15 Jersey Mike’s Orders You’ll Regret Every Time
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Jersey Mike’s has grown into a dominant force in the fast-casual sandwich market, boasting over 2,785 locations across the United States as of May 2024. These restaurants are located in 51 states and territories and 1702 cities. In 2023, the company brought in $3.3 billion in sales and has had an average annual sales growth of about 20% since 2019, according to Technomic.
Known for its fresh-sliced subs and the particular style of “Mike’s Way” preparation with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, this brand has created a loyal following. Despite the success, this brand has raised some nutritional concerns because its menu is filled with high calories, sodium, and unhealthy fats. Customers who indulge without careful consideration often encounter regret, especially when accounting for dieting goals.
The Giant Italian Sub
The Giant Italian Sub is a sodium bomb, with over 2,200 mg in its regular form and climbing way higher loaded with extra toppings. This surpasses the American Heart Association’s daily recommended sodium intake of 2,300 mg, raising one’s chance of developing high blood pressure.
Processed meats such as salami and pepperoni are major contributors to unhealthy fats; studies have linked them with heart disease and inflammation. Customizing with leaner protein options such as turkey and whole wheat bread can make this classic sub less of a dietary pitfall.
Big Kahuna Chicken Cheese Steak
The Big Kahuna Chicken Cheese Steak tastes great, but it is well over budget: 1,100 calories and 2,000 mg of sodium in its regular size. With more than 12 grams of saturated fat, it exceeds the recommended daily limits for many.
High sodium levels in this sandwich can eventually cause fluid retention and increased blood pressure if consumed regularly. Health-conscious diners could opt for a smaller portion and request no cheese to reduce these risks. Adding extra veggies for volume and nutrients is another balancing method for this indulgence.
Club Supreme
The Club Supreme combines roast beef, turkey, and bacon with mayo, totaling 1,300 calories and over 1,200 mg of sodium in the largest size. The bacon and mayo are significant contributors to saturated fat, which raises LDL, or bad cholesterol, when consumed in excess.
Ordering this sandwich without bacon, mustard, or vinegar instead of mayonnaise cuts much of the fat. The mini size also greatly reduces the calorie amount without sacrificing flavor.
Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak
The spicy sub combines grilled chicken, ranch dressing, and cheese for an amazing 1,200 calories and almost 3,000 mg of sodium in its regular size. The ranch dressing will cost many calories and is high in saturated fats, so this sub is not for those who have to watch cholesterol or salt levels.
Ask for light ranch or a vinegar-based dressing to lighten up the sandwich. If spice is a must, load up on jalapeños instead of relying on calorie-heavy sauces.
The Meatball and Cheese Sub
Comforting food, The Meatball and Cheese Sub packs over 1,000 calories and 1,700 mg of sodium in its smallest serving. Marinara sauce may seem harmless, but it often hides added sugars that help round out the sandwich’s overall calorie count. Meanwhile, the provolone cheese and meatballs add saturated fats, which are detrimental to heart health when consumed in excess.
Reducing the amount of cheese or ordering this sandwich as a “sub in a tub” can significantly reduce its calories and sodium. Such modifications can help satisfy cravings without overstepping dietary limits.
Grilled Pastrami Reuben
A grilled pastrami Reuben pairs fatty pastrami with Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing, serving nearly 750 calories and over 2,000 mg of sodium. The dressing is tasty but a calorie-rich addition that adds to the unhealthy fat count.
Forgoing the cheese or dressing renders this choice reasonable. Adding additional veggies like spinach or cucumbers can also bump up the nutrition factor on this sub without any extra calories.
The Cancro Special
Despite being marketed as a cold sub, the Cancro Special has over 1,800 mg of sodium due to its roast beef and provolone cheese base. These ingredients, though flavorful, are processed and sodium-rich.
To manage sodium levels, opt for a lighter cheese like Swiss or skip the cheese altogether. Adding fresh vegetables like tomatoes or cucumbers can balance the sandwich’s macros.
California Club Sub
While avocado provides healthy heart-healthy fats, the California Club also contains bacon and mayo, bringing this sandwich well over 1,000 calories. With its high-fat content, this meal can be highly calorie-dense, especially for a diet on calorie restriction.
Swapping out mayo for mustard or a vinegar-based dressing lightens this option without sacrificing flavor. Also, change the bun to whole wheat to add fiber for added satiety.
Chipotle Cheese Steak
The Chipotle Cheese Steak is calorically dense at 1,200 calories and high in sodium at 2,400 mg, with its rich chipotle sauce and cheese. Excessive sodium intake from this sub contributes to dehydration and cardiovascular stress, especially if paired with salty sides like chips.
Asking for no or light chipotle sauce will help improve its nutritional profile. Swapping cheese for extra vegetables provides crunch and flavor with fewer health risks.
Turkey and Provolone Sub (Giant)
Although turkey is a lean protein, combining it with provolone cheese and mayo yields a sandwich with almost 2,000 mg of sodium and 1,000 calories in its giant size. That’s certainly enough to knock anyone off the healthy eating track.
Get it custom with a lighter amount of toppings and a slightly smaller size, and then it becomes a decent option for dining out on this classic sub.
Philly Cheese Steak
The Philly Cheese Steak is a crowd-pleaser but a nutritional wasteland. It boasts over 1,300 calories in its biggest size and almost 50% of your daily allowance of saturated fat.
Grilled beef, cheese, and high-sodium toppings are worthy of dietary regret. Eating a smaller portion or a “sub in a tub” version can keep this indulgence within reasonable limits.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sub
This sandwich combines calorie-heavy ranch dressing, bacon, and chicken for 1,200 calories and nearly 2,200 mg of sodium. However, its calorie count can be drastically reduced without sacrificing flavor by eliminating or substituting the ranch with mustard.
Using less bacon is another option to make this sub healthier, and adding lettuce and peppers can do wonders for the nutritional value of this sandwich.
The Veggie Sub
Surprisingly, even the Veggie Sub can be unhealthy when the high-fat cheeses of provolone and Swiss are added to the sandwich. This helps build over 700 calories with substantial amounts of sodium.
Simplifying the cheese options or only using Swiss, which contains less sodium, makes this vegetarian option better for a healthy meal plan.
Roast Beef and Provolone
With nearly 800 calories and over 1,000 mg of sodium in a regular size, this cold sub may seem manageable but can still hinder your dietary goals. Choosing whole wheat bread and skipping the cheese can improve its healthfulness.
Including extra vegetables further boosts its nutrient profile.
Mike’s Famous Philly
The grilled beef, cheese, and onions create over 1,200 calories and 1,500 mg of sodium. Swapping the cheese for extra veggies and opting for a mini instead of the giant sub can make this popular option a wiser choice.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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