All of Wendy's Burgers & Sandwiches—Ranked by Nutrition
Known for its "fresh, never frozen" square-shaped burgers and signature Frosty desserts, Wendy's has been in the fast-food scene since Dave Thomas opened the first restaurant in Columbus, Ohio in 1969. Although the chain commits to using high-quality ingredients, that doesn't mean all of Wendy's offerings have a high nutritional quality.
With menu items like the Baconator, a double cheeseburger with six pieces of bacon, and Dave's Triple, a cheeseburger made with three quarter-pound burger patties, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Wendy's food isn't the pinnacle of health. That being said, some burger and sandwich menu options can be a part of a healthy diet.
For this comprehensive guide, we looked at the nutritional profiles of Wendy's entire range of burgers and sandwiches, examining the calorie, sodium, and saturated fat counts of each and ranked them from worst to best. This ranking can serve as your compass through Wendy's flavorful offerings.
How we ranked Wendy's burgers and sandwiches by nutrition.
When it comes to Wendy's burger and sandwich menus, there are certainly better and worse options. To determine the ranking, three main things were kept in mind:
- Total calories: Keeping in mind the average 2,000-calorie diet, we've assessed the calorie content of each menu item. Overindulging in calories can lead to weight gain over time.
- Saturated fat: Wendy's burgers and sandwiches often boast generous portions of bacon and cheese, which can contribute to high levels of saturated fat. Consuming too much saturated fat regularly is strongly linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Sodium: Moderating sodium intake is essential for a balanced diet. With a daily recommendation of no more than 2,300 milligrams, equivalent to a teaspoon of salt, we kept the sodium content of each item in mind for our ranking.
Wendy's burgers and sandwiches, ranked from unhealthiest to healthiest.
Whether you're a Wendy's regular or stopping by on a road trip, we're here to help you order healthy menu options that align with your dietary goals. Below, you'll find our comprehensive ranking of all of Wendy's 27 burgers and sandwiches (including chicken and fish), ranked from worst to best, to help you make informed choices for a healthier fast-food experience.
Jot down several options that best fit your diet, and then check out 7 Healthiest Wendy's Orders, According to Dietitians for more better-for-you options.
The Unhealthiest Burger or Sandwich at Wendy's is… the Loaded Nacho Triple Cheeseburger
This burger is packed with three-quarters of a pound of beef and topped with American cheese, corn tortilla strips, chipotle sauce, poblano queso, lettuce, and tomatoes on a jalapeño cheddar bun. Any triple burger shouldn't be on the menu—especially not this one.
Big Bacon Classic Triple
There is no need to consume a burger with three-quarters of a pound of beef, Applewood bacon, and several slices of cheese. The saturated fat is 180% of the recommended daily max, while the sodium is 77% of the recommended daily max. If you're opting for this burger regularly you're not doing your heart any favors.
Dave's Triple
Why a burger has three-quarters of a pound of beef (or 12 ounces) I do not know. Protein has a maximum absorptive capacity of about 25 to 30 grams at a time so you're body is not absorbing as much protein as you think. Plus, your kidneys will be working overtime to metabolize all that protein.
Pretzel Baconator
Half a pound of beef is twice as much of a beef portion you should be eating in one meal. Topped with six pieces of Applewood bacon, this burger is over the top with 135% and 67% of the recommended daily max of saturated fat and sodium, respectively.
Loaded Nacho Double Cheeseburger
This half-pound (or 8-ounce) burger is topped with American cheese, corn, tortilla strips, chipotle sauce, poblano queso, lettuce, and tomatoes on a jalapeño cheddar bun. A whopping 57% of the calories come from fat, also delivering 130% of your daily value of saturated fat.
Baconator
One-half pound of beef patties is in this burger topped with six pieces of Applewood smoked bacon. There is so much fatty protein that you're getting way too much artery-clogging saturated fat. Plus, your body doesn't like that much protein at once—it can't metabolize that much at one time.
Big Bacon Classic Double
This half-pound (8-ounce) beef patty is topped with Applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, mayo, and onion on a toasted bun. It's big. The calories in the burger alone provide 45.5% of your recommended daily calories (based on a 2,000-calorie diet) and the saturated fat is 125% of the recommended daily max.
Dave's Double
This 8-ounce beef patty is topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, mayo, and onion on a toasted bun. More meat means more calories and 115% of the recommended daily max of saturated fat. Too much saturated fat in your diet can increase the risk of heart disease.
Loaded Nacho Single Cheeseburger
This quarter-pound beef, patty is topped with American cheese, corn and tortilla strips, spicy chipotle sauce, poblano queso, lettuce, and tomatoes on a jalapeño cheddar bun. The calories are 35.5% of the recommended daily amount (based on a 2,000-calorie diet) and that's without fries or soda—or any other meals or snacks for the day.
