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When it comes to sandwiches, remember this: With the power to create comes the power to inflate. Want proof? Check out this jaw-dropping list of the 10 Worst Sandwiches in America for a lineup of disastrous handheld mega-meals that’ll bloat your belly and call for a loosening of belt buckles. It’s not all disastrous, though—if you have a game plan. To arm you with one, we pulled a few of the best options from the pages of the best-selling weight-loss series Eat This, Not That!. Fact is, lunch can be delicious and filling without destroying your diet.
#10: Cosi Steak TBM (Tomatoes, Basil, Mozzarella)
829 calories
55 g fat (19 g saturated)
453 mg sodium
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the combination of steak, basil and cheese might pack quite the caloric punch. The saving grace of this bloated hand-held is the fact that it’s astonishingly low in sodium. Otherwise, there’s very little redemption about this twist on the signature Cosi TBM. Choose another Cosi favorite, instead, and save nearly 400 calories and three-quarters of your daily saturated fat allotment. (The Eat This, Not That! effect: A simple swap like this a few times a week when you’re on the go can help you lose 15 pounds in a year.)
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Cosi Club
497 calories
10 g fat (4 g saturated)
827 mg sodium
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#9: Arby’s Ultimate BLT Market Fresh Sandwich
880 calories
46 g fat (10 g saturated)
1,740 mg sodium
The lesson from this massive sammie: Trust the ingredients, not the name. “Market Fresh” is little more than a marketing ploy to persuade consumers to indulge without guilt. Opt for the Super Roast Beef instead. Arby’s roast beef sandwiches are all relatively safe, and unless you order double meat, not one of the Roastburgers exceeds 500 calories.
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Super Roast Beef
430 calories
18 g fat (6 g saturated)
1,070 mg sodium
#8: Jimmy John’s Italian Night Club
951 calories
51 g fat (12 g saturated)
2,165 mg sodium
Italian sandwiches are notoriously heavy—and the heavily processed Italian meats (think pastrami, salami, capicola…) all come with a massive over-sized serving of sodium. Case in point: This particular club packs in nearly an entire day’s allotment of salt. The good news here is that Jimmy John’s allows you to customize your order—so if you’re hankering for an Italian sandwich, ask for a customized Slim 5 with Genoa Salami, Capicola, and Avocado Spread on 7-Grain, instead.
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Customized Slim 5 with Genoa Salami, Capicola and Avocado Spread on 7-Grain Bread
514 calories
17.5 g fat (4 g saturated)
1,239 mg sodium
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#7: Panera Full Chipotle Chicken on Artisan French Bread
990 calories
56 g fat (15 g saturated, 1 g trans)
2,370 mg sodium
Panera’s Signature Sandwich menu houses some of the biggest gutbombs in the entire restaurant, so minimize the damage by sticking to the Cafe sandwiches. With the bulk of Panera’s sandwiches floating in the 700- to 900- calorie range, the Chicken Bacon Dijon on French Bread emerges as the clear winner. Just be sure to watch your sodium intake for the rest of the day.
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Chicken Bacon Dijon on French Bread
650 calories
24 g fat (11 g saturated)
1,140 mg sodium
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#6. Red Robin Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Sandwich
1,112 calories
62 g fat
2,531 mg sodium
Chicken sandwiches have an undeserved healthy reputation—that’s because, while they’re built with the leanest meat, they’re often stuffed and flavored with enough high-calorie sauces and fillings to sink a ship. The culprit in this sandwich is two simple ingredients: The Spanish Tortilla, and the creamy Ranch dressing. Cutting those two from the meal eliminates over half the calories. We’re betting that there’s enough BBQ sauce on this dish that you won’t even miss them.
Eat This Instead!
Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Sandwich, without Spinach Tortilla and Ranch Dressing
522 calories
25 g fat
1,336 mg sodium
#5. Subway Meatball Marinara Footlong
1,160 calories
46 g fat (18 g saturated, 2 g trans)
3,060 mg sodium
Subway does a funny thing with their nutrition menu: They only list nutrition information for 6-inch sandwiches, and low-fat footlongs. Luckily, the math here isn’t exactly difficult. Skip footlongs altogether.
Bonus tip: A major source of hidden calories throughout the day comes in liquid form. Avoid all drinks on our eye-popping list of the 20 Worst Beverages in America!
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Roast Beef 6-inch
310 calories
4.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
840 mg sodium
#4. Blimpie Special Vegetarian 12″
1,186 calories
60 g fat (19 saturated fat)
2,198 mg sodium
Just because it’s vegetarian doesn’t make it good for you. Yes, this sandwich might be full of vegetables, but it also boasts two foot-long pieces of bread, and a host of high-fat, high-calorie oils and dressings that weigh down this sub with more than half a day’s worth of calories and nearly a full day’s worth of sodium and saturated fat.
Eat This Instead!
VegiMax on Wheat 6″
499 calories
21 g fat (6 g saturated)
909 mg sodium
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#3. Applebee’s Grilled Cheese BLT
1,310 calories
(no other nutritional information available)
With this dish, Applebee’s has taken a classic childhood comfort food and turned it into a dietary disaster. Cheese and bacon are certainly not the most healthful of sandwich stuffers, but we’re looking at a case of serious portion distortion and fat overload when something as simple as a sammie contains as many calories as you’ll find in four and a half servings of Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese. Applebee’s offers just one semi-reasonable sandwich on the entire menu. Stick with that, or choose something from the “Unbelievably Great-Tasting and Under 550 Calories” section. Otherwise, you’re in a nutritional wasteland.
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Grilled Sirloin Sandwich
680 calories
(no other nutritional information available)
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#2. Quizno’s Large Tuna Melt
1,760 calories
25 g saturated fat
2,120 mg sodium
This tuna melt used to reign supreme with the disgraceful distinction of being the worst sandwich in America. But then Quizno’s took note and reduced the calories by about 300. Unfortunately, that reduction in calories only dropped this dangerous melt to second place. Why is this melt so atrocious? While tuna is usually a healthy choice on its own, its being held together with gobs of fatty mayo. Slim down drastically with a Bistro Steak sammie.
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Bistro Steak Melt Sammie
390 calories
11.5 g saturated fat
1,050 mg sodium
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#1: The Worst Sandwich in America
Cheesecake Factory Grilled Shrimp & Bacon Club
1930 calories
24 g saturated fat
2,965 mg sodium
It’s no surprise really that an item from the Cheesecake Factory would make it to the “Worst” spot on any list. Since the Factory was forced to give up their nutrition information in California, we’ve learned that this irresponsible chain has a menu full of items that pack in well over 1,000 calories—and in some cases, well over 2,000. Their argument is usually that the dishes are meant to be split, or saved for later. But who splits a sandwich? Do the math for them, and order a half-sandwich when eating at Cheesecake.
Eat This Instead!
One-half Turkey Sandwich
448 calories
6 g saturated fat
817 mg sodium
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