In comic books, it’s easy to tell which masked marauder is the hero (Spiderman, Batman, Aquaman, most everyone else whose name ends in “man”) and which one’s the villain (Green Goblin, The Joker, The Riddler, and most everyone else who wears green). But sometimes, the hero is the villain. Like when you walk into a restaurant, and order one of the hero sandwiches we’ve listed below.A sandwich is just about the easiest meal in the world to make: You take two pieces of bread, and put something delicious in the middle. Done. With a smart mix of high fiber carbs (like whole-wheat bread), lean protein (like roast beef or turkey), produce (lettuce, tomatoes, or whatever floats your boat), and healthy topping (mustard, relish, or even a modest schmear of mayo), a sandwich is a complete meal you can eat with one hand while dueling Two-Face with the other. Yet America’s chain restaurants seem determined to create a Bizzaro world, where everything good is bad, and a simple, nutritious hero becomes a duplicitous dietary demon.Fortunately, the world is changing. When we began the Eat This, Not That! movement four years ago, nutritional information was almost impossible to come by. Today, thanks to the book series, most chains post their info for customers to see. Still, it helps to be forewarned and forearmed. Steer clear of the breaded beasts below, and you’ll be eating healthy faster than you can say “Mister Mxyzptlk!”

Bonus Tip: We’ve got your no-diet weight loss solution for 2011 right here! Step 1: Avoid the 20 Worst Foods in America and the 20 Worst Drinks in America. Step 2: Watch the pounds melt away. Step 3: Look—and feel—like a million bucks!

#7: Panera Full Italian Combo on Ciabatta1,040 calories45 g fat (17 g saturated, 1 g trans)3,080 mg sodium95 g carbohydratesPanera is a classic example of a restaurant where it’s crucial to do your homework. Decently healthy options exist, but you’d better know what you’re looking for. Here’s a shortcut: Stick to the “Café” category of the menu. If you swap the very reasonable Tuna Salad sandwich for the Italian Combo, you’ll cut the calories nearly in half and the sodium by almost two-thirds.

Eat This Instead!Full Tuna Salad on Honey Wheat590 calories28 g fat (5 g saturated, 0 g trans)1,160 mg sodium67 g carbohydrates

BLT, indeed! Eat this and you’ll be Bigger, Larger, and Tubbier. You’ll ingest more sodium in one sandwich than you should eat in an entire 24-hour period, not to mention a day’s worth of saturated fat–the equivalent of 18 strips of bacon! Swap in the smaller BLT and drop the “Super,” and you’ve got a sandwich your belly will thank you for. There’s another lesson here: Don’t assume that if you double the size of a meal, you’re doubling the nutritional qualities (or lack thereof). In this case, the 12-incher is overstuffed, so you’re actually tripling the calorie, fat, and sodium counts! Yikes!Eat This Instead!BLT 6”430 calories22 g fat (5 g saturated)960 mg sodium43 g carbohydrates#5: Red Robin All-American Patty Melt1,315 calories98 g fat2,064 mg sodium60 g carbohydratesOminously enough, Red Robin doesn’t report saturated fat levels—and this is an extremely fatty concoction, with a full day and a half’s worth of total fat. The only thing American about this sandwich is, sadly, the reality of our nation’s obesity epidemic. Avoid this caloric calamity and try the Natural Burger instead: You’ll cut the calories, fat, and sodium by more than half.

