Wendy's Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, Wendy's cooks with: vegetable oil blend — soybean, canola and/or cottonseed (fries, fried chicken). Across the 117 menu items we analyzed, it averages 6.4g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of C (High Risk).
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Safest Orders at Wendy's
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
Cleanest full order: Burger Patty Only (No Bun) + Plain Baked Potato + Simple Hot Coffee, 1.1g total
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Plain Baked Potato | 0.0g |
| Apple Bites | 0.0g |
| Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce | 0.0g |
| Baked Potato w/ Sour Cream | 0.1g |
| Sour Cream and Chive Baked Potato | 0.1g |
What to Avoid at Wendy's
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Cobb Salad | 20.4g |
| 4 Pc. Tenders | 16.3g |
| Homestyle French Toast Sticks 6 Pc. | 15.7g |
| Loaded Nacho Triple Cheeseburger | 15.0g |
| Maple Bacon Chicken Croissant | 15.0g |
Every Wendy's item, ranked
All 117 items we have for Wendy's, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Plain Baked Potato | 0.0g |
| Cold Brew | 0.0g |
| Apple Bites | 0.0g |
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce | 0.0g |
| Honey BBQ Dipping Sauce | 0.0g |
| Hot Sauce | 0.0g |
| Watermelon Sparkling Energy | 0.0g |
| Baked Potato w/ Sour Cream | 0.1g |
| Sour Cream and Chive Baked Potato | 0.1g |
| Vanilla Frothy Coffee (Small) | 0.2g |
| Caramel Frothy Coffee (Small) | 0.2g |
| Chocolate Frothy Coffee (Small) | 0.2g |
| Vanilla Frothy Coffee (Medium) | 0.4g |
| Caramel Frothy Coffee (Medium) | 0.4g |
| Chocolate Frothy Coffee (Medium) | 0.4g |
| Classic Chocolate Frosty (Small) | 0.5g |
| Vanilla Frosty (Small) | 0.5g |
| Classic Chocolate Frosty Medium | 0.6g |
| Vanilla Frothy Coffee (Large) | 0.6g |
| Caramel Frothy Coffee (Large) | 0.6g |
| Chocolate Frothy Coffee (Large) | 0.6g |
| Small Chili | 0.7g |
| Cheddar Cheese Sauce | 0.7g |
| Classic Chocolate Frosty Large | 0.8g |
| Chili Cheese Baked Potato | 0.8g |
| Large Chili | 1.0g |
| Orange Dream Frosty Small | 1.0g |
| Banana Frosty Swirl | 1.0g |
| Burger Patty Only (No Bun) | 1.1g |
| Jr. Cheeseburger | 1.5g |
| Kids' Cheeseburger | 1.5g |
| Bacon Cheese Baked Potato | 1.7g |
| Oatmeal Bar | 2.0g |
| Orange Dream Frosty Medium | 2.0g |
| Jr. Hamburger | 2.1g |
| Kids' Hamburger | 2.1g |
| Grilled Chicken Sandwich | 3.0g |
| Double Stack | 3.5g |
| Apple Pecan Salad | 4.0g |
| Grilled Chicken Wrap | 4.2g |
| Bacon Double Stack | 4.4g |
| 4 Pc. Spicy Chicken Nuggets | 4.4g |
| Kids' 4 Pc. Spicy Nuggets | 4.4g |
| Egg and Cheese Biscuit | 4.5g |
| 4pc Nuggets | 4.6g |
| Kids' 4 Pc. Nuggets | 4.6g |
| 4 Pc. Crispy Chicken Nuggets | 4.6g |
| Bacon Egg and Swiss Croissant | 4.8g |
| Sausage Gravy and Biscuit | 4.8g |
| Bacon Egg and Cheese Biscuit | 5.0g |
| Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce | 5.4g |
| Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger | 6.0g |
| Cookie Dough Frosty Fusion (Vanilla, Medium) | 6.4g |
| Cookie Dough Frosty Fusion (Chocolate, Medium) | 6.4g |
| Sausage Biscuit | 6.5g |
| Cookie Dough Frosty Fusion (Vanilla, Small) | 6.6g |
| Dave's Single | 6.7g |
| Nuggets (6 pc) | 6.9g |
| 6 Pc. Crispy Chicken Nuggets | 6.9g |
| Small Fries | 7.0g |
| Bacon Egg and Cheese English Muffin | 7.0g |
| Natural-Cut Fries Small | 7.0g |
| Sausage and Cheese English Muffin | 7.0g |
| Cookie Dough Frosty Fusion (Vanilla, Large) | 7.2g |
| Cookie Dough Frosty Fusion (Chocolate, Large) | 7.2g |
| Cookie Dough Frosty Fusion (Chocolate, Small) | 7.3g |
| Seasoned Potatoes | 7.5g |
| Big Bacon Classic | 7.6g |
| 6 Pc. Spicy Chicken Nuggets | 7.7g |
| Wendy's Signature Dipping Sauce | 7.8g |
| Crispy Chicken BLT | 7.9g |
| Creamy Ranch Dipping Sauce | 7.9g |
| Chocolate Chunk Cookie | 8.0g |
| Butter Sugar Cookie | 8.0g |
| Son of Baconator | 8.3g |
| Sausage Egg and Swiss Croissant | 8.4g |
| Honey Butter Biscuit | 8.5g |
| Sausage Egg and Cheese Biscuit | 8.6g |
| Breakfast Baconator | 8.8g |
| Crispy Chicken Sandwich | 8.9g |
| Loaded Nacho Cheeseburger | 9.0g |
| Cheese Fries | 9.1g |
| Dave's Double | 9.3g |
| Medium Fries | 9.3g |
| Natural-Cut Fries Medium | 9.3g |
| Scorchin' Hot Dipping Sauce | 9.6g |
| Baconator Fries | 9.8g |
