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Behind the Scenes with Wendy’s Fresh Salads

Wendys Salads // livelovesimple.com

I have to be honest — I was skeptical when I was invited to get a behind-the-scenes look at fresh salad prep inside of a Wendy’s restaurant. I haven’t been a fan of “fast-food” for quite some time. In the past, I’ve tried drive-thru salads, only to be sorely disappointed. But as of today, Wendy’s has completely changed my mind! Let me start at the beginning.

Last week, myself and a couple of other bloggers met up at a nearby Wendy’s for our behind the scenes event. I had no idea what to expect, but — low & behold — my expectations were completely exceeded.

As it turns out, Wendy’s staff hand-prepares each salad with fresh vegetables every day. We got to check out the produce and watch as the vegetables were washed, chopped, and added to salads. The process reminded me so much of the way that I prepare salads for my family at home, which was really refreshing.

The Wendy’s that we visited receives its farm-fresh produce three times each week. That means that often times, produce is making it from the farm to your plate at Wendy’s in less than a week. That’s even faster than most supermarkets. (Check out the journey of Wendy’s romaine lettuce from farm to drive-thru on the Wendy’s YouTube channel.)

Wendys Salads // livelovesimple.com

Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy’s restaurant in 1969 grounded on the premise that “Quality is our Recipe®.” Watching fresh produce get washed, chopped, and placed into salads with so much care gave me a first-hand look at Wendy’s commitment to that promise.

Wendys Salads // livelovesimple.com

After we watched the produce and salad prep, we got to “glove-up” and give it a try ourselves. We each picked a salad and went to work. I chose the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad featuring ripe red and green apples and crunchy roasted pecans. The salad is then topped with cranberries, creamy blue cheese crumbles, and a pomegranate vinaigrette. Finally, every salad entrée is topped with premium white meat chicken breasts that are grilled at the time of your order and placed warm on your salad. I opted out of the blue cheese — I’m going dairy free for Marina’s sake — but even without it, the salad was seriously delicious. We also got to try out Wendy’s new organic HONEST Tea and it was the perfect compliment to the salad.

Wendys Salads // livelovesimple.com

Wendys Salads // livelovesimple.com

Wendys Salads // livelovesimple.com

The entire experience opened my eyes and completely changed my opinion about what a “fast food” salad can be. Wendy’s gives you the best of all worlds — combining healthy with fresh and quick. It’s everything that a busy mom like me could ask for. I’ll definitely be heading back to test out the other premium salads soon.

Wendys Salads // livelovesimple.com

Wendys Salads // livelovesimple.com

What about you? Would you consider trying a fast-food salad? Have you ever tried a Wendy’s salad? Which one is your favorite?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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    Are You Oblivious, Aware, or Getting It?

    This is a guest post from my friend, Andy Feld.

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    As I travel and meet new people all over our country, it seems most everyone falls into one of the three areas mentioned in this month’s title. What am I talking about? It’s the societal evolutionary change which is now in progress, although admittedly sometimes imperceptible. It is easy to see that violence rarely leads to anything but more violence. Overt materialism, absent integrity, brings happiness and abundance to very few. Additionally, centuries of male dominated insensitive energy added to a populace unwilling to take responsibility has us at a precarious tipping point.

    So, do you sense what I say is true? Are you oblivious to these changes in the air, or are you ahead of the curve and already taking the steps necessary to not only survive, but thrive in the years to come? Frankly, I am often greeted by individuals with long faces who tell me they will be happy again when things get back to ‘normal’. Normal for many means simply getting back to a life dominated by financial gain and the purchase of new things, but those days may be long gone. Banks are not lending money, our population is increasingly unemployed or aging and dependent, houses are not selling, there seems to be an oversupply of everything and worldwide competition is greater than ever. What if today is the way things will be for the next 20-30 years or longer? What are you going to do to be happy, prosperous, and emotionally abundant?

    Make no mistake, everything is changing and just about everyone is affected. Personally, my income does not approach what I once earned as a corporate CEO, my car is not as new and shiny as it once may have been, and I visit fewer restaurants, but my life has never been more pleasant. Would you agree that now is the time to not only re-evaluate, but also re-create our lives? If so, you are GETTING IT loud and clear, but if not, let’s look into what we can do about it.

    1. We are all One, connected with a common thread of spirit. When I say WE, I mean ALL humans, animals, plant life, earth, and stars. We all are of the same source energy, and understanding and respecting this Oneness is a key to thriving in our new age. Allowing all else to be, with love and respect, and without judgment of unique individual differences will open our portals to Universal Light. One cannot mistreat another human, the earth, our vegetation, and the animals without also mistreating oneself. We are all connected and what we put forth to others is what will always come back to us.

    2. Listen to our heart, our Inner Radar as I call it in my books, without the fear of judgment from others. We are all unique and different, and learning to reach within and hear that guidance we all individually brought forth to this lifetime allows us to grow and prosper in alignment with our life’s purpose. There is no better way to accomplish this than a regular practice of meditation and contemplation.

    3. Understanding the process for manifesting our life’s dreams. It takes quite a bit of practice and self-discipline, and you may be getting tired of hearing me speak about it, but we are the product of our thoughts, emotions, words, and actions. Very little we desire will manifest without the alignment of these four elements. Believe in this, practice and have faith and you will embrace your life like never before.

    4. Learn to appreciate all that you have. From hot running water, to clothes in your closet, and food in the refrigerator, most of us have so much to be thankful for yet rarely acknowledge. The beauty of nature, our relationships, our health and the list should go on and on. Write it down and truly rejoice in how many ways you are blessed.

    5. Diligently work on balancing your male and female attributes. We are all a combination of both masculine and feminine, and the more we keep these two in balance the more we vibrate with the earth.

    Yes, everything is changing. First, become aware and then jump on board, but it will always be the choice of the individual. No one, other than you is responsible for your rescue.

    Whether it is a business, an organization, or individual, the time for changing the status quo in right now. How to go about it in this new environment is what I speak about and teach. I would love the opportunity to work with you or your group.

    With much love and appreciation,
    Andy

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    Andy lives in Morrison, Colorado outside Denver. He travels the country as a frequent speaker on life inspiration and business sales. He is also a regular guest on radio programs across the United States and on local TV.

    You can read more about Andy at his website, Simple Happy, and you can find his books on Amazon at the following links.

2 Comments

  1. I have had fast food salads before when traveling. Many long road trips on expressways where the only food stops are full of fast food and I don’t feel like getting off the high way. I had no idea they would be made fresh or with fresh ingredients (from Wendy’s at least haha). Makes me feel a little better!

  2. My boys love going to Wendy’s to celebrate any occasion that we call “special lunch”. This past weekend, it was my youngest son’s 5-year old birthday. Every time we go though, my wife, she will always get the Wendy’s salad. She’s always been a fan.

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