Healthy traveling fast food alternatives

Blimpie

Best Salad: Seafood Salad
122 calories
4.4 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat
418 mg sodium
3.2 g fiber
6 g protein

Best Sandwich: Union Square Ultimate Veggie Six-Inch Cafe Sandwich
280 calories
17 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat
480 mg sodium
6 g fiber
19 g protein

Best Soup: Garden Vegetable, 8-ounce cup
80 calories
0.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat
620 mg sodium
3 g fiber
5 g protein

Worst Overall: Ultimate BLT Wrap
831 calories
50 g fat, 15 g saturated fat
2,677 mg sodium
3 g fiber
34 g protein

Takeout Tip: Choose Blimpie's cold subs or Cafe sandwiches over their grilled subs and wraps -- the latter usually contain an entire day's allowance or more of sodium. (Aim for no more than 2,300 mg per day of sodium; too much raises your risk of high blood pressure. Since lunch meats and soups are notoriously high in salt, keep a close eye on your intake the rest of the day.)

Subway

Best Salad: Grilled Chicken & Baby Spinach
140 calories
3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat
450 mg sodium
4 g fiber
20 g protein

Best Sandwich: Deli Style Turkey Breast
210 calories
3.5 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat
730 mg sodium
3 g fiber
13 g protein

Best Soup: Spanish Style Chicken with Rice, 1 cup
90 calories
2 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat
800 mg sodium
1 g fiber
5 g protein

Worst Overall: Double Meat Meatball Marinara six-inch sub
960 calories
42 g fat, 18 g saturated fat
2,490 mg sodium
10 g dietary fiber
37 g protein

Takeout Tip: Skip all the packaged dressings on your salad -- Atkins Honey Mustard and Ranch each add 22 grams of fat, while the Fat-Free Italian contains 720 mg sodium. Ask for oil and vinegar (from the sandwich condiments) instead, which add just 45 calories and 5 grams of fat.


Panera Bread

Best Salad: Fandango Salad: mixed greens with walnuts, gorgonzola, orange slices, and fat-free raspberry dressing
390 calories
27 g fat, 7 g saturated fat
530 mg sodium
6 g fiber
12 g protein

Best Sandwich: Smoked Turkey Breast Sandwich on Sourdough
430 calories
14 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat
1,820 mg sodium
3 g fiber
29 g protein

Best Soup: Low-Fat Vegetarian Moroccan Tomato Lentil Soup
120 calories
1.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat
730 mg sodium
6 g fiber
7 g protein

Worst Overall: Italian Combo Sandwich
1,110 calories
56 g fat, 20 g saturated fat
3,220 mg sodium
5 g fiber
61 g protein

Takeout Tip: Go for the soup or salad here. All the sandwiches -- even our top pick -- are fairly high in sodium.

Originally published in Fitness magazine, April 2006.