McAlister's Deli offers an extensive menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and other items. Along with a wide variety of flavor options, its menu also comes with a variety of nutrition profiles. Some of the selections at McAlister's are healthier choices than others, making it important to carefully navigate the menu in order to accommodate your individual nutritional needs.
Soups
McAlister's offers many kinds of soups, each available in an 8 oz. cup or 12 oz. bowl. As with most soups, McAlister's soups are high in sodium, which may promote high blood pressure in some individuals. For instance, a bowl of Cheesy Chicken Tortilla soup provides about a full day's worth of sodium at 2,152 mg. The lowest sodium soup is the Chicken Chili soup, which provides 490 mg sodium. If cutting calories is more important to you than sodium, McAlister's has some low-calorie soup options. The French Onion soup has only 80 calories per cup, and the Country Vegetable soup provides 93 calories.
Salads
Choosing a salad at McAlister's is a good way to increase your daily intake of vegetables. However, some of the salad options provide a surprising amount of calories, fat and sodium. For example, the Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken totals 700 calories, 51 g fat, 12 g saturated fat and 1,891 mg sodium. The fat in the salad accounts for 66 percent of its calories, while the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends keeping your daily fat intake between only 20 and 35 percent of calories. Because the dressings provide most of the fat and sodium in McAlister's salads, you can control your calorie, fat and sodium intake by asking for it on the side and using sparingly.
Sandwiches
You should take note of the nutrition profiles of McAlister's sandwiches if you have a particular nutrient concern. For instance, you might avoid the Reuben and Submarine sandwiches if you are on a low-sodium diet, as they contain a whopping 4,052 mg and 3,977 mg, respectively. If you are watching your calorie intake, the French Dip is the lowest calorie option at 433 calories, while the McAlisters Club is the highest at 1,029 calories. If fat and saturated fat are on your watch list, steer clear of the Grilled Chicken Club and the McAlisters Club, as each provides 56 g total fat and 16 g saturated fat. The lowest fat option is The Veggie, which provides only 12 g fat and 6 g saturated fat.
Spuds
McAlister's menu also includes Giant Spuds, which are large baked potatoes served with a variety of toppings. The Justaspud, which is a potato without toppings, provides 298 calories, 0 g fat and 18 mg sodium. On the other end of the spectrum is the Spud Max, which includes ham, turkey, bacon, cheese, onions, olives and sour cream. The Spud Max provides 759 calories, 31 g fat, 16 g saturated fat and 1883 mg sodium. McAlister's website notes that each Giant Spud provides two servings, which means you could cut the nutrient values in half by sharing your spud with a friend.
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