Why You Should Think Twice About Getting A Wendy's Salad

When you order a salad at a restaurant, what do you expect? Probably something filled with leafy greens and fresh veggies that's relatively healthy, right? Well, if health is what you're going for, you should probably steer clear of Wendy's salads. While the fast-food giant is sure to please when it comes to its famed spicy chicken nuggets and spicy chicken sandwiches, its chocolatey Frosty desserts, and even its classic burgers, health isn't exactly on the menu where Wendy's salads are concerned.

Wendy's Jalapeño Popper Salad contains 660 calories, while Wendy's Taco Salad contains 690 calories; and while that doesn't necessarily seem like a lot, it's worth considering that the recommended daily caloric intake for women is 2,000 calories and 2,500 calories for men, according to the United Kingdom's National Health Service.

The sodium is where things really get bad, though, as Wendy's Jalapeño Popper Salad contains a whopping 1,590 milligrams of sodium and the Taco Salad contains even more, at 1,890 milligrams of sodium. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting your sodium to less than 2,300 milligrams per day.

In other words, your so-called healthy salad is actually accounting for a big chunk of your calories and sodium intake for the day.

Even if you could let the healthy thing slide, there's something else that really makes you think twice about getting a Wendy's salad. According to Redditors, your fresh salad isn't really as fresh as you think. If you order a salad before 12:30, one individual says, you'll probably just be getting yesterday's salad. The grossest lettuce has been removed and the salad has been tossed around a bit to look a little fresher, but there's no denying that the salad is old. Oof.

Another former Wendy's employee notes that Wendy's seasonal salads that feature fruit are especially suspicious, as managers' take on mold isn't too strict. Instead, employees have been instructed to simply rinse moldy berries and pick out the best-looking from the bunch to add to customers' salads.

So, whether you're watching your waistline, keeping an eye on your sodium intake, or you just really want to avoid moldy berries and brown lettuce, it's probably a good idea to opt for something other than the salads during your next trip to Wendy's.