When it comes to fast food, sandwiches often seem like a relatively healthy choice. After all, how bad can a little meat, cheese, veggies, and bread really be? Despite the many healthy and nutritious sandwich options out there, there are just as many that have more calories, fat, and sodium than a deep-fried dinner or a juicy burger and fries. Enter the unhealthiest fast-food sandwiches in America.
While sandwich chains like Subway, Panera, and Jimmy John’s have plenty of healthy, high-protein, veggie-rich options on the menu, there are also some orders you may want to skip. In looking for the unhealthiest sandwiches on fast-food menus today, we compared options of mostly equal size (ranging from 6 to 10 inches or a whole sandwich if bread is used instead of a sub or bun) and looked at calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
Ingredients like creamy, sweet, or salty sauces, an abundance of cheese, and processed meat can make these unhealthy nutrients add up quickly. If you’re working on your health, whether for general good health or to support your heart, blood sugars, or weight, you’ll definitely want to skip these 10 unhealthy fast-food sandwiches.
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Jimmy Johns: The J.J. Gargantuan
Nutrition (Per 8″ french bread sandwich):
Calories: 1,080
Fat: 49 g (Saturated Fat: 15 g)
Sodium: 3,930 mg
Carbs: 78 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 78 g
Jimmy John’s J.J. Gargantuan is a powerhouse of processed meat, with five different types piled with cheese and toppings between a sub bun. All that salami, capicola, turkey, roast beef, ham, and provolone cheese crank the sodium in this modest eight-inch sandwich all the way up to a staggering 3,930 milligrams—or 171% of the recommended daily limit for adults.
While it does have 78 grams of protein that will keep you full for several hours, you’re also getting 1,080 calories, which is half or close to half of most people’s daily calorie needs.
Subway: The Beast
Nutrition (Per 6″ sub):
Calories: 740
Fat: 44 g (Saturated Fat: 14 g)
Sodium: 2,090 mg
Carbs: 47g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 40 g
Is Subway’s slogan still “Eat fresh”? The Beast comes with sparse fresh ingredients (some lettuce, tomato, and onion) and is otherwise packed with high-fat and high-sodium meats, cheese, and mayo. One six-inch sub has 91% of your daily value (DV) of sodium and 70% DV of saturated fat.
Feeling hungry enough for the footlong? You’ll get over a day’s worth of sodium, saturated fat, and almost 1,500 calories from just the sandwich!
Potbelly: Mama’s Meatball Original
Nutrition (Per sandwich):
Calories: 920
Fat: 48 g (Saturated Fat: 21 g)
Sodium: 2,090 mg
Carbs: 76 g (Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 44 g
You may assume that the Mama’s Meatball Sub is a relatively healthy sandwich choice at Potbelly because it only has four ingredients: bread, meatballs, provolone, and marinara sauce. But you would be incorrect, as this sandwich comes in just under 1,000 calories and has 105% of the DV of saturated fat. Plus, 16 grams of saturated fat comes from just the meatballs, indicating that they’re not made with a lean source of beef.
Quizno’s: Classic Italian Sub
Nutrition (Per medium sub):
Calories: 970
Fat: 56 g (Saturated Fat: 17 g)
Sodium: 3,480 mg
Carbs: 79 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 40 g
The Classic Italian at Quizno’s has 151% DV of sodium in a single medium-sized sub. Processed meat is high in sodium, as it acts as a preservative, and with four types, plus olives and peppers that are brined with sodium, this unhealthy fast-food sandwich is way over the top. If you eat this, just know you’ll be getting far more sodium than you should have in one day (on top of whatever sodium is in your other meals), raising your blood pressure and increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Firehouse Subs: Steak and Cheese Sub
Nutrition (Per 8″ sub):
Calories: 840
Fat: 51 g (Saturated Fat: 13 g)
Sodium: 2,390 mg
Carbs: 56 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 38 g
Firehouse Subs’ Steak and Cheese Sub may not be the worst sub in America, but it’s pretty close. Each 8-inch sub has 51 grams of fat, but only 13 grams are saturated, reaching 65% of the recommended daily limit. But the cheese sauce, seasonings, and bread bring the sodium to over 100% of the recommended DV, earning it a spot on our list of unhealthy fast-food sandwiches.
Jersey Mike’s: Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak
Nutrition (Per regular sub):
Calories: 870
Fat: 47 g (Saturated Fat: 14 g)
Sodium: 3,344 mg
Carbs: 65 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 10 g)
Protein: 49 g
The Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak sandwich at Jersey Mike’s has over 1,000 milligrams more sodium than is recommended for an entire day. Buffalo sauce is notoriously high in sodium, as is dressing and white bread, and this sub has a lot of each.
Arby’s: Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Sandwich
Nutrition (Per sandwich):
Calories: 810
Fat: 35 g (Saturated Fat: 10 g)
Sodium: 2,520 mg
Carbs: 79 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 15 g)
Protein: 46 g
At first glance, the Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Sandwich at Arby’s looks like a promising, somewhat healthy order: turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, and a little cheese and ranch on honey wheat bread. Unfortunately, this sandwich has 110% DV of sodium, 50% DV of saturated fat, and 15 grams of sugar (most of which are likely added sugars). All of these ingredients added to a sandwich made at home would have much fewer calories, sodium, and fat. While this option looks healthier, you’d save a few hundred calories and get half the amount of sodium by choosing the Smokehouse Brisket sandwich instead.
Jersey Mike’s: Club Sub
Nutrition (Per regular sub):
Calories: 1,110
Fat: 77 g (Saturated Fat: 17 g)
Sodium: 2,468 mg
Carbs: 59 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 48 g
Jersey Mike’s Club Sub appears filled with fresh ingredients, but one regular-sized sandwich has 1,110 calories, 107% DV of sodium, and 85% DV of saturated fat. While a BLT may not sound healthier, opting for that instead will save you 380 calories, 896 milligrams of sodium, and 7 grams of saturated fat and will be just as satisfying.
Jimmy John’s: Italian Night Club
Nutrition (Per 8″ sandwich):
Calories: 930
Fat: 46 g (Saturated Fat: 14 g)
Sodium: 2,850 mg
Carbs: 77 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 48 g
Italian-style sandwiches are almost guaranteed to be exceptionally high in sodium and calories thanks to the processed meats, cheeses, and dressing. Jimmy John’s Italian Night Club is no exception. Each 8-inch sandwich has just under 1,000 calories and will add 2,850 milligrams of sodium, or 124% DV, to your daily total. Frequently enjoying Italian-style sandwiches like this one will increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and even colon cancer.
Panera: Toasted Italiano
Nutrition (Per whole sandwich):
Calories: 1,280
Fat: 64 g (Saturated Fat: 19 g)
Sodium: 3,880 mg
Carbs: 116 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 61 g
With all of the fresh salads, soups, and sandwiches on Panera’s menu, I was surprised to find one of the worst sandwiches among some of my favorite options. The Toasted Italiano has the most calories of any sandwich on our list and the second highest sodium content, falling just behind Jimmy John’s Gargantuan. This unhealthy sandwich proves that just because a restaurant has a reputation for being “healthier” doesn’t mean that every item on the menu is good for you. With 169% DV of sodium and 95% DV of saturated fat in one sandwich, it may not be worth it.
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