| Big Bacon Classic Double | 10.2g |
| Chili Fries | 10.2g |
| Homestyle French Toast Sticks 4 Pc. | 10.4g |
| Baconator | 11.2g |
| 10pc Nuggets | 11.5g |
| 10 Pc. Crispy Chicken Nuggets | 11.5g |
| Parmesan Caesar Salad | 11.6g |
| Loaded Nacho Double Cheeseburger | 12.0g |
| Pretzel Baconator | 12.0g |
| Taco Salad | 12.0g |
| Dave's Triple | 12.2g |
| Large Fries | 12.2g |
| Natural-Cut Fries Large | 12.2g |
| 3 Pc. Tenders | 12.3g |
| Spicy Asiago Ranch Club Sandwich | 12.3g |
| 10 Pc. Spicy Chicken Nuggets | 13.0g |
| Ghost Pepper Ranch Chicken Sandwich | 13.0g |
| Cinnabon Pull Apart | 13.0g |
| Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich | 13.0g |
| Big Bacon Classic Triple | 13.1g |
| Asiago Ranch Chicken Sandwich | 13.5g |
| Chicken Biscuit with Honey Butter | 13.5g |
| Spicy Chicken Sandwich | 13.8g |
| Classic Chicken Sandwich | 14.0g |
| Loaded Nacho Triple Cheeseburger | 15.0g |
| Maple Bacon Chicken Croissant | 15.0g |
| Homestyle French Toast Sticks 6 Pc. | 15.7g |
| 4 Pc. Tenders | 16.3g |
| Cobb Salad | 20.4g |
Fry Oil History at Wendy's
Cooking in non hydrogenated soy and corn oil blend since June 2006.
Wendy's said in June 2006 it would convert, and announced on August 24, 2006 that all of its US restaurants were done. Fries and breaded chicken went from partially hydrogenated oil to a soy and corn blend with zero grams of trans fat per serving. Source
Wendy's announced the change on June 8, 2006 after about a year of testing in Florida, North Carolina, West Virginia and Ontario. Rollout to all 6,300 US and Canadian restaurants started that August and cut trans fat in those items by about 95 percent. Source
Wendy's moved off beef tallow around 1990, in the same wave that pushed McDonald's and Burger King to switch. Sourcing for the exact month is weak, so the year is the best anchor here. Source
Every documented oil switch across the industry lives on the Oil History timeline.
Frequently asked
Does Wendy's use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, Wendy's cooks with: vegetable oil blend — soybean, canola and/or cottonseed (fries, fried chicken). Across the 117 menu items we analyzed, it averages 6.4g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of C (High Risk).
What oil does Wendy's cook with?
Our research indicates: vegetable oil blend — soybean, canola and/or cottonseed (fries, fried chicken). Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does Wendy's use beef tallow?
No. Our research indicates Wendy's cooks with vegetable oil blend — soybean, canola and/or cottonseed (fries, fried chicken), not beef tallow. For chains that fry in tallow or other real fats, see Tallow Watch.
Is Wendy's seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates Wendy's cooks with vegetable oil blend — soybean, canola and/or cottonseed (fries, fried chicken), which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Wendy's?
Plain Baked Potato is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Wendy's, at an estimated 0.0g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Wendy's?
Cobb Salad is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Wendy's, at an estimated 20.4g PUFA. Fried items and creamy, mayo-based sauces are usually the heaviest.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, and similar vegetable oils — are extracted from seeds using high heat and chemical solvents. They are very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable at cooking temperatures and can oxidize easily. Many health-conscious eaters choose to minimize seed oils and prefer foods cooked in beef tallow, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead. This page shows estimated PUFA grams per menu item to help you make more informed choices. These are estimates — actual values vary by preparation and location. New to the topic? Start with what seed oils are and the complete list, or read the evidence on why people avoid them.
Compare other chains
McDonald's · Burger King · Five Guys · Whataburger · Culver's · Shake Shack
See where Wendy's lands on the full Seed Oil Index, or check which chains cook in real fats on Tallow Watch. Wondering about a specific dish instead? The Is It Seed Oil food guide answers it for 200+ everyday foods, and the distributor oils page covers what independent restaurants fry in.