Eat This Instead!Natural Burger569 calories24 g fat989 mg sodium51 g carbohydrates

Bonus Tip: Want to hear a secret? You’ll eat 35 percent less if you keep the serving dishes off your dinner table! Amazing, right? You’ll discover more awesome tips just like this one in our must-have list of the 25 Best Nutrition Secrets!#4: Quizno’s Double Cheese Cheesesteak (Large)1,450 calories89 g fat (11 g saturated, 2 g trans)2,890 mg sodium93 g carbohydratesDouble Cheese? That’s your first clue that this nutritional nightmare is better fit for two people. Sneakily, Quiznos’s nutritional table lists the cheese and dressing for its sandwiches separately from the rest of the sandwich itself—despite the fact that, when you order, you’ll get all of it squished between the bread. Do the math, though, and this gut-busting cheesesteak will make you want to avoid Philadelphia entirely, with more than a day’s worth of sodium and fat and the caloric equivalent of more than seven Krispie Kreme glazed donuts. Switch to the Honey Bourbon Chicken for a third of the calories and a tenth of the fat. (Make an Eat This, Not That! smart swap like this one every other day to lose nearly a pound of belly fat a week!) 

Eat This Instead!Honey Bourbon Chicken (Regular)520 calories8 g fat (3 g saturated)1,470 mg sodium76 g carbohydrates#3: Applebee’s Stuffed Meatball Sandwich1,490 calories77 g fat (31 g saturated fat, 2 g trans fat)4,380 mg sodium141 g carbohydratesMeatballs can be a simple treat. Applebee’s doesn’t do simple: These meatballs are stuffed with provolone cheese before they’re stuffed between the bun. If you think that’s crazy, consider the stats above. With more than a day and a half’s worth of both saturated fat and sodium, these meatball monstrosities should come with a defibrillator. Swap them for the Bacon Cheese Chicken Grill for less than half the calories, fat, sodium, and carbohydrates. Eat This Instead!Bacon Cheese Chicken Grill740 calories33 g fat (11 g saturated, 0 g trans)1,830 mg sodium50 g carbohydrates#2: Chili’s Jalepeno Smokehouse Burger with Ranch1,780 calories125 g fat (40 g saturated)5,240 mg sodium71 g carbohydrates

Chili’s burgers are like serial killers: Every one is evil in its own twisted way. This Ranch-drenched rascal will cost you almost two days’ worth of fat and sodium. In fact, this burger alone is the caloric equivalent of a dozen White Castle sliders! Finding a decent sandwich on the Chili’s menu is a needle/haystack affair, and it’s hard to recommend a single Chili’s burger. Instead, go with the Grilled Chicken Sandwich for less than half the calories and a tenth of the fat.

Eat This Instead!Grilled Chicken Sandwich w/ Veggies610 calories12 g fat (5 g saturated)1,270 mg sodium78 g carbohydratesTHE #1 WORST SANDWICH IN AMERICA: Cheesecake Factory Grilled Shrimp & Bacon Club1,890 calories24 g saturated fat2,964 mg sodium125 g carbohydratesThe last time we checked on the Grilled Shrimp & Bacon Club, it clocked in at 1,930 calories. So the good news—if you can call it that—is that Cheesecake Factor has figured out how to lop off 40 calories. It’s a start. Unfortunately, this sandwich is still the caloric equivalent of seven McDonald’s hamburgers. The truth is, this entire list could easily consist of Cheesecake Factory sandwiches. To make matters worse, the chain repeats a mistake of Chili’s—neither reports trans fat levels. But here’s the crazy thing about the Cheesecake Factory: Despite the all-star lineup of the worst foods in America, it’s also home to one of the best sit-down burgers in the country. Choose the Factory Burger and cut your calories and sodium by more than half! 

(Better yet, whip up a delicious 350-calorie cheeseburger yourself, in minutes, with the new Cook This, Not That! Easy & Awesome 350-Calorie Meals book. You’ll save time, cash AND calories!)Eat This Instead!Factory Burger730 calories15 g saturated fat1,016 mg sodium52 g carbohydrates

Bonus Tip: As I said earlier, these aren’t the only chains serving sandwiches that would scare your bathroom scale. Check out our complete list of the 30 Worst Sandwiches in America!

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EAT RIGHT RULE: If your food can go bad, it’s good for you. If it can’t go bad, it’s bad for you. and get FREE health, nutrition and weight-loss secrets like this one every day! You’ll lose weight and get healthy faster than ever!

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