The unhealthiest fast-food sandwich in America isn't a Big Mac, according to data. See the 10 worst.

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The Top 10 Healthiest (and Unhalthiest) Fast Food Sandwiches in the United States

One of the best ways to manage your weight and stay healthy is to eat a well-balanced diet made up of whole, nutritious foods.

You may find yourself in need of a quick meal when you have a lot to get done in a short amount of time.

An examination of the nutritional facts of sandwiches, such as burgers, at 10 of the biggest fast-food chains in the country was conducted to identify the healthiest (and unhealthiest) options in order to aid you in making thoughtful choices when you're in a hurry.

Protein rich and healthier options such as sandwiches can make you feel less full. However, when it comes to a healthier sandwich, focus on menu items that include high protein content and are low in trans fat, net carbs, and calories.

• You can maintain your weight by consuming enough calories through a consistent diet, the amount of calories a fast food sandwich contains can vary greatly based on its size and ingredients.
• Even if you stop at the drive-thru, a sandwich high in protein can help you feel full and also support your health objectives.
• In processed foods, trans fat can lead to weight gain and increase the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• Eating some carbs may aid in weight loss, but its effect is lessened with food that contains fiber. To determine the net carbs, subtract the fiber content from the total carbohydrate amount.

Key Findings

• The healthiest fast food sandwich option is the Sourdough Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich from Jack in the Box.
• The unhealthiest sandwich is the Big Fish from Burger King, mainly because of a relatively low protein content and a high carb content.
• Firehouse Subs and Chick-fil-A each have three of the top 10 sandwich options that are considered the healthiest.
• Four Burger King sandwiches appear on the list of the unhealthiest options.
• journey.
• Grilled chicken sandwiches were much more common on the healthy list, whereas the unhealthy list was dominated by fried chicken options.

Here are the full tables compared.

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9. **Chick-fil-A's Greek Yogurt Parfait**: This parfait features a combination of

1. Grilled Chicken Club Sourdough Sandwich
2. New York Steamer Sandwich
3. Cajun Chicken Sandwich
4. Deluxe Sandwich
5. Creamy Asiago cheese, crisp bacon, fresh lettuce, tomato, and mayo on toasted wheat bread, wrapped around a juicy chicken breast, all sandwiched in a delicious club-style sandwich.
6. Chick-fil-A Sandwich
7. Hero Sandwich
8. Grilled Chicken Sandwich
9. Classic Chicken Sandwich
10. Engineer Sandwich

1. Hardee's Monster Biscuit with Sausage, Bacon, and Egg - This sandwich is a gut-busting combination of sausage, bacon, and egg on a fluffy biscuit, containing 1,100 calories and 67 grams of fat.

1. Big Fish Sandwich
2. Classic Smashed Jack
3. Original Chicken Sandwich
4. Chicken Sandwich Classic
5. Signature Crispy Grilled Cheese on Sourdough Bread
6. Chicken Jr. Sandwich
7. Meatball Marinara
8. Big Mac
9. Whopper Sandwich with Cheese
10. Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger

* "The Basic", with turkey and a side salad, costs $9.50

We also looked at the most populated U.S. cities to find out where you can easily choose a quick and relatively healthy fast food option. To do this, we looked at the top 50 U.S. metropolitan areas and calculated the number of each fast food chain per 100,000 people.

Here's what we found.

• has the most Firehouse Subs locations, which offer four of the healthiest sandwich options.
• had the highest concentration of Chick-fil-A locations in the top two spots. (Chick-fil-A ranked just behind Firehouse Subs in the list's top 10 healthiest sandwiches with three sandwich options).
• On the other hand, Burger King had the majority of locations among the least healthy options, with four of them.

Methodology: How Scores Were Determined

To determine the best and worst fast food sandwich options, we analyzed the top 10 restaurants that specialize in sandwiches, ranking them by the most profitable chains in the U.S.: McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Subway, Wendy's, Popeyes, Jack in the Box, and Firehouse Subs.

We then evaluated all the sandwich and burger options at each restaurant.

From there, we located the nutrition information for each menu item in each of the specified categories:

• Protein
• Calories
• Trans fat
• Net carbs

The healthiest sandwiches had high protein content and were low in calories, trans fat, and net carbs. Protein was given a three times multiplier, while trans fat was given a two times multiplier. We then averaged each ranking to determine the final standing of each sandwich.

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9. **Also Keep in Mind the Quantity**: How much food can you finish if there are leftovers? Key is this waste serves no benefit to your diet.

Before ordering at a fast food restaurant, consider these three strategies to help you make healthy choices when picking out a sandwich.

• To help you feel full for a longer time and even aid in weight loss, it's also crucial to balance your intake of protein and calories. For example, the highest protein fast food sandwich from Wendy's is the Big Bacon Classic Triple Burger, which unfortunately packs a whopping 1,220 calories and an excessive 4.5 grams of trans fat, making it an unhealthy choice.
• The use of trans fat is decreasing because it does not contribute any nutritional value and is actually bad for your health. To be specific, out of the 106 sandwiches we evaluated, 56 of them have absolutely no trans fat, giving you a wide variety of choices to avoid it.
• And while those fountain sodas at the drive-thru can be really tempting, getting into the habit of drinking sugary drinks regularly can hinder your efforts to lose weight by breaking down fat.

Check the ingredient list to see what's really in the food.

Eating a generally healthy diet doesn't mean you can never enjoy your favorite fast food—just remember, everything is okay in moderation! Knowing which menu items are likely to keep you full while also giving your body what it needs can help you make choices that both benefit and satisfy you.

Working with a healthcare professional can give you insight into your body's requirements and help you establish long-term changes in your daily habits.

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