We Are What We Eat--Wendy's Chili

The weather took a turn for the worse today.  Just yesterday, we enjoyed temperatures in the mid-70s and sun...by this afternoon, the temperature had dropped to 39 degrees with overcast skies, rain and snow on the way.

When the weather takes a turn for the worse, I always crave CHILI!!!

And to be honest, sometimes I just don't have the time/energy/forsight to get a big pot of chili going.  Therefore, I rely on my old standby to satisfy my craving...

Wendy's Chili!

Last time I wrote about a fast food joint, I picked on Dairy Queen's Chicken Strip Basket and how awful it is for your waistline.  However, this time I'm changing things up and hopefully spreading some joyous news!

For most Americans, they equate Wendy's to the square-shaped hamburger patties that ole' Dave Thomas made famous.  To be quite honest, I've never been much of a hamburger person.  I probably eat 2, maybe 3 hamburgers each year.  So for me, I equate Wendy's with their chili.

When I was in college, you could still get the small chili for 99-cents.  All of a sudden, they put their Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe on the value menu for 99-cents, pushing the cost of their chili to $1.19!  I felt bad for the girl working the window that day because she got an earful from me about how it was quite crappy to raise the price of a healthy option JUST to lower the price of some junk food.  She looked at me like I was half-crazy, gave me my $1.19 chili and I drove off flaming hot.  And if you haven't noticed, it still irritates me!

Believe it our not, but Wendy's chili is pretty darn healthy and is a great option for those weekday lunches.  The meat is actually ground turkey and you can see the beans and veggies--quite surprising for a fast food chain!  Oh, and it's hella good--especially if you ask for several packets of their chili sauce!  If I were still single, I would be tempted to buy up a week's worth of chilis and keep them in my fridge for an evening meal.  That's not weird, is it?

Here are some quick nutrition facts:

Small Chili

210 calories

6 grams fat

21 grams carbohydrates

17 grams protein

Large Chili

310 calories

9 grams fat

31 grams carbohydrates

26 grams protein

If you wanted to be really "bad," you could add a Junior Frosty (no, I did not say a medium or large!) to your meal for only 170 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.  If you ordered the small chili to go with your mini Frosty, you could have your meal for less than 400 calories, about 10 grams of fat and spend only $2.50!  Did you know that just the baked potato alone has 320 calories and 63 grams of carbohydrates???  Who wants to eat a bland potato when you could slurp down some chocolatey goodness instead?!

Truth be told, not all fast-food options are going to cause your waistline to expand and your arteries to become clogged...and sometimes they can warm your soul on a cold "winter" night.  But as always, it's about portion control and remembering we are what we eat!