the American Heart Association recommends an adult consume in an entire day's worth of food. So really, neither option is particularly advantageous in that respect. Still, keep this comparison in mind the next time you're split between the pair of Wendy's sizzling breakfast burritos.

Being composed mainly of vegetables, salads often harbor a reputation for being some of the healthiest options on any restaurant menu. What many eaters don't realize, however, is that salads can sometimes hold unhealthy secrets. Between fatty, high-calorie dressings, dried fruit toppings coated in added sugar, or bacon bits filled with controversial nitrites and nitrates, some salads are not completely innocent when it comes to crimes of nutrition. The following questionable salad comes straight from the Wendy's menu. Despite its clean, lettuce-filled appearance, this salad comes with the highest calorie and sodium counts among the chain's veggie entrées. 

We're talking about the Taco Salad, a delightful mixture composed of shredded romaine, tomatoes, the chain's signature chili, shredded cheese, chips, sour cream, salsa ... and a whopping 1,870 milligrams of sodium per modest-sized bowl. In addition, both the total carbohydrates (68 grams) and sugar content (16 grams) seem quite high for what we originally thought was an innocent bowl of salad ingredients. Honestly, we wonder if you're better off just purchasing a head of lettuce at the store, throwing some lightly seasoned home-prepared ground beef and salsa on top, and calling it a (healthier) day.

A juicy fast food burger is simply not complete without a side of fries, and plain old salted ones are hardly the only french fry option available from the Wendy's menu. The chain offers multiple different unique fry takes, such as the Baconator Fries and the Cheese Fries. But the one that packs the most punch calorically and otherwise? That title is reserved for none other than the signature Chili Cheese Fries.

If avoiding high-calorie, high-fat, high-cholesterol, and high-sodium foods is your goal, then the Chili Cheese Fries from Wendy's aren't for you. This smaller dish brings 520 extra calories to your entrée along with a whopping 1,270 milligrams of sodium — a number that, when paired with a sandwich or burger, is going to push you well over your daily recommended sodium limit. There are also 27 grams of fat (of which 9 grams are saturated) and 35 milligrams of cholesterol to contend with. These are numbers that, again, add up quickly when paired with an entrée. If you'd still prefer some sort of fry side with your order, try opting for the company's natural-cut standard french fries instead. Without the chili-meat mixture dumped on top, these simpler potato strings come with much lower nutritional counts on all fronts.

Added sugar has become a hot topic in the health and nutrition industry. Just consider the shocking amount of added sugar that Americans consume every day. High sugar intake has been associated with diabetes, weight gain, increased appetite, poor sleep quality, acne, and a host of other chronic conditions and uncomfortable symptoms. Avoiding some of these less-than-ideal byproducts has become a primary goal for many consumers, with more and more people choosing to opt for low- or no-sugar-added alternatives in regard to their treats and beverages.

If lower-sugar practices apply to you, you may want to put down that Blueberry Pomegranate Lemonade from Wendy's. This particular drink has the highest sugar content out of all the beverages on the company's menu, with a large serving coming in at an almost unbelievable 110 grams of sugar. Add this to the 115 grams of carbohydrates tacked onto every large cupful of this sweet, fruity beverage, and voila: You've got a heavy drink that doesn't quite match with the breezy lightness its title suggests. 

While a signature Frosty might be the sweet treat most heavily associated with the Wendy's franchise, it isn't the only dessert produced by the company. Pull-apart cinnamon bread, apple chunks, oatmeal bars, and dippable French toast sticks make up the lesser-known collection of Wendy's sweets, and each of them can serve as a satisfying end to a savory meal. But if you're wanting to avoid an onslaught of calories, sugar, and iffy ingredients served up with your final course, then you may want to skip right over the chain's French toast.

The Wendy's Homestyle French Toast Sticks are made with enriched and bleached flour, a host of additives and preservatives like sodium stearoyl lactylate and calcium propionate, and high fructose corn syrup — an added sweetener that is considered one of the leading contributors to the obesity epidemic in the United States. In addition, a simple six-piece order provides the eater with an extra 630 calories, 27 grams of fat, 79 grams of carbohydrates, and 25 grams of sugar. Keep in mind, however, that these stats appear to include the cup of syrup that comes with the order. If you avoid dipping into the sweet stuff, these offensive numbers will be lowered. Whether or not you will forgo the most indulgent part of your meal in the name of health is up to you.

The famous Wendy's Frosty has been developed into a number of unique flavors over the years. Vanilla, chocolate, peppermint, pumpkin spice ... even a recently released mixture inspired by "SpongeBob SquarePants" and lovingly named Pineapple Under The Sea, which our reviewer thought fell short of expectations. These flavors are introduced (and subsequently re-introduced) on a rotating basis, and though this next one on our list is not currently up for grabs from the fast food powerhouse, it's worth taking note of it the next time it is inevitably brought around to the menu lineup.

The Strawberry Frosty from Wendy's could be considered especially unhealthy from multiple standpoints. Not only is the treat remarkably high in both added sugar and carbohydrates, but unlike many other of its more muted-in-color Frosty cousins, the bright pink Strawberry version offered in the past harbored Red 40 — a controversial food dye associated with increased hyperactivity in children. In addition, this particular Frosty variant included corn syrup, mono and diglycerides, potassium sorbate, and other questionable additives and preservatives. If you're going to go for it with a Frosty the next time a craving for a creamy, cold beverage strikes, you may want to opt for either the company's standard chocolate or vanilla flavor options — both of which contain less sugar and carbs than the strawberry and no artificial dyes.

Oftentimes, a combo is the best way to get the most bang for your buck from a fast food order. Burger chain Wendy's offers up numerous combinations for patrons that feature some of its most popular entrées, paired with a side and a drink, at a more economical price. In looking at these pairings, you might assume at first glance that the worst option health-wise would be one of the chain's burger combos — such as the Dave's Combo or the Baconator. Interestingly, however, the combo order that comes in swinging with the highest number of calories, sodium, and sugar features a protein you may not have expected: chicken nuggets.

The 20-piece Saucy Nuggs combo from Wendy's is composed of a heaping pile of honey-barbecue-drenched chicken nuggets, a side of fries, and a drink of choice ... and unfortunately, the nutritional baggage this hefty order brings with it is striking. The extra-large serving of nuggets alone delivers a shocking 1,170 calories, 58 grams of fat, 2,910 milligrams of sodium, and 60 total grams of sugar. While this may be a bit too much for your body to take in healthfully on a regular basis, the phrase "moderation is key" should not be forgotten when a craving comes knocking. Enjoy yourself on your next Wendy's run — whatever you decide to indulge in.

To create our list of some of the unhealthiest food options available from the Wendy's lineup, we did a thorough analysis of the company's official menu and posted nutritional information. The numbers were compared with the official recommendations put out by reputable health and food organizations, like the American Heart Association and the Food and Drug Administration. That being said, it's important to note that both caloric and nutritional needs vary among patrons, and that what is healthy for one person may not be considered healthy for another.