Eating Healthy at Potbelly Sandwich Shop

When an antique shop needed to bolster business, they added sandwiches and homemade desserts to their unique atmosphere and created the Potbelly Sandwich Shop. What started as a unique offbeat dining sensation on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago has turned into a national franchise. Not only do Potbelly Sandwich Shops have the charm and heritage of an antique shop, they also have a focus on nutrition, eco-friendliness, and local food. There are many customizable options on the menu to choose from to make eating healthier even easier. Here are some of the better choices to consider next time you are in the mood for a sandwich.

Sandwiches remain the main focus of Potbelly and there are endless combinations to meet every nutritional need. Selecting multigrain bread is a great way to increase the fiber in your diet. But be careful with the extras like mayo, extra cheese, or oil that can increase the calorie content very quickly. Instead, double up on the veggies like hot peppers, lettuce, onion, or tomato. You best choices would be the T-K-Y Skinny Sandwich on multigrain bread without cheese (270 cal; 4 g fat; 1,048 mg fat), or the Hammie Skinny Sandwich on multigrain bread without cheese (305 cal; 8 g fat; 757 mg sodium).

Salads are made to order, which makes it easy to get a fresh, nutritious serving of greens. Select the non-fat vinaigrette dressing (50 cal; 0 g fat; 400 mg sodium) to help keep your calorie and fat intake to a minimum. If you are looking for a vegetarian option, consider the Chickpea Veggie Salad with Bleu cheese (280 cal; 13 g fat; 704 mg sodium). The Farmhouse Vegetarian Salad (200 cal; 12 g fat; 478 mg sodium) is also a Potbelly favorite.

You can find a variety of daily Soup features that make great options, especially on a cold winter afternoon. Keep an eye on serving sizes to limit your calorie and fat content. If you are looking for an entree-size bowl of soup, select either the Garden Vegetable Soup (105 cal; 0 g fat; 1,097 mg sodium) or the Chicken Noodle Soup (140 cal; 2 g fat; 1,646 mg sodium). For heartier soups, such as the Chili (230 cal; 9 g fat; 800 mg sodium) or Southwestern Chicken Soup (190 cal; 10 g fat; 1,080 mg sodium), you might want to select a smaller serving.

You can use the Potbelly meal calculator to find other sandwich and meal combinations that meet your specific nutritional plan.