In the fast-food world, the word “sandwich” can mean many things. For some restaurants, it’s how they refer to their beloved burgers. For others, it’s the term tossed around for a piece of chicken that is perfectly dressed between two slices of bread. And then there’s the idea of, you know, a more typical sandwich loaded up with deli meats, cheese, and condiments galore. But no matter what type of sandwich you’re in the mood for, there is something important to know: some fast-food sandwiches are nothing but trouble.
What makes them so bad? Well, they’re shockingly high calorie and are overloaded in sodium, fat, and even sugar. Not so delicious after all.
So when your fast-food craving just can’t be ignored anymore and you find yourself heading toward the drive-thru, just be sure you don’t order and of the worst fast-food sandwiches. Or if you really want to indulge, perhaps try splitting it in half. Sharing is caring, after all. While you’re making healthier choices, be sure to stock up on any of The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now. 1
Arby’s Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon
Per sandwich: 810 calories, 35 g fat (10 g saturated fat, 0.5 g trans fat), 2,420 mg sodium, 79 g carbs (5 g fiber, 16 g sugar), 45 g protein
The classic turkey sandwich gets an overly dramatic makeover at Arby’s! This sandwich is overly stuffed with turkey, peppercorn ranch sauce, cheddar cheese, and thick-cut pepper bacon. It’s one of the most highly caloric options at the fast-food chain, and it has more sodium than the average person should have in one say. Yes, you read that right! The American Heart Association recommends most adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams per day, and well, this one sandwich blows that limit out of the water.
Plus, it’s packing more sugar than you would from five Oreo Thin cookies. Not ideal! 2
Sonic Sausage Breakfast Toaster
Per sandwich: 720 calories, 43 g fat (14 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 1,530 mg sodium, 52 g carbs (2 g fiber, 7 g sugar), 29 g protein
It is ideal to start your day off with a protein-packed breakfast, but this Sonic sandwich isn’t the move. Coming in at more than 700 calories and containing 43 grams of fat, just say no to this option and perhaps try to make your own egg sandwich yourself. 3
Subway Chicken and Bacon Ranch
Per footlong sandwich: 1,060 calories, 52 g fat (19 g saturated fat, 1 g trans fat), 2,190 mg sodium, 79 g carbs (5 g fiber, 12 g sugar), 71 g protein
This Subway sandwich is oozing with melted Monterey cheddar and is topped with crispy bacon, but we would argue it’s not worth the more than 1,000 calories it’s packing. 4
Wendy’s Spicy Pretzel Bacon Pub
Per sandwich: 840 calories, 42 g fat (13 g saturated fat, 0.5 g trans fat), 1,790 mg sodium, 71 g carbs (5 g fiber, 6 g sugar), 42 g protein
Wendy’s really took things up a notch with the introduction of the pretzel pub sandwiches. Here, a chicken breast is marinated and breaded in a fiery blend of peppers and spices and is topped with warm beer cheese sauce, Applewood smoked bacon, smoky honey mustard, crispy fried onions, pickles, and a slice of muenster cheese. That’s a whole lot going on, so it shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise that it’s 840 calories and has as much sodium as 157 Lay’s potato chips. 5
Blimpie Blimp Large Sandwich
Per sandwich: 1,610 calories, 94 g fat (22 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 5,390 mg sodium, 120 g carbs (5 g fiber, 24 g sugar), 76 g protein
Oh, Blimpie. This sandwich really is a heart-stopper. It’s a giant mashup of turkey, roast beef, prosciuttini, salami, pepperoni, provolone, sweet peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onion, mayo, vinegar, oil, and oregano. The fact that it contains nearly two and a half days’ worth of sodium is just scary.
Looking for more helpful tips? Your ultimate restaurant and supermarket survival guide is here! 6
Popeye’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Per sandwich: 700 calories, 42 g fat (14 g saturated fat, 1.5 g trans fat), 1,473 mg sodium, 50 g carbs (2 g fiber, 7.5 g sugar), 28 g protein
We know, Popeyes’ Spicy Chicken is beloved. But it’s the sandwich with the most calories out of all the options on the menu. Sad. 7
Dunkin’ Double Sausage Sandwich
Per sandwich: 900 calories, 54 g fat (19 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 1,980 mg sodium, 70 g carbs (5 g fiber, 8 g sugar), 33 g protein
You would think choosing a breakfast sandwich over a donut at Dunkin’ would be a better choice, right? Well, that’s not the case when it comes to the Double Sausage Sandwich. It’s coming in at 900 calories and has nearly 2,000 milligrams of sodium. Skip! 8
Burger King Spicy Ch’King Deluxe Sandwich
Per sandwich: 1,052 calories, (13 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 955 mg sodium, 74 g carbs (4 g fiber, 12 g sugar), 33 g protein
Burger King went ahead and stepped up their chicken sandwich game in 2021. The chicken is said to be crispy-on-the-outside and juicy-on-the-inside, all while being served on a potato bun with Burger King’s savory signature sauce. Sounds delicious, but it’s simply over-the-top. 9
Chick-fil-A Hash Brown Scramble Burrito
Per sandwich: 700 calories, 40 g fat (12 g saturated fat, 0.5 g trans fat), 1,750 mg sodium, 51 g carbs (3 g fiber, 2 g sugar), 34 g protein
OK, so we know this is a burrito and not a typical sandwich. But the fact that this breakfast burrito has more calories than any of the chicken sandwiches offered at Chick-fil-A is reason enough for it to be included on this list. This morning meal is loaded up with Chick-fil-A Nuggets, crispy Hash Browns, scrambled eggs, and a blend of cheeses. 10
Raising Cane’s Chicken Sandwich
Per sandwich: 780 calories, 39 g fat (6 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 1,470 mg sodium, 66 g carbs (5 g fiber, 13 g sugar), 48 g protein
Raising Cane’s chicken sandwich seems like it would be harmless enough, but don’t be fooled. One bite and you’re feasting on three chicken fingers, Cane’s sauce, and lettuce on a Kaiser roll. Together, this makes for a sandwich that is 780 calories. Yikes. 11
Arby’s Beef ‘N Cheddar
Per half-pound sandwich: 740 calories, 39 g fat (14 g saturated fat, 2 g trans fat), 2,530 milligrams of sodium, 48 g carbs (2 g fiber, 9 g sugar) 49 g protein
Arby’s makes yet another appearance, thanks to the Beef ‘N Cheddar sandwich. The fact that you can still place an order at a fast-food restaurant and end up consuming this much heart-disease-promoting trans fat is just not OK.
