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The Best & Worst Menu Items at Jason's Deli

A registered dietitian closely examines the menu so you know what to order, and what not to.

Jason's Deli is a family-owned establishment that serves guests at 275 delis in 28 states. The menu is filled with soups, salads, potatoes, pastas, and a variety of sandwiches, wraps, paninis, and the like. Navigating Jason's Deli menu can get a little tricky, thanks to many of the higher sodium deli meat options. Plus, there are a few hidden food traps that'll have you eating more than you bargained for. Before heading to Jason's Deli for your next meal, check out the best and worst options on the menu.

Soups

Worst: Bowl of Irish Potato Soup

jasons deli menu irish potato soup
Terry T. / Yelp

Per bowl: 730 calories, 52 g fat (26 g saturated fat), 1,890 mg sodium, 37 g carbs (4 g fiber, 4 g sugar), 20 g protein

The Irish Potato Soup is laden with cheese and bacon bits, which is what drives up the saturated fat and sodium. You'll easily surpass the dietary guideline recommendation of no more than 10 percent of your total daily calories from saturated fat. For someone taking in an average of 2,000 calories per day, the soup provides nearly 12 percent of calories from saturated fat.

Best: Cup of Organic Vegetable

jasons deli vegetable soup and toasted bread
Daphne B./Yelp

Per cup: 120 calories, 6 g fat (0 g saturated fat),550 mg sodium, 20 g carbs (3 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 3 g protein

Need a warming soup to start your meal? With 90 percent of Americans not getting the recommended daily dose of vegetables, opt for the vegetable soup.

Salads

Worst: Taco Salad with Chili

jasons deli taco salad
Jason's Deli/Yelp

Per dish: 1,150 calories, 69 g fat (22 g saturated fat), 1,880 mg sodium, 95 g carbs (19 g fiber, 12 g sugar), 42 g protein

Although you may think you're being healthy by ordering a salad, this Mexican-inspired version topped with chili provides 110 percent and 78 percent of your daily max of saturated fat and sodium, respectively. That's because this salad is topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, and chili, which in this case are sources of the excessive saturated fat and sodium contents.

Best: Lighter Nutty Mix Up Salad

jasons deli lighter nutty mixed up salad on a plate
Jason's Deli/Yelp

Per dish: 430 calories, 21 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 810 mg sodium, 41 g carbs (3 g fiber, 33 g sugar), 21 g protein

The lighter versions of salads appear to be smaller portions. The salad is nicely balanced consisting of four food groups, as it is made with chicken breast, field greens, grapes, feta, cranberries, walnuts, and apples topped with a balsamic vinaigrette. Much of the sugar comes from the fruit (grapes, cranberries, and apples), but you can always ask to hold one of them.

Sandwiches, Wraps, Paninis, and Clubs

Worst: Meataballa

jasons deli meataballa sub
C.B./ Yelp

Per sandwich (without chips): 1,120 calories, 66 g fat (27 g saturated fat), 2,290 mg sodium, 65 g carbs (3 g fiber, 5 g sugar), 58 g protein

With 178 percent of the total calories (based on a 2,000 calorie diet), 135 percent of saturated fat, and 99.5 percent of sodium that's recommended daily, this artery-clogging, sodium-filled sandwich is certainly one to skip.

Easy, healthy, 350-calorie recipe ideas you can make at home.

Worst: Ham and Salami Muffalettas

jasons deli ham salami muffeletta
Jason's Deli/Yelp

Per sandwich (without chips): 2,030 calories, 109 g fat (25 g saturated fat), 8.490 mg sodium, 167 g carbs (11 g fiber, 9 g sugar), 106 g protein

This New Orleans sandwich is made with a crusty Muffaletta bread, which is spread with an olive mix and melted with creamy provolone over ham and salami. It's overly indulgent, to say the least, and is a sandwich that has more carbs than 11 slices of bread and close to 4 teaspoons of salt.

Best: Spinach Veggie Wrap

jasons deli spinach wrap with fruit and iced tea
Jason's Deli/Yelp

Per wrap (without chips): 330 calories, 14 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 830 mg sodium, 51 g carbs (12 g fiber, 5 g sugar), 16 g protein

This wrap is a fantastic way to add more plants into your diet, and it includes mushrooms, spinach, guacamole, and pico de gallo. The sodium is still a bit high, but not as high as the other sandwiches, wraps, and the like made with deli meats.

Pastas & Potatoes

Worst: The Plain Jane® Potato

jasons deli plain jane potato and iced tea
Jason's Deli/ Yelp

Per dish: 1,610 calories, 80 g fat (49 g saturated fat), 1,190 mg sodium, 180 g carbs (17 g fiber, 18 g sugar), 41 g protein

The innocent spud is stuffed (or overly stuffed) with cheddar cheese, sour cream, butter, and bacon, turning it into a calorie, saturated fat, sodium, and carb bomb! If you're going to opt for this menu option, ask for 1 or 2 of the toppings on the side and control how much you add.

Best: Chicken Pasta Primo (Lighter)

jasons deli chicken pasta primo
Tina S./Yelp

(without Focaccia Bread): 670 calories, 35 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 1850 mg sodium, 60 g carbs (4 g fiber, 11 g sugar), 29 g protein

Honestly, there really isn't a true best option in this category, as all of the pasta and potato options are not exactly healthy. But if you must choose one dish, go for the lighter version of the Chicken Pasta Primo, skipping the Focaccia Bread.

Desserts

Worst: Strawberry Shortcake

jasons deli strawberry shortcake
Jason's Deli/Yelp

Per slice: 680 calories, 27 g fat (16 g saturated fat), 840 mg sodium, 97 g carbs (2 g fiber, 56 g sugar), 9 g protein

Although the dessert has a fruit in it, that doesn't automatically mean it's healthy. With more calories than you should consume in an entire meal and over 13 teaspoons of sugar, don't bother ordering this waist-busting option.

Best: Sugar Cookie

jasons deli sugar cookie in a bag
Ashlee A./Yelp

Per cookie: 180 calories, 15 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 80 mg sodium, 29 g carbs (2 g fiber, 22 g sugar), 2 g protein

If you're craving a sweet treat at the end of your meal, a portion-controlled cookie is a reasonable option. It's the simplest choice on the cookie menu, as the other cookie choices include higher calorie ingredients (like chocolate, nuts, or dried fruit). You can always share this sweet treat as well, but if you enjoy it all yourself, that's fine, too.

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN
Toby Amidor is an award winning dietitian and Wall Street Journal best-selling cookbook author who believes healthy and wholesome can also be appetizing and delicious. Read more about Toby
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