Over the past couple of weeks, I have almost completely overhauled my diet. I’ve practically eliminated processed foods, I eat salads and drink green smoothies frequently. Yay, me! Choosing my foods at home is easy, I’m in control of that. When I’m out and about and the family is in the mood to grab lunch, that’s when it gets challenging. You see, even the “healthy” and “fresh” salad options at restaurants are often not all that healthy and (sadly) not all that fresh. The need for fresh salad options at fast food restaurants is real. I had the chance to go behind-the-scenes at Wendy’s and see what fresh means to them!
Did you know? Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy’s restaurant in 1969 grounded on the premise that “Quality is our Recipe®.” For more than 45 years, Wendy’s has been invested in bringing customers the quality ingredients that differentiate us from others in the industry.
Going in, I can tell you that my previous perception was that Wendy’s salads were probably assembled using bagged ingredients just like a lot of restaurants. What I saw with my own two eyes was just the opposite! Our small group of bloggers was taken into the Wendy’s kitchen to see all the steps in preparing their salads. Crew members washed, spun dried, and chopped fresh heads of romaine and iceberg lettuce, peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.
We watched Wendy’s crew members do all the things that we would do at home to make our own fresh salads. What a concept, right? There were absolutely no bags of pre-cut ingredients in sight. This process actually happens several times a day, so the salads are always truly fresh. The lettuce blend of 11 different kinds of greens is topped with the rest of the veggies and then the chicken breast (100% premium, all-white meat) is hand-chopped and served warm on top right when you order. We watched while a few of the salads were prepared before our eyes: Asian Cashew Chicken Salad, BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad, Apple Pecan Chicken Salad.
Then, we each had the chance to make the salad of our choice! I chose the BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad because it sounded the most interesting to me. It may or may not have something to do with the Applewood Smoked Bacon on top (it was a splurge day for me).
Some of my favorite details: the fire-roasted corn on the BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad; the roasted pecans seasoned with sea salt on the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad; fire-roasted edamame and spicy roasted cashews on the Asian Cashew Chicken Salad. Besides the fact that all Wendy’s salads are truly made with fresh ingredients, these type of details are what puts the salads in the “fab food options” category for me. My BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad had all the fresh taste and unique details that I loved. Total win for me. I am thrilled that there are unique and delicious fresh salad options offered at Wendy’s. With full-size and half-size options available for all flavors, I can choose what’s right for me. I’m looking forward to trying them all in the next few weeks. I think the Spicy Chicken Caesar is next on my list. At just 200 calories, the Garden Side Salad will be great for those days when I am looking for a quick, low-cal lunch.
Connect: Visit Wendys.com / Watch Wendy’s “Romaine Lettuce Journey” on You Tube
Have you tried the fresh salads at Wendy’s lately? If not, which one would you like to try first?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
I think I’ll have to go try a Wendy’s salad soon!
Ashley S recently posted..Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen Interview: Getting to Know Quicksilver & The Scarlet Witch ~ #AvengersEvent #AgeOfUltron
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Awesome, Ashley, I bet you’ll enjoy it!
Love seeing how they’re made! I would have expected bagged ingredients too!
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Hey, Kristin! Yes and I’m so glad we were both proven wrong :).
I will be ordering a salad for my next lunch at Wendy!
Victoria M recently posted..Walgreens #DiscoverNewFavorites Voxbox
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Good to hear, Victoria! You’ll have to let me know which one you try and how you like it 🙂
Oh I would not have known that! I would have thought pre cut too! I cannot wait to try one next time we go! They really do look delicious!
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Hey, Laura! My salad was SO GOOD and loved seeing all the fresh cut veggies and ingredients. Try one for sure!
I love Wendy’s salads over any other fast food salad. Some great variety and always fresh.
Athena recently posted..Best Buy’s HP Envy Touchsmart Laptop with AMD FX APU @BestBuy #AMDFX
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Awesome!! Which one is your favorite?
On the rare occasion I do fast food, it has always been a Wendy’s salad or chili because Wendy’s uses real food. Lol. Thanks for sharing.
Shonda recently posted..Wellness travel for families
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Haha so tru, Shonda! We’ve always had a special place for Wendy’s for the same reason!
I regularly enjoy Wendy’s salads! It’s hard to pick a favorite because there are certain elements of each one that I love. That’s okay by me, I can mix it up every time I go!
Jessica Harlow recently posted..Enter to win a Beatrix Girls Tea Time Bundle!
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Glad to hear, Jessica! I like to mix it up too!
Thanks for reminding me how great Wendy’s salads are. I used to work by one, but now I don’t, so I kinda needed this reminder to make it back. ;D Thanks for sharing!
Rocio Chavez (@yoursassyself) recently posted..My Spring In Two Words – Weed and Feed
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Thanks for reading, Rocio! Enjoy those Wendy’s salads :).
I assumed Wendy’s salads were packaged as well. I just might order one next time.
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Yes, and I was SO pleased to see how it really works. I hope you try a Wendy’s salad, mine was SO good!
This is awesome and makes me so happy! Salads are SO easy too, no reason to use anything that’s been heavily processed at all!
Kat recently posted..4 Things My Toddler Does That I Wish I Could Do
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Me too, Kat! It was so fun seeing all the prep that goes into the salads. Hope you try one next time you are at a Wendy’s!