How many calories are in the Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad?

The Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad is a popular seasonal salad offered by the fast food chain Wendy’s. With fresh greens, strawberries, feta cheese, and a sweet balsamic vinaigrette dressing, this salad provides a refreshing and flavorful option for a quick meal or snack. However, many health-conscious customers wonder about the calorie content of this seemingly light salad. In this comprehensive article, we will provide a detailed breakdown of the calories and nutrition information in a Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad.

Overview of the Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad

The Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad features a bed of fresh salad greens, topped with sliced fresh strawberries, feta cheese crumbles, and candied almonds. The salad is dressed with a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Wendy’s offers the Summer Strawberry Salad in two sizes – the half size and the full size.

Here are the basic ingredients in a Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad:

  • Salad greens – a mix of lettuces like romaine, spinach, and field greens
  • Sliced fresh strawberries
  • Feta cheese crumbles
  • Candied slivered almonds
  • Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

The combination of the sweet juicy strawberries, creamy feta, crunchy almonds, and tangy vinaigrette dressing makes this a flavorful and satisfying salad. The produce and ingredients taste fresh, as one would expect from a salad ordered at a restaurant versus a pre-packaged grocery store salad kit.

Nutrition Information in Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad

Now let’s break down the detailed nutritional information in a Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad.

Full Size

First, we’ll look at the nutrition facts for a full size Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad with grilled chicken breast added:

Nutrition Facts Full Size Summer Strawberry Salad with Grilled Chicken
Calories 490
Total Fat 28g
Saturated Fat 6g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 85mg
Sodium 730mg
Total Carbohydrates 28g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Sugar 20g
Protein 36g

A full size Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad with grilled chicken contains 490 calories. It also contains 28g of fat, 730mg of sodium, 28g of carbs, 4g of fiber, 20g of sugar, and 36g of protein.

The majority of the calories come from the grilled chicken breast, while the salad greens, strawberries, feta, and almonds make up the rest. The candied almonds do add a bit more sugar.

Half Size

Now let’s look at the nutrition information for a half size Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad without any added protein:

Nutrition Facts Half Size Summer Strawberry Salad
Calories 180
Total Fat 11g
Saturated Fat 2.5g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 15mg
Sodium 400mg
Total Carbohydrates 18g
Dietary Fiber 2g
Sugar 14g
Protein 3g

The half size Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad contains 180 calories without any added protein. It has 11g of fat, 400mg sodium, 18g carbs, 2g fiber, 14g sugar and 3g protein.

As expected, the calorie count is significantly lower compared to the full size with chicken. But the half size salad still provides a good amount of vitamins and minerals from the fresh greens and strawberries.

How Many Calories in Each Salad Ingredient

To better understand where the calories are coming from in a Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad, let’s break down the approximate calorie counts for each component:

Salad Greens

The base of salad greens includes nutrient-dense romaine lettuce, spinach, and field greens. The amount varies based on salad size, but these greens add minimal calories to the salad. Around:

  • 20 calories in a half size salad
  • 40 calories in a full size salad

Strawberries

Fresh strawberries add natural sweetness and vitamins. Strawberries have around:

  • 50 calories in a half size salad
  • 100 calories in a full size salad

Feta Cheese

Crumbled feta cheese contributes protein and calcium. Feta contains about:

  • 50 calories in a half size salad
  • 100 calories in a full size salad

Candied Almonds

The candied slivered almonds add crunch and flavor. But the candied coating does add more sugar. The almonds contain approximately:

  • 60 calories in a half size salad
  • 120 calories in a full size salad

Balsamic Vinaigrette

The tangy balsamic vinaigrette dressing provides flavor. The dressing averages around:

  • 60 calories in a half size salad
  • 120 calories in a full size salad

Grilled Chicken Breast

Adding a grilled chicken breast significantly increases the protein and calories:

  • A grilled chicken breast has about 130 calories

How to Make Your Salad Lower in Calories

If you’re looking to make your Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad lower in calories, there are a few easy steps you can take:

Get the Half Size

Stick to the half size salad without chicken to cut the calories in half. The half size has about 180 calories compared to 490 calories in a full size with chicken.

Skip the Candied Almonds

The candied almonds are one of the highest calorie components next to the chicken. Request your salad without the candied almonds to save 60+ calories.

Opt for Grilled Chicken

If adding chicken, choose grilled chicken instead of crispy chicken. Grilled chicken has about 130 calories compared to the 290 calories in crispy chicken.

Use Dressing on the Side

Ask for the balsamic vinaigrette dressing on the side and use sparingly to control how much dressing and calories you consume.

DIY Wendy’s Summer Salad

Another option is to recreate this salad yourself at home. Make your own balsamic vinaigrette and nix the candied almonds to have full control over the ingredients and calories.

Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad Calories Compared to Other Salads

To put the calorie count of Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad in context, let’s compare it to some other popular salad restaurant salads:

Salad Calories
Wendy’s Half Size Summer Strawberry Salad 180
Wendy’s Full Size Southwest Avocado Salad with Chicken 710
McDonald’s Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken 350
Panera Half Chicken Cobb Salad 200
Subway 6-inch Oven Roasted Chicken Salad 210

As you can see, the Wendy’s half-size Summer Strawberry Salad is on the lower end for calories compared to other fast food chain salads. Opting for a half-size salad without crispy chicken is the best option for limiting calories at Wendy’s.

Nutritional Benefits of Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad

Despite the calorie and fat content, the Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad does provide some beneficial nutrition:

  • Fiber – The salad greens and strawberries provide dietary fiber for digestion and heart health.
  • Vitamin C – The strawberries are high in immune-boosting vitamin C.
  • Vitamin A – The lettuces contain vitamin A for healthy vision and cell growth.
  • Folate – The greens offer folate, a B vitamin that aids brain and nerve functioning.
  • Potassium – The strawberries and greens provide potassium to control blood pressure.
  • Antioxidants – The salad ingredients supply antioxidants to fight cell damage by free radicals.

While it’s not the most nutritious salad option out there, the Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad does deliver some decent nutritional value, especially if opting for the half size without fried chicken.

Conclusion

The Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad offers a tasty combination of fruit and veggies that makes it seem like a light, healthier fast food option. However, once you add on the dressing, cheese, nuts, and fried chicken, the calories can quickly climb. A full size Summer Strawberry Salad with grilled chicken contains about 490 calories. Sticking to the half size without chicken or candied nuts can keep calories around 180.

While not the lowest calorie salad around, with some modifications, the Wendy’s Summer Strawberry Salad can be a relatively solid lower calorie choice when eating on the go. Limiting creamy dressings and fried add-ons is key to keeping your salad a flavorful but light summer meal.

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