Eat this, not that - The Worst Sandwiches in America

[Terminator]

Simple, satisfying, and portable as a BlackBerry, the sandwich has been a mainstay in the American diet for years. Though always the most popular lunch food, sandwiches are also the number one dinnertime dish. More than one out of nine dinners consumed at homes include a sandwich, according to a market research company, NPD group’s, 21st Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America. Whether those sandwiches were made on your kitchen counter, at a deli, or in a fast food kitchen was unclear. And considering that the restaurant biz can (and does) stuff a day’s worth of calories between two slices of butter-bathed bread without thinking twice, it needs to be cleared up. Here’s where we come in.

A little digging into the fast food and deli domain makes one thing obvious: We’ve come a long way since the simple, traditional grilled cheese and BLT. With fancier combos like the Reuben, Philly cheese steak, and tuna melt, the potential for what’s classified as a sandwich is endless. So endless, in fact, that a concoction like the Fluffernutter (made with peanut butter and marshmallow crème) and the Dagwood (a towering pile of leftover meats, cheeses, and condiments named after a BIG-sandwich-loving character in the comic strip Blondie) make their way onto menus across the nation.

What’s next? Meaty lasagna stuffed into a toasted roll sold as “The Garfield Hoagie”? It’s not out of the question. And when it arrives, this list of the 20 Worst Sandwiches in America—and their smarter swaps—will be due for a revision. But until then, keep these undue items out of your grasp.

Worst Ham & Cheese Sandwich



Little Caesars Ham & Cheese Deli Sandwich
640 calories
29 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
1,540 mg sodium

A ham and cheese sandwich quickly turns ugly with a few poor choices in bread and cheese.

Eat This Instead!
Two slices Thin Crust Cheese Pizza
With Ham topping (12”)
290 calories
14 g fat (6 g saturated fat)
490 mg sodium

Worst Fish Sandwich



Burger King BIG FISH Sandwich with Tartar Sauce
640 calories
32 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
1540 mg sodium

Fish is only healthy when it's not breaded and fried in partially hydrogenated oil. Here, the fry treatment translates into 7 grams of trans fats and 108 grams of carbohydrates.

Eat This Instead!
Whopper Jr. without mayo
and Garden Salad
365 calories
12 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat)
1230 mg sodium

Worst Kids' Sandwich



Au Bon Pain Kids’ Grilled Cheese
670 calories
41 g fat (25 g saturated fat)
1,060 mg sodium

Au Bon Pain ruins a simple sandwich by adding as much saturated fat as 25 strips of bacon. As a rule of thumb, avoid all of Au Bon Pain’s kids’ sandwiches, as every one of them contains more than 500 calories.

Eat This Instead!
Kids’ Macaroni and Cheese
220 calories
14 g fat (9 g saturated fat)
650 mg sodium


Worst Grilled Chicken Sandwich



Jack in the Box Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta
690 calories
28 g fat (9 g saturated fat)
1850 mg sodium

Unlike many other fast food restaurants that have made the shift away from trans fats, Jack in the Box's menu has a number of items with more than 5 grams of the artery-clogging stuff. Add fries and you’ll get 7 more grams of this nasty fat.

Eat This Instead!
Chicken Fajita Pita
300 calories
9 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat)
1090 mg sodium

Worst Hot Sandwich



Sonic Chicken Club Toaster Sandwich
690 calories
35 g fat (10 g saturated fat)
1900 mg sodium

How can a chicken sandwich pack so much fat? Start with a fried chicken breast, add bacon, cheese, and mayo, and you're there. Ditch the chicken for beef and save 10 grams of fat.

Eat This Instead!
Sonic Burger with Mustard
540 calories
25 g fat (9 g saturated fat)
730 mg sodium

Worst Breakfast Sandwich



Jack in the Box Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
740 calories
55 g fat (17 g saturated fat)
1430 mg sodium

Skip biscuits at all costs. This one contains nearly a full day’s worth of saturated fat.

