10 Best Low Sodium Wendy’s Meals

Wendy’s is honestly one of the worst fast food chains for having low sodium options.

With that said, there are still some options that are low-sodium. It’s just that those options are more snacks and sides rather than meals. So you might not feel very satiated after eating the low sodium options at Wendy’s.

The best low sodium options at Wendy’s are:

Apple Bites (0mg)
Summer Berry Burst Fruit Cup (0mg)
Baked Potato: Plain & Sour Cream + Chive (40-55mg)
Frostys: Vanilla & Chocolate (90-260mg)
4-Piece Chicken Nuggets: Plain & Spicy (380-480mg)
Kids Hamburger (380mg)
Junior Hamburger (420mg)
Side Garden Salad (460mg)
Natural Cut Fries: Junior & Small (370-470mg)
Side Caesar Salad (500mg)

When you’re trying to reduce your sodium intake it’s important to understand what menu items are naturally lower in sodium and how to customize other items to reduce their sodium content.

After reading this article you’ll learn:

If Wendy’s is high in sodium
What low sodium options Wendy’s has to offer
How to order to reduce the sodium content at Wendy’s
What meals to avoid at Wendy’s

Is Wendy’s High In Sodium?

Although Wendy’s is higher in sodium than other fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s, they do have some menu items that are lower in sodium.

The higher sodium meals at Wendy’s shouldn’t be a surprise since their beloved creations are generally made with cheese, sauce, and bacon, which are all higher in sodium.

What Is Considered Low Sodium At Wendy’s?

At Wendy’s any menu item that has less than or equal to 500mg of sodium is considered low in sodium.

The 500mg limit is based on the daily recommended amount of sodium, which is between 1200-1500mg of sodium per day. Assuming you’re eating 3 meals per day, each meal could be between 400mg to 500mg of sodium.

Eating more than the recommended amount of sodium per day can increase your risk of high blood pressure, which leads to a number of other health issues.

Therefore, when considering your options at Wendy’s it’s best to aim for a lower sodium meal, especially if you’re eating at Wendy’s more frequently.

Tips On Reducing Sodium At Wendy’s

To reduce your sodium consumption while eating at Wendy’s you can:

Order A Kid’s Size
Ask For Condiments On The Side
Skip The Bacon
Skip The Cheese
Avoid Meal Deals

Order A Kid’s Size

The best way to reduce your sodium intake while eating at Wendy’s is to reduce your portion size by ordering a kid’s size or by sharing a regular size order with someone else.

If you can reduce the serving at Wendy’s you can consume less sodium overall. For example, a Kids Size Hamburger has 380mg of sodium, whereas a Junior Hamburger has 420mg of sodium.

By opting for Kid’s menu you can reduce the amount of sodium that you’re consuming compared to regular size menu items.

Ask For Condiments On The Side

Another great way to save on sodium with your wendy’s meal is to ask for condiments on the side or even switch up your condiment choice.

Some condiments at Wendy’s are significantly higher in sodium than others so if you reduce your serving size of these condiments by putting them on yourself then you can reduce your sodium consumption.

The sodium content of Wendy’s sauces (per serving):

Honey mustard: 5mg
Ketchup: 95mg
Sweet & sour: 120mg
BBQ sauce: 160mg
S’awesome sauce: 170mg
Ranch: 240mg
Sriracha sauce: 340mg
Cheese sauce: 440mg

You could also change up the condiment to a lower sodium option to reduce your sodium consumption. For example, if your burger or sandwich normally has ranch you could change it for honey mustard and reduce your sodium intake by 235mg.

This also applies to salad dressing which is notoriously high in sodium and generally applied liberally. If you ask for your salad dressing on the side and only apply as much as you feel you need, you could significantly reduce your sodium intake.

Skip The Bacon

A great way to reduce your sodium intake significantly is to opt for options that don’t have bacon or ask for the bacon to be removed.

Just one strip of Wendy’s bacon has 100mg of sodium and each burger or sandwich that contains bacon probably has more than one slice.

If you ask for no bacon you can significantly reduce your sodium intake by approximately 100-400mg depending on how much bacon is typically on the sandwich or burger.

Skip The Cheese

To reduce your sodium intake at Wendy’s you can ask for no cheese on any burger or sandwich because per slice of cheese there is 320mg of sodium.

By skipping the cheese you can significantly reduce the sodium consumption in your meal. Many burgers or sandwiches that are slightly over the recommended 500mg of sodium per meal could be within that range if you ask for no cheese.

An example of this is Dave’s Single which normally has 1030mg of sodium but it also has two slices of cheese. If you ask for “no cheese” then the burger will only have 390mg of sodium, which is much better.

