Today was day 2 of my eating out for lunch for a week. I’m focusing on your typical quickee, fast food, type of a restaurant, where a person can eat for $5-8 or so.

Today I went to Wendy’s. Wendy’s (I thought at first) would have some decent selections for someone on Weight Watchers. I was quite wrong once I started calculating up all the points. I’ll get to that in a second.

Today I had a grilled chicken sandwich combo with a side salad and unsweetened tea. Here is how it broke down for Weight Watchers Points Plus

• Grilled Chicken Sandwich – 9 Points Plus.  It comes with lettuce and a tomato. It also comes with some kind of dressing. That will hit you for extra points, so make sure to ask for no sauce or dressing.
• Garden Side Salad – The salad was 0 Points Plus – A decent side salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots.
• Ranch dressing – 3 Points Plus. I could have gone low fat or fat free, but I don’t like the taste of those.
• Unsweetened Tea – 0 Points Plus. Straight, no sweetener.
• Total = 12 Points Plus for my lunch

That’s better than yesterday, staying within my target point range of 8-15 points.

I could have saved 1 – 3 points by tearing off some of the bun. The bun was bigger than the meat. I could have just taken off the top and eaten it “open faced,” or just torn off the edges. Other than that, not much more could have been done.

The chicken had a good flavor and was a decent size. The side salad was good, fresh, green, and a pretty good size for being a “side.”

Other Options – Uh… not many.

Of course, I could have gone for one of their salads, but BEWARE!  If you go for one of their Garden Sensations salads, you’re gonna get nailed with points.  They are a minimum of 15 Points Plus for the Apple Pecan, and as many as 21 Points Plus for the Spicy Chicken Caesar. If you want a salad at Wendy’s, just get a regular Garden Salad.

You think you’re being healthy when eating a salad at Wendy’s, but they’re loaded with fat, carbs, and high protein. Wendy’s Garden Sensation salads are not Weight Watcher friendly.

The only other real options at Wendy’s is to eat small. Order a kid’s meal or something off the value menu. You’re still going to get 11-13 Points Plus for a kids meal. You would be better off eating what I ate above.

Bottom Line

If you’re gonna eat at Wendy’s and stay within the 8-15 point range for your Weight Watchers diet, your options are very limited. I think I found about the only option, at least worthy of being called a meal.

Wendy’s is also known for their Frosties. An original chocolate Frosty will cost you 11 points plus.

Somehow on the TV commericials it always seems like Wendy’s is better than McDonalds or Burger King… but I think these 3 places are about the same. Your options are going to be slim, and you’re better off choosing another place (if you have that choice).