Wendy's vs. McDonald's, by the numbers

Wendy's publishes nutrition for 185 items and McDonald's for 119. The typical McDonald's item is lighter (median 250 calories vs 370), Wendy's has the single highest-protein item, and Wendy's has the most protein-dense order. Below: the numbers side by side, then the lightest pick in each category both chains sell, all from the chains' own nutrition guides.
Menus:
Wendy's menuLow-calorie Wendy'sMcDonald's menuLow-calorie McDonald's
Items with published nutrition
Wendy's: 185
McDonald's: 119
Median calories per item
Wendy's: 370
McDonald's: 250
Real meals under 500 calories (15 g+ protein)
Wendy's: 18
McDonald's: 13
Lightest real meal (15 g+ protein)
Wendy's: Chili (Small) (280 calories, 19 g protein)
McDonald's: Cheeseburger (300 calories, 15 g protein)
Most protein
Wendy's: Big Bacon Classic® Triple (1140 calories, 77 g protein)
McDonald's: Double Quarter Pounder* with Cheese (740 calories, 48 g protein)
Most protein per 100 calories
Wendy's: 3 PC. Tenders (7.9 g)
McDonald's: Mccrispy Strips (3 Piece) (3 pc) (7.8 g)
Keto meals (under 10 g net carbs, 15 g+ protein)
Wendy's: 0
McDonald's: 0
Median sodium per item
Wendy's: 310 mg
McDonald's: 160 mg

Lightest burger

Wendy's ›
Jr. Hamburger
per serving · 12g protein · 24g carbs · 10g fat
230 kcal
McDonald's ›
Hamburger
per serving · 12g protein · 30g carbs · 9g fat
250 kcal

Lightest fries

Wendy's ›
Jr. Natural-Cut Fries (Junior)
per junior · 3g protein · 28g carbs · 9g fat
210 kcal
McDonald's ›
World Famous Fries (Small)
per small · 3g protein · 31g carbs · 11g fat
230 kcal

Lightest nuggets or tenders

Wendy's ›
4 PC. Chicken Nuggets
per serving · 9g protein · 9g carbs · 11g fat
170 kcal
McDonald's ›
Chicken McNuggets 4 piece (4 pc)
per 4 pc · 9g protein · 10g carbs · 10g fat
170 kcal

Lightest burrito

Wendy's ›
Breakfast Burrito, Bacon
per serving · 32g protein · 55g carbs · 39g fat
700 kcal
McDonald's ›
Sausage Burrito
per serving · 13g protein · 25g carbs · 17g fat
310 kcal

Lightest breakfast

Wendy's ›
Honey Butter Biscuit
per serving · 5g protein · 39g carbs · 17g fat
330 kcal
McDonald's ›
Egg McMuffin
per serving · 17g protein · 30g carbs · 13g fat
310 kcal

Lightest shake

Wendy's ›
Jr. Classic Chocolate Frosty® (Junior)
per junior · 6g protein · 31g carbs · 6g fat
190 kcal
McDonald's ›
Strawberry Shake (Small)
per small · 10g protein · 77g carbs · 13g fat
470 kcal

Lightest coffee drink

Wendy's ›
Caramel Cold Brew with Cream (Medium)
per medium · 1g protein · 27g carbs · 8g fat
190 kcal
McDonald's ›
Latte Iced Caramel (small) (Small)
per small · 6g protein · 28g carbs · 5g fat
180 kcal

Lightest wrap

Wendy's ›
Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap
per serving · 28g protein · 41g carbs · 16g fat
420 kcal
McDonald's ›
Snack Wrap Mccrispy Spicy
per serving · 17g protein · 32g carbs · 22g fat
390 kcal

Lightest dessert

Wendy's ›
Chocolate Chunk Cookie
per serving · 3g protein · 43g carbs · 16g fat
330 kcal
McDonald's ›
Chocolate Chip Cookie
per serving · 2g protein · 22g carbs · 8g fat
170 kcal

Questions people ask

Which is healthier, Wendy's or McDonald's?

By the numbers, McDonald's has the lighter typical item and Wendy's the better protein per calorie, so it depends on what you order. Real meals under 500 calories (150+ calories, 15 g+ protein): 18 at Wendy's and 13 at McDonald's.

Which has more protein, Wendy's or McDonald's?

Wendy's: Big Bacon Classic® Triple has 77 g. For protein without the calories, Wendy's 3 PC. Tenders leads at 7.9 g per 100 calories.

Which is better for keto, Wendy's or McDonald's?

Wendy's has more meals under 10 g net carbs with 15 g of protein (0 vs 0). Each chain's keto page lists them.

Where do these numbers come from?

Wendy's and McDonald's own published nutrition guides, reviewed before import. Portions differ between chains, so compare calories and protein, not just item names.

Log it with Calorie Cub

Tell Claude, ChatGPT, or any MCP client what you ate and Calorie Cub logs it from this verified menu, or search it in the app. Free to start.
How to log meals from ChatGPT or ClaudeUse ChatGPT to dietUse Claude to dietUse Gemini to dietUse Grok to diet
How Calorie Cub works