Big Bacon Classic
A quarter-pound of beef (or 8 ounces), Applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, mayo, and onion on a toasted bun may be a classic choice but it's not very healthy. This option has 80% and 53% of the recommended daily max of saturated fat and sodium, respectively.
Son of Baconator
Two beef patties, American cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, ketchup, and mayo make up this "lighter" Baconator burger. It provides 80% of the recommended daily amount of saturated fat, which is quite a lot.
Dave's Single
This quarter-pound (4-ounce) beef patty is topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, mayo, and onion on a toasted bun. The calories are starting to become high, but it's the 75% of the recommended daily amount of saturated fat that places this burger in this spot.
Loaded Nacho Chicken
Like other chicken sandwiches, this chicken breast is breaded. It is topped with American cheese, corn and tortilla strips, spicy chipotle sauce, poblano queso, lettuce, and tomatoes on a jalapeño cheddar bun. The saturated fat is at 40% of the recommended daily amount but the sodium is creeping up to close to 100% of the recommended daily max (which is 2,300 milligrams).
Asiago Ranch Classic Chicken Club
This menu option is a breaded chicken breast topped with thick Applewood smoked bacon, Asiago cheese, ranch sauce, lettuce, and tomato, all on a toasted bun. It certainly sounds tasty, but not as healthy of a chicken choice with the 40% recommended daily max of saturated fat and a whopping 74% of the recommended daily max of sodium.
Ghost Pepper Ranch Chicken Sandwich
Ghost peppers add heat to this chicken sandwich seasoned with fried onions, ghost pepper American cheese, ghost pepper ranch, lettuce, and tomatoes. Just like other chicken sandwich options, the saturated fat is 40% of the recommended daily max while the sodium is rather high.
Spicy Asiago Ranch Club
This chicken breast is marinated and breaded in a blend of peppers and spices and
topped with thick Applewood smoked bacon, Asiago cheese, ranch sauce, lettuce, and tomato, all on a toasted bun. The option is certainly healthier from a saturated fat standpoint than many burgers, but like other chicken options, the sodium tends to be much higher.
Bacon Double Stack
Made with two beef patties, Applewood smoked bacon, cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickle, and onion, the calories seem reasonable but the saturated fat is starting to get out of control providing 55% of the recommended daily max. Remember, that's without the side of fries or any other meal or snack you consume during the day.
Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich
You may think fish is the best choice on the menu, but it is certainly not. Made with wild-caught Alaskan pollock fillet with panko breading and topped with dill tartar sauce, pickles, lettuce, and American cheese this option falls somewhere in the middle. The calories are climbing up there but the saturated fat is 30% of the recommended daily max. The sodium is rather high at 54% of the recommended daily max.
Crispy Chicken BLT
This menu option has white meat chicken breaded and seasoned, topped with Applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and mayo. Interestingly, chicken sandwiches tend to have higher sodium based on the condiments added and in the chicken itself—making the sodium in this sandwich 44% of the recommended daily max.
Double Stack
This burger has two beef patties with cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickle, and onion. Because there is no extra bread between the patties, the carbs don't go up much only the saturated fat and sodium.
Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger
This beef patty is topped with Applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. The addition of the bacon slightly increases the saturated fat to 40% of the recommended daily max.
Classic Chicken Sandwich
This breaded crispy breast with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and pickles is served on a toasted bun. Again the saturated fat is rather low at 17.5% of the daily recommended daily max while the sodium is rather high at 63% of the recommended daily max. This is the time when you need to weigh the saturated fat versus the sodium and determine if this is a better choice for you. If you opt for this choice, choose foods lower in sodium for the rest of the day and take only a few fries or skip them altogether.
Spicy Chicken Sandwich
This chicken breast is marinated and breaded with a blend of peppers and spices. The chicken is topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayo and served on a bun. Interestingly, the saturated fat is rather low for the sandwich at only 17.5% of the recommended daily max.
Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe
This option has a beef patty topped with cheese, pickles, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, ketchup, and mayo. The calories are reasonable within a healthy meal plan, but as you see with the burgers, when the calories go up so does the saturated fat (which isn't a good thing).
Jr. Cheeseburger
This burger is a beef patty topped with cheese, pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard on a toasted bun. It is one of the lowest calories around but still provides 30% of the recommended daily max of artery-clogging saturated fat.
Crispy Chicken Sandwich
This chicken option is made with white meat breaded and seasoned and topped with lettuce, and mayo. Although this chicken sandwich has slightly more calories than the Jr. Cheeseburger, the saturated fat only provides 15% of the recommended daily max.
The Healthiest Burger or Sandwich at Wendy's is… the Jr. Hamburger
This burger has the lowest calories, saturated fat, and sodium on the menu. It has a beef patty topped with pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard on a toasted bun.
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