Review: Wendy's - Berry Almond Chicken Salad

Wendy's Berry Almond Chicken Salad is a new seasonal item for this summer featuring fresh blueberries and strawberries on a bed of fresh-chopped romaine and iceberg lettuce and spring mix joined by sliced almonds, shaved Asiago cheese, grilled chicken breast, and a fat-free raspberry vinaigrette.

I picked up a full-sized portion for $6.49. A half-sized portion is also available for $4.49.

While pricier than McDonald's summer Asian Salad offering, Wendy's Berry Almond Salad is also a fair amount bigger and sports more chicken. It's a pretty easy salad to share.

The blueberries and strawberries, while not abundant, were fresh and imparted enough flavor to keep it interesting without making me feel like I was eating a fruit salad. That being said, the salad could have had a couple more blueberries and strawberries.

Like a lot of fast food salads, the bulk of the salad was mostly iceburg lettuce which added a lot of crispness but not so much nutrition. The rest of the greens blend in with stronger flavors.

The almonds are slightly salted with sea salt and add a welcome crunch.

The Asiago cheese, unlike a lot of cheeses used in fast food applications, actually had a strong and distinctive flavor.

The chicken, which came in a good amount, was tender but a bit salty. I would guess that most of the sodium in the salad comes from the chicken. I think a lower salt or even unsalted chicken would still be good in this salad with all the many flavors going on and would pump up the health credibility a little more. It also could have been cut up a bit better; my chunks were still stuck to each other, and like two kids fighting on the playground, had to be separated.

The raspberry vinaigrette brings to mind a lighter, thinner raspberry syrup. I was given two packets, but one was plenty for the salad.

Overall, Wendy's Berry Almond Chicken Salad is an excellent mix of a lot of flavors; a balanced blend of sweet, salty, and tart with a fresh, crisp texture.

Nutritional Info - Wendy's Berry Almond Chicken Salad - full-sized w/dressing (433g)
Calories - 460 (from Fat - 150)
Fat - 17g (Saturated Fat - 6g)
Sodium - 1100mg
Carbs - 44g (Sugar - 31g)
Protein - 38g