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No stranger to the paleo diet? Then you’re most likely no stranger to the fact that it can be very challenging to find a fast food meal that sticks to paleo diet guidelines – but some fast food restaurants are more paleo-friendly than others.
When it comes to Wendy’s, you’re in luck. The popular burger chain is one of the few fast food joints to offer a decent amount of paleo-friendly food and drink options. Keep reading for the complete list of menu items you can order while adhering to the paleo diet.
Paleo-friendly food and drinks available on the Wendy’s menu
There are certainly several no-gos for paleo eaters on the Wendy’s menu, from fried food like fries, chicken nuggets, and french toast sticks to sugar-filled desserts like Frostys. But while there’s plenty on the menu that you can’t order on a paleo diet, you do have several options to choose from that can pass as a paleo-friendly meal as long as you’re willing to make some modifications.
That’s mostly thanks to the fact that Wendy’s offers burger patties that are 100% beef and only contain ground beef and salt. Because this is a paleo-friendly meat, you can order most of the burgers on the menu so long as you remove the bun and a few other not-so-paleo-friendly ingredients. But if you opt for a lettuce wrap instead of bread and forgo any cheese and condiments like ketchup and mayo, you can still enjoy a substantial burger with toppings like lettuce, tomato, onion, and mustard.
What you won’t see on the list is Wendy’s breakfast items – that’s because they all contain either bread, dairy, or processed meat. Although eggs are paleo-friendly and bacon can theoretically be a paleo-friendly meat, the chemicals and preservatives in highly processed breakfast meats like bacon and sausage are ultimately not good choices for those on a paleo diet. However, if you choose to include these meats in your diet, you can go for a breakfast sandwich without the bread or cheese.
Aside from your choice of burgers, there are also a couple of salads on the menu that you can order – although they do require that quite a bit of ingredients be removed to keep them paleo-friendly, mostly due to toppings that contain dairy or added sugar. Unfortunately none of the salad dressings at Wendy’s are paleo-friendly due to refined sugar and processed oils.
There are also a couple of side items that will make the cut, like a plain baked potato or a side of apple slices. And as far as beverages, you have your pick of items like hot coffee, cold brew, and unsweetened iced tea.
Below is the full list of paleo-friendly food and beverage choices at Wendy’s based on the current menu.
| Paleo-Friendly Hamburgers | Required Modifications |
| Jr. Hamburger | No bun No ketchup |
| Jr. Cheeseburger | No bun No cheese No ketchup |
| Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe | No bun No cheese No ketchup No mayo |
| Double Stack | No bun No cheese No ketchup |
| Dave’s Single Burger | No bun No cheese No ketchup No mayo |
| Dave’s Double Burger | No bun No cheese No ketchup No mayo |
| Dave’s Triple Burger | No bun No cheese No ketchup No mayo |
| Paleo-Friendly Salads | Required Modifications |
| Apple Pecan Salad | No blue cheese No dried cranberries No roasted pecans No dressing |
| Cobb Salad | No crispy onions No cheddar cheese No bacon No dressing |
| Paleo-Friendly Sides | |
| Baked Potato | Can add chives |
| Apple Bites | |
| Paleo-Friendly Beverages | |
| Coffee (Regular + Decaf) | |
| Cold Brew | |
| Iced Tea (Unsweetened) |
Is a burger allowed on the paleo diet?
Yes, many hamburgers are paleo-friendly, as long as the patty doesn’t contain any hidden processed ingredients and you enjoy the burger sans bun. You’ll just have to make sure any toppings and condiments are paleo-friendly as well.
Does Wendy’s have lettuce-wrapped burgers?
While there isn’t technically a lettuce wrap option on the menu, most Wendy’s locations will accommodate for lettuce-wrapped burgers, sandwiches, or wraps if you ask your cashier for the substitution.
Does Wendy’s have paleo-friendly breakfast?
Unfortunately, none of Wendy’s breakfast menu items are technically paleo-friendly, as they all contain some form of bread or grains, dairy, sugar, or highly processed meat. Since meats like bacon and sausage can be more of a gray area on the paleo diet, if you do include breakfast meat in your diet you can order some of Wendy’s breakfast sandwiches if you remove the bread and cheese.
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About Carly Weaver
Carly is a writer, editor, and lover of all things food. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Telecommunications from Pepperdine University in 2011. With nearly ten years of experience in copywriting and editorial roles at creative marketing agencies, she now writes content for websites and online publications in the food, beverage, and travel industries. A New Jersey native turned Los Angeles local, her kitchen is chock-full of cookbooks and food puns.
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