Avoid Meal Deals

To reduce your sodium consumption while eating at Wendy’s, I suggest that you avoid the meal deal, which is a pairing of two or more menu items for a reduced price.

At Wendy’s, the sandwiches, burgers, nuggets, and salads are all high in sodium themselves so pairing them with another menu item like french fries or baked potatoes will only make sodium intake higher.

When possible I recommend you order one menu item rather than a meal deal so that you’re limiting your sodium intake.

Eating Low Sodium At Wendy’s: 10 Options

The best low sodium meals at wendy’s are single menu items because none of Wendy’s meal deal options are low in sodium (500mg or less).

1. Apple Bites

The apple bites on Wendy’s menu are an optional side of apple slices that you can add to your main meal for a nutrient boost or on their own for a quick snack.

The apple bites have 0mg of sodium and are a great option if you’re trying to reduce your sodium intake while eating at Wendy’s.

2. Summer Berry Burst Fruit Cup

Another great sodium-free menu item at Wendy’s is the summer berry burst cup, which is one of the healthiest options because it’s packed with nutrients.

You could order the fruit cup to add nutrients to another menu item that has less than 500mg of sodium or have it on its own as a healthy snack.

3. Baked Potato: Plain & Sour Cream + Chive

Wendy's baked potato: plain & sour cream + chive

Wendy’s baked potatoes are another great option if you’re trying to reduce your sodium consumption because the plain baked potato only has 40mg of sodium and the sour cream & chive baked potato has 55mg.

Both of these baked potato options from Wendy’s are low in sodium and therefore a great option to have on their own or paired with another menu item that is low in sodium.

I would pair the plain 4-piece chicken nuggets (380mg of sodium) with a sour cream & chive baked potato (55mg) because it sounds delicious and it would still be under 500mg of sodium (380mg + 55mg = 435mg).

Wendy’s also has three other types of baked potatoes (cheese, cheese & bacon, chili cheese), but unfortunately, all of these variations have more than 500mg of sodium.

4. Frostys: Vanilla & Chocolate

Wendy’s is famous for its delicious Frostys and thankfully they’re all fairly low in sodium, so they’re a great option for those who want to keep their sodium intake low.

The two frosty flavors (vanilla & chocolate) are similar in the amount of sodium that they contain, and therefore mostly vary depending on the size that you order.

	Junior	Small	Medium	Large
Vanilla	90mg	160mg	210mg	260mg
Chocolate	90mg	150mg	210mg	260mg

It seems as though it’s become a trend for Wendy’s lovers to order French Fries and a Frosty so that they can dip their fries into the Frosty.

So you may be excited to hear that even if you’re trying to reduce your sodium, you could still order a junior size Frosty and a Junior Fry while keeping your sodium below 500mg (90mg + 370mg = 460mg).

5. 4-Piece Chicken Nuggets: Plain & Spicy

Wendy's 4-piece chicken nuggets plain & spicy

One of my favorite low sodium options at Wendy’s is the 4-piece chicken nuggets, which you could order plain or spicy.

The plain chicken nuggets have less sodium with 380mg per serving, and the spicy chicken nuggets have 480mg of sodium per serving.

I would pair the 4-piece spicy chicken nuggets with a sodium-free side like the apple slices or the summer berry burst fruit cup to add more volume and more nutrients to the meal.

6. Kids Hamburger (380mg)

The lowest sodium burger on Wendy’s menu is the Kids Size Hamburger, which has 380mg of sodium and is typically served with apple slices for an added nutrient boost.

The kid’s hamburger comes with just the bun, the burger patty, and your choice of condiment: if you want to keep the sodium content low then I suggest choosing mustard or honey mustard (5mg) over ketchup (95mg).

7. Junior Hamburger (420mg)

Another Wendy’s meal that is lower in sodium is the Junior Hamburger which has 420mg of sodium per serving.

The junior burger is similar to the Kids Hamburger but is higher in sodium because it comes with pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard. If you were to ask for no pickles and no ketchup, then you could make this burger even lower in sodium.

8. Side Garden Salad (460mg)

Wendys also offers a low sodium side salad which has 460mg per serving including the sodium from the dressing.

If you were to ask for the dressing on the side to control how much dressing to use, then you could probably reduce the sodium content further.

The only downside about ordering this side salad is that it lacks protein, which is important for keeping you full, and the sodium content of this side salad is high enough that you couldn’t order a source of protein without going over 500mg of sodium.

9. Natural Cut Fries: Junior & Small (370-470mg)

If you’re trying to choose a lower sodium menu item at Wendy’s you could have their natural cut fries in junior or small size and still be within the recommended sodium range.

