Demystifying the High Calorie Count in Potbelly’s Original Turkey Sandwich

Craving a toasted turkey sandwich piled high with melty Swiss cheese? Potbelly’s original turkey breast sandwich packs serious flavor, but a closer look shows it also packs over 500 calories

Let’s analyze the nutrition facts to understand where all those calories come from in this popular sub shop sandwich.

Overview of Potbelly’s Original Turkey Sandwich

Here’s what you get in a Potbelly original turkey breast sandwich

• 552 calories
• 22g fat
• 61g carbs
• 36g protein

With about a third of calories coming from fat, this sandwich is definitely not a low calorie option. But what exactly accounts for the high calorie count?

The standard ingredients in an original turkey breast sandwich are:

• Turkey breast
• Swiss cheese
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Multigrain bread
• Mayo

So which of these components drive up the calories?

Breakdown of Calories and Macronutrients

Analyzing the macronutrient percentages provides some clues:

• 33% of calories come from fat. Most coming from the turkey, cheese and mayo.

• 42% of calories come from carbohydrates. Mainly the multigrain bread.

• 25% of calories come from protein. Primarily the turkey breast.

The combination of high-fat ingredients with substantial carbs from the bread results in a sandwich with over 500 calories.

Main Sources of Fat

Two ingredients account for much of the fat content:

• Mayonnaise – With about 2 Tbsp per sandwich, mayo adds 11g fat and 99 calories.

• Turkey – A 4 oz turkey breast has 9g fat, providing 16% of the calories.

Additional fat comes from:

• Swiss cheese – 6g fat
• Multigrain bread – 2g fat

So mayo and turkey provide the bulk of fat grams and calories from fat.

Carbohydrate Content of the Bread

As is typical with sandwiches, the bread contributes most of the carbohydrates:

• 1 multigrain roll – 60g carbs

With around 4 oz of bread, half the weight is from carbohydrates. Veggies add fewer carbs:

• Lettuce – 2g carbs
• Tomato – 4g carbs

So the multigrain roll accounts for nearly all the carbs.

Protein from Turkey Breast

The 4 oz turkey breast supplies the majority of protein:

• Turkey breast – 36g protein

This represents 72% of the recommended daily value for protein.

A little extra protein comes from the Swiss cheese.

So turkey is the clear protein source here.

Ways to Reduce Calories

To lighten up this turkey sandwich, you could:

• Ask for easy mayo instead of regular to cut fat.

• Get a mini or skinny size for around 400 calories.

• Load up on veggies like spinach, avocado and banana peppers.

• Opt for a low-carb lettuce wrap instead of bread.

• Choose a side salad rather than chips.

• Ask for less cheese to cut fat.

• Get mustard instead of mayo.

With simple customizations, you can still enjoy the classic turkey and Swiss flavors while making a healthier sandwich.

The Bottom Line

Potbelly’s original turkey breast sandwich combines favorite flavors like roasted turkey, melty Swiss cheese and zesty multigrain bread. But at over 550 calories and with a third of those calories coming from fat, it’s easy to overdo it. Understanding where the calories come from is the first step to making better choices for an overall balanced diet.