Are There Healthy Options on Arby's Menu? (2024)

Most Nutritious Option

Arby's classic roast beef sandwich is the most nutritious main menu item. Accompanied by a healthy beverage and a side salad, it can make for a smart meal choice.

Arby's Menu: Roast Beef

Arby's menu highlights roast beef, packed with protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins, but the accompanying bun, cheeses, and sauces add fat, sugar, and sodium. Consider ditching half the bun when ordering a sandwich to help minimize these factors. Or you can hold the cheese or put the sauce on the side.

✓ Classic Roast Beef

The classic roast beef sandwich contains 360 calories, 14g fat, 5g saturated fat, 0.5g trans fat, 970mg sodium, 37g carbohydrates, 5g sugar, and 23g protein. This sandwich gives you all the classic flavors of a roast beef sandwich without the sauces and up-sizing of other options.

✗ Classic French Dip & Swiss/Au Jus

The classic French Dip & Swiss with cheese has 540 calories, 22g fat, 10g saturated fat, 1g trans fat, 2,550mg sodium, 51g carbohydrates, 3g sugar, and 34g protein. Adding extra meat and melted cheese adds fat and calories, as does dipping the sandwich in its juices that otherwise would have been discarded.

Arby's Menu: Chicken

Chicken is a leaner option than beef, and Arby's has a few options. However, like many fast-food chains, some of these items feature fried chicken. Keep in mind, the breading and frying adds on fat and sodium.

✓ Chicken Tenders (3)

The 3-piece chicken tenders at Arby's come in at 370 calories, 18g fat, 3g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 1,190mg sodium, 28g carbohydrates, 0g sugar, and 23g protein. If you're a fried chicken fan, the smaller serving of tenders can feed your fix. Just remember that any dipping sauces will contribute to sugar consumption.

✗ Chicken Bacon Swiss

The chicken bacon Swiss sandwich delivers 610 calories, 30g fat, 9g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 1,510mg sodium, 51g carbohydrates, 10g sugar, and 35g protein. Just because there's chicken doesn't mean this Arby's menu item is a lower-calorie or healthier option.

Arby's Menu: Market Fresh

White meat turkey generally gives you protein without adding as much fat as beef, and it's less likely to be offered fried. Arby's menu has a turkey sandwich higher in calories than any of its roast beef sandwiches. We'd recommend skipping it if your goal is to eat healthier.

✓ Roast Beef Gyro

The roast beef gyro features thinly sliced beef topped with veggies and a creamy tzatziki sauce on a pita. It's your best option on the Market Fresh menu with 540 calories, 29g fat, 7g saturated fat, 1g trans fat, 1,300mg sodium, 48g carbohydrates, 5g sugar, and 24g protein.

✗ Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon

The roast turkey ranch & bacon sandwich packs 810 calories, 35g fat, 10g saturated fat, 1g trans fat, 2,520mg sodium, 79g carbohydrates, 15g sugar, and 46g protein. The addition of bacon and creamy ranch makes this Market Fresh option less nutritious than many of its counterparts. Skipping the pork and sauce helps pare it down.

Arby's Menu: Sides

Arby’s is known for curly fries—crispy golden potatoes cut in curls and spirals. Although made from potatoes, the frying process adds a lot of calories and fat to fries, and the sodium content is also high. Keep size in mind when choosing a side on the Arby’s menu. Or consider sharing the side with someone who is dining with you.

✓ Curly Fries

An order of small curly fries has 250 calories, 13g fat, 2g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 570mg sodium, 29g carbohydrates, 0g sugar, and 3g protein. It is a great way to get your fix without derailing your whole order. Keep in mind that dipping sauces—including ketchup—add calories, sugar, and salt.

✗ Chicken Bacon Ranch Loaded Fries

This serving of loaded fries has 737 calories, 43g fat, 8g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 1,746mg sodium, 64g carbohydrates, 2g sugar, and 25g protein. There's really no way to make these "lighter" in anything—bacon, cheddar cheese, and peppercorn ranch are on top. Opt for regular crinkle-cut fries if you're in the mood for an indulgence.

Arby's Menu: Desserts

Got a sweet tooth? Arby’s menu highlights milkshakes, and it's no surprise they're chock full of sugar. Order a snack-size milkshake instead to keep the calorie and sugar content low. Or consider one of the smaller pastry items.

✓ Cherry Turnover

The cherry turnover contains 390 calories, 13g fat, 6g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 200mg sodium, 65g carbohydrates, 40g sugar, and 4g protein. On the plus side, the sodium content in this dessert is far lower than most items on Arby's menu.

✗ Chocolate Shake (Large)

This large chocolate shake has 830 calories, 24g fat, 16g saturated fat, 1g trans fat, 500mg sodium, 134g carbohydrates, 118g sugar, and 19g protein. Sizing up drastically increases calories, fat, sugar, and sodium in this indulgent chocolate dessert topped with chocolate drizzle and whipped cream. Make it a more reasonable indulgence with the regular size, which cuts calories to 539, fat to 17g, and carbs to 86g.