Eat This Instead!
Bacon Breakfast Jack
300 calories
14 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
730 mg sodium

Worst Crispy Chicken Sandwich



Hardee’s Big Chicken Fillet Sandwich
800 calories
37 g fat (6 g saturated fat)
1890 mg sodium

A general rule: Avoid sandwiches with words like “big” and “monster” in the name. Hardee’s Monster Thickburger is another example—it comes in at 1,420 calories, 108 grams of fat, and more saturated fat than you want in two days.

Eat This Instead!
Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich
415 calories
5 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
1175 mg sodium

Worst Roast Beef Sandwich



Arby’s Roast Beef and Swiss Market Fresh Sandwich
810 calories
42 g fat (13 g saturated fat)
1780 mg sodium

The unwholesome trinity of mayo, Italian sub sauce, and processed Swiss cheese make this sandwich the clear loser in the battle of the beef.

Eat This Instead!
Super Roast Beef
440 calories
19 g fat (7 g saturated fat)
1061 mg sodium

[Terminator]

Worst Vegetarian Sandwich



Jimmy John’s Gourmet Veggie Club
Provolone, avocado, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, tomato, mayo
856 calories
46 g fat (15 g saturated fat)
1,500 mg sodium

The worst thing about this sandwich is its seemingly healthy name. Don’t let it fool you. A simple swap of avocado spread for mayo knocks off 200 calories, 24 grams of fat, and 98 grams of sodium.

Eat This Instead!
Vegetarian Sub
Avocado spread, cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts
290 calories
1.5 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
628 mg sodium


Worst Turkey Sandwich



Chili’s Smoked Turkey Sandwich
930 calories
57 g fat (15 g saturated fat)
2,920 mg sodium

Do you really want to devour 88 percent of your daily-recommended fat intake from one turkey sandwich? How about 122 percent of your maximum sodium load? We didn’t think so.

Eat This Instead!
Chicken Fajita Pita
450 calories
17 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
1,750 mg sodium

Worst Meat-Lovers Sandwich



Jimmy John’s J.J Gargantuan
1,008 calories
55 g fat (15 g saturated fat)
3,783 mg sodium

A vegetarian’s nightmare invented by Jimmy John’s heavy-handed brother, Huey. This gut bomb features Genoa salami, smoked ham, capicola, roast beef, smoked turkey, and provolone smothered with mayo and Italian dressing.

Eat This Instead!
Turkey Breast Slim Sub
With Alfalfa Sprouts, Tomatoes, Onion, Cucumber, and Avocado Spread
426 calories
2 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
1,439 mg sodium



Worst Tuna Sandwich



Cosi Tuna Melt
1,012 calories
60 g fat
1,948 mg sodium

Tuna is one of the most misunderstood sandwich fillings. Prepared in your kitchen—with smart condiments like Hellman’s Canola Cholesterol Free Mayonnaise—and served on whole wheat bread, it’s a nutritional safe haven. But made by someone else behind closed doors, it rarely results in anything worthy of passing your lips.

Eat This Instead!
Turkey Light Sandwich
476 calories
9 g fat (0 g saturated)
1,299 mg sodium



Worst Steak Sandwich



Boston Market Sirloin Dip Carver Au Jus
1,020 calories
51 g fat (15 g saturated fat)
2,450 mg sodium

This sandwich has as much saturated fat as 30 Chicken McNuggets and enough salt to preserve a small city.

Eat This Instead!
Boston Turkey Carver
770 calories
27 g fat (8 g saturated fat)
1,810 mg sodium


Saltiest Sandwich



Saltiest Sandwich
Quiznos Turkey Bacon Guacamole Large Sub with Cheese and Reduced-Fat Ranch Dressing
Calories 1,120
Fat 49 g
Sodium 4,670 mg

Salt Equivalent: 7 large orders of onion rings from Burger King.

Eat This Instead!
Honey Bourbon Chicken
310 calories
4 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
920 mg sodium

Worst Barbecue Sandwich



Applebee’s Honey Barbecue Chicken Sandwich
1,280 calories
58 g fat (21 g saturated fat)
1,970 mg sodium

How bad can a chicken sandwich be? Bad enough that Applebee’s still refuses to give up their nutritional information. Until Applebee’s coughs up the hard data, stick with the 10-dishes on their Weight Watchers menu—or find another restaurant.

