A Hoagie Has How Much Sodium?

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I never thought I’d say this, but when it comes to Philly’s favorite summertime snacks, it looks like Herr’s Potato Chips might just be the healthier—emphasis on the er, here—choice.

Earlier today, the folks at Magee Rehab posted an “Eat This, Not That”-like post on their blog, comparing the nutrition info for some of the Philly’s favorite foods: Herr’s Crispy N’ Tasty Potato Chips versus a Philadelphia soft pretzel, a cannoli versus TastyKake Buttercream Cupcakes, a cheesesteak versus an Italian hoagie, and Rita’s Water Ice versus Rita’s Gelati. With only 140 calories per serving, a handful of Herr’s potato chips seems to win the least-guilt-inducing-beach-snack award. Who would’ve thought?

And if you look past the calorie counts, there are other stats to note. While a salted soft pretzel only rings in at 290 calories, a single pretzel is loaded with a whopping 1,100 milligrams of sodium, versus just 180 milligrams in a serving of potato chips. But the real offenders when it comes to sodium totals are the sandwiches: a 10-inch cheesesteak rings in at 730 calories with a hefty 2,380 milligrams of sodium, and a 10-inch Italian hoagie is even worse, coming in at 950 calories with 3,510 milligrams of sodium. The daily recommended sodium limit is 2,300 milligrams, so I’ll let you do the math, but let’s all let out a collective, “Yikes.”

Magee Rehab sourced their nutrition info from SparkPeople and CalorieKing, so diehard cheesesteak lovers can take solace in the fact that these numbers didn’t come straight from their favorite cheesesteak spots, so there could be some wiggle room. To see how your other Philly favorites fared, check out the full list here.

Like what you’re reading? Experience Be Well Philly live at Be Well Philly Boot Camp fitness fest on June 7th!