Potbelly | Detailed
Overview
Potbelly has a fantastic selection of sandwiches and salads that we can choose from. The protein, carbohydrate, and fat content are well-balanced. However, some options are better than others in categories like sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat.
This is one of those cases where the sandwiches may be better than the salads.
Recommendations
Option #1 — Tuna Salad Original
Tuna — omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation and improves heart health
Lettuce — rich in antioxidants, prevents bone loss and improves heart health
Tomato — improves heart health, fights cancer, and improves skin health
Onions — lots of nutrients, antioxidants, and improves heart health
Peppers — high in antioxidants, maintain eye health and reduces the risk of chronic illnesses
Multigrain Bread — higher in fiber, vitamins & minerals, and manganese; whole wheat is better bread, but multigrain is better than white bread
Skip the mayo, since the fat from the tuna is sufficient
Skip the cheese because of the high sodium and fat content
Option #2 — T-K-Y Skinny
Turkey — very little fat, so lean protein source. The downside is that this is likely deli meat, so higher in sodium than regular turkey
Lettuce — rich in antioxidants, prevents bone loss and improves heart health
Tomato — improves heart health, fights cancer, and improves skin health
Multigrain Bread — higher in fiber, vitamins & minerals, and manganese; whole wheat is better bread, but multigrain is better than white bread
Skip the cheese to reduce saturated fat and sodium intake
Option #3 — Grilled Chicken & Cheddar Flat
Grilled Chicken — this chicken is grilled instead of fried, which means you’ll have less intake of bad fats, avoid losing nutrients in the cooking process, and reduce butter intake
Lettuce — rich in antioxidants, prevents bone loss, and improves heart health
Tomato — improves heart health, fights cancer, and improves skin health
Mayonnaise — mayo seems to get a bad reputation, however, if you request a quarter or half the portion they typically put, you will significantly reduce the calories, which are coming from good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats); in moderation, there’s nothing wrong with a mayonnaise
Flatbread — not much nutritional value, but will help keep you full
Skip the cheddar cheese due to the high fat and sodium content
Option #4 — Powerhouse Salad
Grilled Chicken — this chicken is grilled instead of fried, which means you’ll have less intake of bad fats, avoid losing nutrients in the cooking process, and reduce butter intake
Avocado — 20 different vitamins and minerals, improves heart health, lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels
Hummus — regulates blood sugar, lowers bad cholesterol, and reduced risk of diabetes
Egg — good protein source, but with the yolk, has more cholesterol so calibrate your intake accordingly (i.e. avoid cholesterol in other meals in the day to keep cholesterol levels in control)
Cucumbers — anti-inflammatory, keeps you hydrated and helps skin
Tomato — improves heart health, fights cancer, and improves skin health
Spinach — improving blood glucose levels, lowers risk of cancer, improved bone health
Ask for Potbelly vinaigrette on the side so you control how much is used (if any)
While we could choose to include the Farmhouse Salad as an alternative, it’s only recommended if you remove the blue cheese and bacon. At that point, it’s essentially a powerhouse salad without as much of the veggies, which isn’t a great alternative so it has been excluded.
More Useful Tools
Quick Guide — for when you’re on the go and/or need to know what the suggestions are without all the detail
Detailed Notes — consolidated notes for each fast-food establishment