Arby’s already offers healthy options for their meats and sandwiches, so they’re always a good bet for low-carb meals. Below is a guide on how you can also customize your orders to fit your low-carb/keto diet.
Overall Assessment
With 25 sandwich choices that you can get without a bun and a healthier selection of meats and sauces (compared to other fast food places), Arby’s is definitely a low-carb friendly place and offers a welcome change from the usual bunless and lettuce-wrapped burgers you’ll typically get from other fast food chains.
- Low-carb friendly? Yes.
- Low-carb entrees available on the menu? Only limited to their moderately low-carb salads, but availability depends on location. You can easily modify most of their meals to become low-carb, however.
- Satiety level of low-carb entrees? Average. You may have to get two orders to fill you up.
- Taste of low-carb entrees? Above Average. Arby’s deli-style meats stand out when compared to the standard burgers of other fast food chains. The Arby’s Sauce and Horsey Sauce are also uniquely tasty.
- Price / value of low-carb entrees? Below Average. Because the meats are of better quality, expect to spend more. You might also end up spending more because you’ll need to get a second or third order to have a filling meal.
- Overall customer experience? Average. The restaurant ambiance and aesthetics leave a lot to be desired. Food presentation of low-carb entrees is also not appetizing.
Low-Carb Recommendations
You can combine any two of the following to make a complete meal.
Lettuce-Wrapped Half-Pound Beef N Cheddar Sandwich
- What you’ll get: roast beef; cheddar cheese sauce; red ranch dressing. The lettuce wrap may be wilted because of the warm meat, so you may want to request that the lettuce be served shredded or on the side, instead.
- Estimated Macros: 530 calories and 10 net carbs
Lettuce-Wrapped Corned Beef Reuben
- What you’ll get: sliced corned beef; melted Swiss cheese; sauerkraut; Thousand Island dressing. Again, ask for shredded lettuce or lettuce leaves on the side.
- Estimated Macros: 350 calories and 6 net carbs.
Bunless Classic French Dip Sandwich
- What you’ll get: roast beef; Swiss cheese; French au jus sauce. Use just half of the sauce to cut down on the carbs. And order this in a bowl instead of a lettuce wrap.
- Estimated Macros (using half of the sauce): 300 calories and 5 net carbs.
Bunless Loaded Italian Sandwich
- What you’ll get: ham; salami; pepperoni; melted Provolone cheese; banana peppers; lettuce; tomato; red onion; red wine vinaigrette; and garlic aioli. You may skip the red wine vinaigrette to avoid the added sugars. Order with the lettuce shredded or on the side.
- Estimated Macros (without the vinaigrette): 440 calories and 6 net carbs.
Bunless Mount Italy Sandwich
- What you’ll get: same ingredients as the Loaded Italian, but more of each. More filling, so you won’t have to order another entree.
- Estimated Macros: 780 calories and 9 net carbs.
Other Low-Carb Options
Arby’s menu has 25 different sandwiches and some sliders that you can order bunless. They also have chopped salads available in most locations. Here’s a list of the top 5 bunless sandwiches you can also try.
- Mount Italy – 780 calories and 9 net carbs
- Triple Thick Bacon Half Pound Club Sandwich – 630 calories and 12 net carbs
- Half Pound French Dip & Swiss/Au Jus – 550 calories and 11 net carbs
- Half Pound Beef ‘n Cheddar – 530 calories and 10 net carbs
- Smoked Italian Porchetta Sandwich – 490 calories and 5 net carbs
What You Should Not Order
If you’re new to the low-carb/keto diet, you should remember to avoid buns and fries when ordering from Arby’s or other fast food joints. It’s better to request that the sandwiches be served without the buns so you won’t be tempted to eat them.
Below is a list of the specific menu items that you should avoid.
Sauces/Dressings
- Tangy Barbeque Sauce – 40 calories and 9 net carbs
- Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce – 140 calories and 5 net carbs
- Dijon Honey Mustard Dressing – 180 calories and 8 net carbs
- Bronco Berry Sauce – 60 calories and 15 net carbs
Sides
- Steakhouse Onion Rings – 420 calories and 49 net carbs
- Mozzarella Sticks – 440 calories and 35 net carbs
- Jalapeno Bites – 290 calories and 29 net carbs
Fried Chicken Items
- Buttermilk Buffalo Chicken – 370 calories and 18 net carbs
- Buttermilk Chicken Bacon & Swiss – 480 calories and 21 net carbs
- Buttermilk Chicken Cordon Bleu – 520 calories and 19 net carbs
- Buttermilk Crispy Chicken – 380 calories and 17 net carbs
- Prime-Cut Chicken Tenders – 360 calories and 26 net carbs
- Chopped Farmhouse Salad – Crispy Chicken – 430 calories and 22 net carbs
- Chicken Tender ‘n Cheese Slider – 160 calories and 10 net carbs
- Buffalo Chicken Slider – 160 calories and 10 net carbs
