It’s always best to address the elephant in the room; nobody expects fast-food chains to serve the healthiest dishes. Wendy’s is no stranger to that harsh reality. In fact, the fast food chain has a tumultuous history with its breakfast menu, repeatedly introducing and canceling each launch over quality concerns. Its message is clear: Certain standards are non-negotiable. This includes offering customers a range of healthy options, and at the top of that list sits the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad.
Drizzled in pomegranate vinaigrette, this tasty salad is a delicious blend of all things fresh. The 540 calorie dish contains lettuce, grilled chicken, cranberries, blue cheese, and scattered pecans. In a pinch, it’s the perfect solution for a healthy bite from a drive-thru near you. Each serving contains a guaranteed 32 grams of protein, and the balance of food groups is like a nutritional checklist.That sprinkling of cranberries imparts a myriad of vitamins, including copper, manganese, and Vitamin C. Meanwhile, the calcium in the blue cheese supports bone health, and buttery-tasting pecans regulate blood sugar and reduce cholesterol. This salad isn’t just a pretty face; the recipe is a carefully concocted combination of health-boosting ingredients. Call it a win-win.
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How Does It Compare To Other Wendy’s Salads?
A bowl of Apple Pecan Salad – Wendy’s
There’s nothing quite like healthy competition, is there? Comparatively, the Apple Pecan Salad excels in prioritizing fiber, antioxidants, and protein intake alongside moderate calories. It performs competitively from a caloric point of view; both the Cobb and Taco Salads exceed 600 calories, with only the Parmesan Caesar Salad sneaking under at 530 calories.
The only red flag is that the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad has marginally higher sodium levels at 1,090mg. For context, the American Heart Association recommends aiming for a maximum intake of 1,500mg per day. It’s essential to be aware of those guidelines, and anyone managing a low-sodium diet should consider offsetting that risk by requesting less cheese. Still, the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad is a delectable all-rounder — especially with that potential cheesy tweak.
Amidst the death of the Wendy’s salad bar, deciding what to order off the formal menu has become a hotter topic. Luckily, the chain takes its leafy offerings extremely seriously; sourcing the best seasonal suppliers, finding preservative-free dressings, and embracing creative recipe ideation. Ultimately, nutritional requirements vary on an individual basis. Scan through the Wendy’s salads, ranked worst to best — which suits your health goals?
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
