America's Worst Lunches—And What You Should Eat Instead

A healthy lunch can help you maximize the afternoon, but if you are in a hurry to get and go, you can not take the time to sort through the menu hits and misses. Let Eat This, is not it! folks to be efficiency experts: Do NOT order the following items. Participation Status instead of the less outrageous options (also below), and reap the benefits of the bonus time.

QUIZNO'S

Large Prime Rib Teak Cheese Sub

1490 calories
92 g fat (22.5 g saturated, 2 g trans)
2620 mg sodium
Fat accordingly: As eating 4 Dunkin Donuts cheese danish!

It is difficult to do NOK argument for a cheese Danish, but four? And we're only talking fat here-with more than 800 calories of things in just one sandwich. You also fill up with more than a day's worth of sodium and saturated fat. Although this is one of the worst you could choose, the rest of Quizno menu also has risks. But if colleagues insist on eating there, order:

Small Turkey Ranch and Swiss Sub

410 calories
17 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
1230 mg sodium
Chili's

Crazy Sweet Chile glazed Chicken Crisp
1930 calories
112 g fat (17 g saturated)
4190 mg sodium
Calorie equivalent: Like eating an entire medium Pizza Hut 12 "pepperoni pizza!

If you have time for a sit-down meal, you have the time to think through. Chicken Crisp is fun, but accounts for almost a whole day's worth of calories and almost two days worth of sodium. Your smarter option is to eat this instead:

Classic Chicken fajitas

370 calories
11 g fat (1.5 saturated)
2000 mg sodium
And other tips for a healthy sit down lunch: forgo the appetizers. Chili's Texas Cheese Fries with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing made the top of our list when we rounded up the worst starters money can buy. Watch the other appetizer land mines here. You will be shocked.

ARBY'S

Roast Turkey Ranch and Bacon Sandwich

817 calories
37 g fat (11 g saturated 0.5 g trans)
2146 mg sodium
Calorie equivalent: Like eating 23 Thin Mints (a whole sleeve)!

Just because you can make your home does not mean it is good for you when you order it from home the Roast Turkey Ranch and Bacon Sandwich Service packs almost half your daily allowance of calories and almost a whole day's dose of sodium. Does not much room for anything else, does it?

Eat this instead:

Sourdough Melt roast beef

351 calories
14 g fat (4 g saturated)
1048 mg sodium
Dairy QUEEN

Chicken Strip Basket with Country gravy (6 piece)

1640 calories
74 g fat (12 g saturated, 1 g trans)
3690 mg sodium
Sodium equivalent: Like eating 11 large orders of McDonald's French fries!

Talk about a value meal: One Chicken Strip Basket gives you almost two days' payload of sodium! If you think about it does not raise your blood pressure, eat the can. Do not be a statistic.

Eat this instead:

Crazy Chicken Sandwich

560 calories
28 g fat (3.5 g saturated)
980 mg sodium
Breaded

Italian Combo on ciabatte sandwich
1050 calories
47 g fat (18 g saturated, 1 g trans)
3050 mg sodium
Fat accordingly: By eating 6 slices of Papa John's cheese pizza!

You were on the right track in selecting Breaded, but not be sidelined by the lure of the Italian Combo. Ciabatte bread may sound advanced, but you will not look as refined as you lugging that spare Pirelli around the midsection.

Eat this instead:

Smoked Turkey breast sandwich on Sourdough

470 calories
17 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
1680 mg sodium
CHIPOTLE

13 "Tortilla with beef, black beans, rice, cheese, sour cream and salad
955 calories
38 g fat (18 g saturated)
1600 mg sodium
Calorie equivalent: Like eating 37 Hershey's Kisses!

The good news about this Tortilla is that it contains 56 grams of protein, but it is hardly worth the outrageous calorie and carbohydrate-load with 94 grams of carb you have already covered a third of the recommended daily intake, and you are taken in almost a day's worth of sodium and saturated fat. Down to drop pounds.

Eat this instead:

Three hard trip with beef, Pinto beans, sour cream and salad

615 calories
24 g fat (11 g saturated)
710 mg sodium
(Another tip: When it comes to Chipotle chips, just say "no". They are an outrageous 570 calories and 73 grams of extra carb.)

Hardee's

2/3-lb Monster Thickburger

1420 calories
108 g fat (43 g saturated)
2770 mg sodium
Saturated fat equivalent: Like eating 43 strips of Oscar Mayer bacon!

It is called the Monster for a reason. It is a monster load of saturated fat (more than two days left). The good news is that it has a friendlier, healthier cousin in 1/3-lb Low-carb Thickburger, with 1,000 fewer calories and a third the amount of fat. Even better, the Low-carb Thickburger is true of the name it has only 5 grams of quick-burning carbohydrates, compared with 46 grams of Monster.

Eat this instead:

1/3-lb Low-carb Thickburger

420 calories
32 g fat (12 g saturated)
1010 mg sodium
Burger King

Triple Whopper Sandwich with cheese and mayo

1250 calories
84 g fat (32 g saturated 2.5 g trans)
1600 mg sodium
Fat equivalent: Like eating 10 slices of Papa John's cheese pizza!

You should know now not to order a triple something. In this case you can egregious calorie, fat and sodium overload. It is not bad, but compared with the shocks on our list of the trans-fattiest food in America. Choose a regular cheeseburger instead and slash 920 calories, 68 g of fat, and save yourself from the judgmental stares of your colleagues, which is three times as likely to be grossed out!

Eat this instead:

Cheeseburger

330 calories
16 g fat (7 g saturated 0.5 g trans)
780 mg sodium