Eat This Instead!
Tortilla Chicken Melt
480 calories
13 g fat (4 g saturated fat)
935 mg sodium

Worst Chicken Sandwich



T.G.I. Friday’s Chicken Sandwich
1,360 calories
78 g fat
1,890 mg sodium

Between mammoth sandwiches like this one and the array of deep-fried starters, its clear Friday’s has something to hide (their nutrition information). The Lighter Side of Friday’s contains five items with “10 grams of fat and 500 calories.” It’s a sorry attempt at transparency, but until they offer real data, it’s the best option.

Eat This Instead!
Dragonfire Chicken
500 calories
10 g fat
825 mg sodium


Worst Cheesesteak Sandwich



Quiznos Prime Rib Cheesesteak (Large)
1,490 calories
88 g fat (21 g saturated fat, 1.5 g trans fat)
2,675 mg sodium

It doesn’t take a dietitian to know that a cheesesteak probably won’t make the list of flat-belly foods, but everyone gives in to the occasional craving. And that’s OK. But if you have a weakness for this Philly favorite, indulge in the small version for half the fat and calories.

Eat This Instead!
Small Black Angus Sandwich
520 calories
16.5 g fat (7 g saturated fat)
1,550 mg sodium


Worst Italian Sandwich



Quiznos Classic Italian (large)
1,510 calories
82 g fat
3,750 mg sodium
106 g carbs

A large homemade sandwich would more likely provide about 500 calories. Cut the calories: Isn't it obvious? Order a small—or save half for later.

Eat This Instead!
Small Tuscan Turkey on Rosemary Parmesan without cheese
390 calories
14 g fat
3 g saturated fat
1,185 mg sodium

Worst Roll-Up



Applebee’s Southwest Philly Roll-Up
with salsa
1,605 calories
121 g fat (38 g fat)
2,338 mg sodium

What’s the worst thing about a roll-up? It’s easier to conceal the fat-riddled contents. With nearly as many calories as four Quarter Pounders and as much fat as 10 Egg McMuffins, there’s a lot hiding in this one.

Eat This Instead!
Teriyaki Steak and Shrimp Skewers
370 calories
7 g fat (2 g saturated)
1,475 mg sodium

Worst Sandwich in America



Quiznos Tuna Melt (large)
2,090 calories
175 g fat (31 g saturated fat, 2.5 g trans fats)
2,190 mg sodium

This sandwich puts tuna’s healthy reputation on the line. A large homemade sandwich would likely provide one-fourth of the calories.

Eat This Instead!
Small Honey Bourbon Chicken on Wheat Bread
310 calories
4 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
920 mg sodium

[Buttercup]

Worst Sandwich in America



Quiznos Tuna Melt (large)
2,090 calories
175 g fat (31 g saturated fat, 2.5 g trans fats)
2,190 mg sodium

This sandwich puts tuna’s healthy reputation on the line. A large homemade sandwich would likely provide one-fourth of the calories.

Holy crap! I wonder how much stuff they put on that sandwich!

[pgg]

I'm glad they don't have my favorite Subway sandwich on there. I usually get "The Feast" with double meat and double cheese

[Wolven]

Damn it...I havent had anything to eat since 10am...now I am hungry.

I think I shall go grocery shopping when I get off at 3am. Better eat something first or I will be buying all of the grocery store. lol

I would have guessed some of the "bad" sandwiches were bad...but some of them I couldnt even fathom sandwiches having that many calories and grams of fat. wow.

[Buttercup]

I'm glad they don't have my favorite Subway sandwich on there. I usually get "The Feast" with double meat and double cheese

This is for the standard Feast, without double meat and cheese.


Calories 1180
Total Fat 50g (saturated fat 20g)
Cholesterol 210mg
Sodium 6240 mg

[MacLean]

Worst according to whom?

I'm putting them bitches on my "to do" list, especially the grilled cheese with bacon strips.