Arby's Menu: Beverages

Like most fast-food restaurants, Arby’s offers a variety of fountain beverages. Many of these are sugary and few have nutritional benefits.

Arby's also offers diet soda. There is mixed research on diet soda, with some research saying swapping calorically dense beverages with diet versions can help weight goals while other research is unclear if there is any benefit.

✓ Nestlé Pure Life Bottled Water

A bottled water contains 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg sodium, 0g carbohydrates, 0g sugar, and 0g protein. Water is always the healthiest choice, but if you want something with more taste, a medium or large unsweetened iced tea has just 5 calories.

✗ Barq’s Root Beer (Large)

A large Barq’s Root Beer has 340 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 135mg sodium, 91g carbohydrates, 91g sugar, and 0g protein. The calories in soda come entirely from sugar, so if fountain soda is your favorite, stick with a small.

Arby's Menu: Diet-Specific Options

Although you might have to mix and match to find a suitable meal option, Arby's menu contains items appropriate for those following gluten-free, low-carb, low-FODMAP, diabetes-friendly, low-fat, low-sodium, vegetarian, and vegan diets.

Gluten-Free

Items on Arby’s that may be suitable for a gluten-free diet include:

• Meats: Corned beef, bacon, roast beef, roast chicken breast, roast turkey, smoked brisket
• Crinkle fries (but not curly fries—check to see if they share oil with gluten-containing items)
• Milkshakes
• Many sauces including Arby’s sauce and Horsey sauce

Arby’s does better than many fast-food counterparts in indicating gluten-free options. Although its buns contain gluten, there are menu items suitable for a gluten-free diet, available in their gluten-free ordering guidelines. There is a risk of cross-contamination, though, so ask how your food is prepared.

Low-Carb

Lower-carb options at Arby’s include:

• Chicken tenders (3 pieces)
• Curly fries

If you’re trying to cut back on carbs, you should avoid sugary items, including those with a lot of sauce like BBQ sauce, sweet-n-sour, and ketchup.

Low-FODMAP

Arby’s has several low-FODMAP meats and cheeses which include:

• Roast beef, corned beef, and turkey
• Provolone, mozzarella, or Swiss cheese slices

If you’re following a low-FODMAP diet, you might be using meat in place of some carbs, which can be helpful at Arby’s. However, fast-food restaurants often prepare meat with high-FODMAP ingredients like garlic or onions. You’ll also have to skip the buns at Arby's because of the high-FODMAP flour.

Diabetes-Friendly

If you have diabetes, consider these items at Arby’s.

• Chicken tenders (3 pieces)

Low-Fat

If you are watching your fat intake, consider these options:

• Classic roast beef
• Chicken tenders (3 piece)
• Curly fries

Arby’s is not a low-fat establishment, but comparatively speaking, you can find the items with the lowest fat content on the menu.

Low-Sodium

These items have under 600 milligrams of sodium.

• Curly fries (small)
• Chocolate shake (regular)
• Jamocha shake (regular)
• Vanilla shake (regular)
• Salted caramel & chocolate cookie
• REESE'S Peanut Butter Cup cookie
• Apple turnover
• Cherry turnover

Arby’s does not have a sodium-conscious menu. If you’re limiting your salt intake, this restaurant may not be your best option.

Vegetarian

Vegetarians can consume these items (although keep in mind they may be prepared on the same grills as the meat):

• All shake flavors
• Jalapeño Bites
  
• Curly fries
• Mozzarella sticks
• Apple turnover
• Cherry turnover
• Salted caramel & chocolate cookie
• Triple chocolate cookie

Given its tagline, it's not surprising that Arby's is not heavy on vegetarian options. All of its sandwiches include meat. There are vegetarian side items, and there are lots of dipping sauces that vegetarians can get creative with.

Food Allergies and Safety

Review Arby’s ingredients list closely before ordering if you have food allergies. The restaurant provides a list online if you are avoiding certain ingredients, like gluten.

While common food allergens may or may not be found on Arby’s menu, the items you order may contain ingredients that were produced, transported, stored, or prepared near one or more of the allergens.

If you have a food allergy, inform Arby’s employees. In some cases, they may be able to accommodate your needs by using gloves, separate utensils, or grills to reduce the chance of contaminating your meal with an allergen. While it’s not always possible, it’s always a good idea to be cautious when dining out with a food allergy—and it never hurts to ask.

A Word From Verywell

Arby’s is a fast-food favorite for meat-eaters, but if you’re counting calories, trying to lower your sodium intake, or cutting back on fat, finding a nutritious meal on Arby's menu is challenging. Use Arby’s online menu and nutrition calculator to estimate calories and nutrition.

The easiest way to reduce calories, fat, and sodium at Arby's is to avoid extras like cheese and bacon, choose the smallest portion size, and limit your sauces. While Arby’s menu does offer desserts, choose from the three flavors of regular-sized shakes for the lowest-calorie options.