How many calories are in a roast beef sandwich?
A regular deli roast beef sandwich weighs 115 g and carries 223 calories. Per 100 g the same sandwich runs 194 calories, which makes it one of the lighter things at a deli counter. The beef is not what loads it up. The bread, the cheese and the sauce are.
You'd need to walk about 45 minutes to burn the 223 calories in one regular sandwich (115 g).
How long does it take to burn off 223 kcal of roast beef sandwich?
One regular sandwich (115 g) is 223 kcal. Enter your weight and the amount you ate to see how long it takes you to burn that off:
lb
| Activity | Time to burn 223 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 45 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 28 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 32 min |
| Jogging | 26 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 50 min |
Times are for a 155 lb adult at a steady pace; change the weight to see yours. The amount is set to the portion in the text (115 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Roast beef sandwich quick facts
- US servings from a slider to a 6-inch sub
- What wheat bread and cheese do to the number
- The fast-food version is a different sandwich
- Sodium is the row to watch
- How does a roast beef sandwich compare?
- Most popular roast beef sandwich brands
- Roast beef sandwich FAQs
Roast beef sandwich quick facts
The number above comes from the USDA survey record FNDDS 2706953, "Roast beef sandwich on white". That is the sandwich most people actually hold: sliced roast beef on plain white bread or a soft roll, no cheese, no melted topping, no restaurant dressing. It is also the record that carries household portion weights for a regular, a large and a slider.
A slice of cheese, whole-wheat bread and the fast-food build each get their own row further down, because each one is a separate USDA record with its own numbers rather than a guess layered on top of this one.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 regular sandwich (115 g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 194 | 223 | — |
| Total fat | 3.64 g | 4.2 g | 5% |
| Saturated fat | 1.06 g | 1.2 g | 6% |
| Carbohydrate | 25.76 g | 29.6 g | 11% |
| Dietary fiber | 1.2 g | 1.4 g | 5% |
| Total sugars | 2.9 g | 3.3 g | — |
| Protein | 13.87 g | 16.0 g | 32% |
| Sodium | 645 mg | 742 mg | 32% |
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
There is no added sugars row and no trans fat row here, because this edition of FNDDS does not publish either value for mixed dishes like sandwiches. Cholesterol comes to 29 mg for the sandwich, 10% of the Daily Value, and potassium to 429 mg, about 9%. The Daily Values used throughout the page are the FDA reference amounts for a 2,000-calorie diet.
US servings from a slider to a 6-inch sub
| Serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | 28 g | 55 kcal |
| One slider or mini sandwich | 60 g | 116 kcal |
| One regular sandwich | 115 g | 223 kcal |
| One large sandwich or 6-inch sub | 175 g | 340 kcal |
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 194 kcal |
The slider, the regular and the large are USDA household measures attached to the record itself, so those three weights are not our invention. The 1 oz line is our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 g figure, useful mainly if you are weighing leftovers rather than logging a whole sandwich.
The jump from regular to large is the one worth internalizing. Sixty grams of extra bread and beef is 117 more calories, which is more than the entire slider. A 6-inch roast beef sub is not a modest upgrade on a regular sandwich; it is a regular sandwich plus half a second one.
Packaged deli sandwiches sold in supermarket cases run larger still. USDA Branded lists a Boar's Head roast beef sandwich at 233 g and 501 calories per container, an Ahold store sandwich at 201 g and 330 calories, and a Giant Eagle version with blue cheese mayonnaise at 273 g and 631 calories. None of those is a 115 g sandwich, and the mayonnaise-based ones are the reason a grab-and-go lunch can cost nearly triple what the counter version does.
What wheat bread and cheese do to the number
| Version | Per 100 g | Typical serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| On white | 194 kcal | 1 regular, 115 g | 223 kcal |
| On wheat | 192 kcal | 1 regular, 115 g | 221 kcal |
| On white with cheese | 219 kcal | 1 regular, 135 g | 296 kcal |
| On wheat with cheese | 217 kcal | 1 regular, 135 g | 293 kcal |
| 6-inch submarine on white | 194 kcal | 1 large, 175 g | 340 kcal |
Swapping white for wheat saves two calories. That is the whole story on calories, and anyone who tells you the bread swap is a diet move is selling something. What it does change is fiber: the wheat record holds 2.8 g per 100 g against 1.2 g for white, so the sandwich goes from 1.4 g to 3.2 g of fiber, or from 5% of the Daily Value to 12%. It also carries slightly more protein, 14.89 g per 100 g against 13.87 g.
Cheese is the real lever. One slice adds 20 g of weight and 73 calories, taking the sandwich from 223 to 296. Saturated fat is where it shows up hardest: 4.6 g in the sandwich instead of 1.2 g, which is 23% of the Daily Value against 6%. If you are keeping one thing off the sandwich, keep the cheese off before you worry about the bread.
The fast-food version is a different sandwich
| Version | Per 100 g | Sandwich weight | Calories | Fat per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deli, on white | 194 kcal | 115 g | 223 kcal | 3.64 g |
| Fast food, plain | 244 kcal | 149 g | 364 kcal | 10.3 g |
| Arby's classic | 242 kcal | 149 g | 361 kcal | 10.3 g |
Two things happen at once at the drive-through: the sandwich gets bigger and it gets richer. The USDA fast-food record is 244 calories per 100 g against 194 for the deli build, and it is served at 149 g rather than 115 g. Those two changes together take one sandwich from 223 to 364 calories.
