How To Order Vegan At Wendy’s
We are continuing our very popular, yet controversial, series on how to eat vegan at fast food restaurants. After our last article, How to eat vegan at Taco Bell, I received over 20 complaint messages and lost over 100 Facebook fans. Just because I was trying to help people stay vegan if they had to eat at a fast food restaurant.
The problem with only looking at the negative vegans who messaged me is you have to compare it to the positive response. That was my most popular article in 3 weeks and I picked up over 400 new fans from that one post. Clearly most vegans like learning how to survive in the fast food jungle.
I have to travel a lot so I often find myself stranded in fast food hell. I also have a lot of friends and family that insist on going to eat at fast food restaurants and I like to spend quality time with those I love. One of the main reasons some people struggle with veganism is the alienation and isolation. Of course you can compensate for this by meeting new vegan friends. But you can’t replace your family. Sometimes compromises have to be made.
So with all of that being said, let’s look at how to order vegan at Wendy’s. The first option is going to be an obvious one of course. Salad.
Wendy’s Garden Side Salad
Most fast food restaurants have a side salad and Wendy’s is no exception. It’s not the largest salad ever but it will get the job done. And unlike a lot of fast food places you get more than one vegan dressing to choose from. You can have their Fat Free French, Italian Vinaigrette, or the Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing. Note, the latter is not available at all stores.
There are a few things you can add into the salad or request more of to bulk it up. Those include apple slices, red onion and tomato.
On the next page the heartiest vegan menu item at Wendy’s. It’s your main entree if you are vegan and eating at Wendy’s.
Clavicles N Cloves
Are Wendy’s fries vegan?
I tried to get a salad and every one of them was pre-made with bacon ? they also stopped serving baked potatoes at some locations, including my nearest. If I must do fast food, I do my best to talk the group into another option. Preferably tb.
Their fat free ranch is vegan?
Terrible.
Step 1. Drive Thru the Drive-thru
Mine will make me a vegan burger. It is just the bun with all the fixings and no meat. Tomatoes lettuce onions pickles it is pretty good when you are hungry
None of the salads should be premade with bacon or chicken Just saying . And only two of our salads are actually made with bacon and you can request without it, they should follow through with your request, if not I would speak with a manager. Also if you get a strawberry fields salad without bacon and without chicken , request a different dressing, DO NOT get Apple balsamic , it has bacon fat in the dressing and the workers are supposed to notify you if you order it without bacon and chicken . Just some helpful tips from a Wendy’s employee .
Thanks for continuing to share these resources, Vegan Addict!
Thankfully I’ve been able to the salads without any meat at the ones I’ve been too. We move cross-country a lot and sometimes my options are very limited; Wendy’s has always been a great option. Thanks for your article!
Leslie Custer Frazier!!!!!
I checked ingredients of the fat free ranch and there’s def milk in it
I love that you post things like this 🙂
no thanks
2 questions: One, why would people be outraged by this post…it’s very helpful! And two, how is ranch dressing of any kind vegan?
Fries should always be vegan.
Rebecca Zwettler
The fat free ranch is vegan??????
I drive past it
The fries taste like chicken…meaning the same oil and not vegan. Also, our Wendy’s says their salads are made ahead and they can’t separate ingredients.
Wow thanks! Two whole items that we never thought of.
I had a moment of fast food weakness I was too hungry. & so i had a veggie burger from BK yesterday & pretty good, I know it’s not vegan but for a veggie burger it was pretty tasty, now all they have to do is add some veggie bacon to it then it will really be the bomb.
They specifically told me that their fries are made in the same oil as the chicken.
GMO
Gmos
Plain Baked Potato
SMH…..more of this? Come I know you guys put good stuff up. A salad and a potatoe? Go to a gas station and buy a bag of chex mix and some Oreos and you will get less contaminated vegan food and equivalent nutrition
If there is good-tasting vegan bacon out there, please tell me.
You can also order the the apple pecan salad and request no chicken and blue cheese …. They will give extra salad dressing / pecan packets ?….. It also saves you a $ 1.50 ish off the salad they won’t charge for the chicken ?
The Ranch or even fat free ranch is NOT VEGAN… Contains milk and other dairy products…
I’m all about fast food vegan stuff however ranch dressing is not vegan.
Yes Barbara!!!
Liked it as well.
it shouldn’t matter, meet is still cooked there
So lettuce and plain potato.
I like these posts. I don’t want to be the picky one when I hang out with sisters and the kids. Nice to know I have options!
Well that was disappointing…a plain baked potato? And iceberg with cucumbers?
I always love everything about being vegan
Sorry guys if I want a plain salad, plain baked potato, and juicy juice I am not going all the way to Wendy’s for it. Let me know when they put the black bean burger into production or add a nondairy frosty.
I know you have lost fans over articles like this and taco bell, but my life isn’t perfect, far from it, busy and chaotic. So THANK YOU for keeping the “real people ” in mind that only have enough time to run thru a drive thru on busy days. Life happens
Is ranch vegan?
Yay thanks! I can’t think of anything better in the world to be but a vegan.
Kaitlin Jones
Awesome!!!
How to order at Wendys? … DO NOT BUY ANYTHING. If you do, you are still contributing to the meat.dairy industries. And don’t give me that crap about “but there’s nowhere else to get Vegan food” or “at least they’re offering Vegan items” … it’s total bs. Give your money to Vegan stores, if none available, make your own food. I know this causes arguments but seriously, take a step back and look at the big picture here. Wendy’s and other fast food can offer ALL the “Vegan” food they want but they will NEVER stop selling meat / dairy… cuz THAT is their “Cash Cow” ( yes pun intended)
Step one: go somewhere else.
What about their naturally cut fries?
I think there should be fast food eating guides that give tips on eating at Fast Food restaurants for all the good reasons you mention in this article. BUT this is not a vegan guide! Wendy’s fat free ranch dressing is NOT vegan!!! I can’t believe you didn’t change this article to reflect that. Wow.
PETA actually has a page about eating vegan at Wendy’s. Though it’s not much more, there are a few more options than just a baked potato or salad. Like a “veggie sandwich” (essentially everything on a burger but the meat…say no mayo and no cheese though) or a “fry burger” which is all that veggie sandwich stuff with fries on it. Sometimes some locations have the black bean burgers but they come and go. Never seeming permanent.
Jey, thanks for letting me know! Will look into it and make sure to update this post. It’s great to see how many vegan options – or at least non-meat options – are creeping into these menus. It feels like almost every day I hear something new – hard to keep up!