A Junior Fry at Wendy’s has 370mg and the Small Fry has 470mg of sodium, assuming the fries are salted. You could choose to order unsalted fries at Wendy’s which would guarantee the freshness of your fries since they would be made on the spot, and they would be even lower in sodium.

10. Side Caesar Salad (500mg)

The last Wendy’s menu item that could be considered low sodium is the side caesar salad which has 500mg of sodium on the dot.

The caesar salad would be a bit more filling than the garden salad because of the cheese, caesar dressing, croutons, and bacon bits which are higher in fat and carbs. However, it would be better with a protein source if the sodium content weren’t as high as it is.

Meals To Avoid

The meals to avoid at Wendy’s are any items that contain more than 1500mg of sodium because the upper limit for sodium intake is 2300mg per day based on the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines For Americans.

If in one meal you’re consuming close to this upper limit, then this severely restricts how much sodium you could have in the rest of your meals without surpassing this daily limit.

Anything between 500-766mg of sodium could be considered average, 7600-1000mg could be considered high, and 1000-1500mg is very high, so anything above 1500mg is outrageous.

The meals to avoid at Wendy’s are:

The Baconator (1540mg)
Dave’s Triple (1570mg)
Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger Double (1570mg)
Grilled Big Bacon Cheddar Chicken Sandwich (1640mg)
Big Bacon Cheeseburger Double (1740mg)
Breakfast Baconator (1760mg)
Big Bacon Classic Triple (1770mg)
Asiago Ranch Chicken Club (1800mg)
Spicy Big Bacon Cheddar Chicken Sandwich (1850mg)
Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger Triple (1940mg)
Hot Honey Classic Chicken Sandwich (2040mg)
Big Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger Triple (2110mg)
Classic Big Bacon Cheddar Chicken Sandwich (2250mg)

These examples are purely single menu items at Wendy’s and do not even consider that they are typically served with a side of french fries or with a frosty.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Wendy’s Item Has The Least Amount of Sodium?

The Wendy’s items with the least amount of sodium are the apple slices and the summer berry burst fruit cup which both appear to have 0mg of sodium per serving, which makes them a great side to add to your meal.

Can You Get Wendy’s Fries Without Salt?

You can get Wendy’s Fries without salt if you ask for them to be unsalted; in fact, they will make them fresh on the spot for you which is a great way to ensure that you’re getting fresh product.

How Much Sodium Is In A Wendy’s Hamburger?

The sodium in Wendy’s hamburgers varies depending on which hamburger you order, but the most traditional hamburger is the Junior Hamburger which has 420mg of sodium.

How Much Sodium Is In A Wendy’s Cheeseburger?

Wendy’s has many different cheeseburger variations which all have different amounts of sodium, but the most basic version of a cheeseburger on the menu is the Junior Cheeseburger which has 610mg of sodium.

How Much Sodium Is In A Wendy’s Baked Potato?

Wendy’s plain baked potato has 40mg of sodium, the sour cream and chive baked potato has 55mg, the bacon cheese baked potato has 600mg, and the chilli and cheese baked potato has 840mg.

How Much Sodium Is In A Wendy’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich?

The Wendy’s grilled chicken sandwich has 850mg, which is higher than the recommended amount (500mg) but can be reduced by approximately 320mg of sodium if you order it without the cheese.

How Much Sodium Is In A Wendy’s Frosty?

The vanilla and chocolate Frosty’s have similar amounts of sodium based on the size that you order: the junior has 90mg, the small has 150mg, the medium has 210mg, and the large has 260mg.

How Much Sodium Is In A Wendy’s Fish Sandwich?

Wendy’s new Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich has 1250mg of sodium, which is a significant amount of sodium but can be reduced by approximately 320mg if ordered without cheese.

How Much Sodium Is In A Wendy’s Chicken Sandwich?

Wendy’s classic chicken sandwich has 1450mg of sodium, which is a higher sodium menu item, even though it isn’t served with cheese, because of the crispy chicken.

How Much Sodium Is In A Wendy’s Junior Bacon Cheeseburger?

The Junior Bacon Cheeseburger at Wendy’s has 650mg of sodium because of the addition of the cheese and the bacon which are high in sodium. To reduce the sodium content you could order a junior hamburger that has 420mg of sodium instead.

More Low Sodium Fast Food Options

About The Author

Amanda Parker is an author, nutrition coach, and Certified Naturopath. She works with bodybuilders, Olympic weightlifters, and powerlifters to increase performance through nutrition and lifestyle coaching.