Most of the 141-calorie gap is fat. The restaurant version carries 10.3 g of fat per 100 g against 3.64 g, which is roughly 11 g more fat in the sandwich, from fattier beef and from the sauce. The Arby's classic sits on the same profile at 242 calories per 100 g and 361 per sandwich. Sodium barely moves between the two records, at 653 mg per 100 g for the fast-food build against 645 for the deli one, so the counter sandwich is not the salty one and the drive-through is not the sodium villain here.
Sodium is the row to watch
One regular sandwich delivers 742 mg of sodium, 32% of the Daily Value, or roughly a third of a teaspoon of table salt. Go up to the 175 g large and it is 1,129 mg, 49% of the day's allowance, from a single sandwich with nothing on the side. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans put the limit for adults at 2,300 mg a day, and cured or deli meats are among the biggest contributors in the average American diet.
The protein side is the good news and it is genuinely good. Sixteen grams in a 223-calorie lunch is 32% of the Daily Value for the same 11% of a 2,000-calorie day, and a 175 g sandwich carries about 24 g. That ratio is why lean deli beef shows up on MyPlate's protein foods list and why a roast beef sandwich holds up better than most 220-calorie lunches. If you are watching sodium, the answer is a regular size with no cheese and no pickles, not a different filling.
How does a roast beef sandwich compare?
| Sandwich | Per 100 g | US serving | Calories | Protein per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roast beef on white | 194 kcal | 1 regular, 115 g | 223 kcal | 13.87 g |
| Turkey on white | 189 kcal | 1 regular, 115 g | 217 kcal | 12.03 g |
| Ham on white | 187 kcal | 1 regular, 115 g | 215 kcal | 12.94 g |
| Multiple meat on white | 190 kcal | 1 regular, 115 g | 219 kcal | 12.87 g |
The USDA extract does not publish a portion weight for the three comparison records, so those serving calories are our own arithmetic from the 100 g figures at the same 115 g the roast beef sandwich uses, not USDA household measures. Scaled that way, all four land within 8 calories of each other.
Our take: roast beef is the highest-calorie of the four per 100 g and it is also the highest in protein, by about 1 g per 100 g over ham and nearly 2 g over turkey. Eight calories is not a reason to pick turkey, and a gram of protein is not much of a reason to pick roast beef. The choice that actually moves the number is the one you make after the meat: cheese costs 73 calories, upgrading to a 6-inch sub costs 117, and going to the drive-through costs 141. Pick the filling you like and spend your attention on the other three.
Most popular roast beef sandwich brands in the United States
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United States, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each Nutrition Facts label, checked against USDA FoodData Central.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Boar's Head Roast Beef Sandwich | 215 cal |
| Boar's Head Roast Beef Sandwich Half | 188 cal |
| Ahold Roast Beef Sandwich | 164 cal |
| Giant Eagle Roast Beef Sandwich with Blue Cheese Mayonnaise | 231 cal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Roast beef sandwich FAQs
How many calories are in a roast beef sandwich?
A regular deli roast beef sandwich weighs 115 g and carries 223 calories, or 194 calories per 100 g. That is a plain build: sliced beef, bread, no cheese and no dressing. A large 175 g sandwich runs 340 calories, and a 60 g slider comes to 116.
How many calories in a roast beef sandwich on wheat?
221 calories for a 115 g sandwich on wheat, against 223 on white. The bread swap saves two calories, which is nothing. What it buys you is fiber: 2.8 g per 100 g instead of 1.2 g, so 3.2 g in the sandwich rather than 1.4 g.
How much protein is in a roast beef sandwich?
A regular 115 g sandwich holds 16.0 g of protein, 32% of the Daily Value. Per 100 g the roast beef version runs 13.87 g, more than the turkey or ham sandwiches in the same USDA set. A 175 g large sandwich pushes protein to about 24 g.
How many calories in a roast beef and cheese sandwich?
296 calories for a 135 g roast beef and cheese sandwich on white, up from 223 without it. One slice adds 20 g of weight and 73 calories. The bigger change is saturated fat: 4.6 g against 1.2 g, or 23% of the Daily Value instead of 6%.
How many calories in a 6-inch roast beef sub?
340 calories for a 175 g large sandwich or 6-inch submarine, at the same 194 calories per 100 g as the regular size. You also get about 24 g of protein and roughly 1,129 mg of sodium, which is 49% of the Daily Value from one sandwich.
Is a roast beef sandwich high in sodium?
Yes, a regular 115 g sandwich carries 742 mg of sodium, 32% of the Daily Value and about a third of a teaspoon of table salt. The 175 g size reaches roughly 1,129 mg, or 49%. The federal limit for adults is 2,300 mg a day.
Is a roast beef sandwich good for weight loss?
At 223 calories a regular sandwich is one of the lighter deli lunches, and 16 g of protein for that price is a strong trade. Skip the cheese, which adds 73 calories, and watch the size: the 175 g version is 340 calories before chips or a soda.
How many calories in an Arby's roast beef sandwich?
The Arby's classic is 242 calories per 100 g, so a 149 g sandwich comes to 361 calories. The generic fast-food record is nearly identical at 244 per 100 g and 364 calories. Both carry about 10.3 g of fat per 100 g against 3.64 g for the deli build.
Similar foods
- T-Bone Steak — 537 cal per steak
- Meatloaf — 215 cal per slice
- Shrimp Fajita — 227 cal per cup
- Shrimp Shumai — 180 cal for 6 pieces
- Beef Cube Steak — 299 cal per steak
- Turkey Sandwich — 215 cal plain, 433 loaded
Count it without the math
Point the camera at the plate and BodyPal counts the sandwich for you, bread, beef and all.
