Eating out on keto can be pretty tricky, especially when  it comes to fast food restaurants.

There’s a lot of conflicting information out there online, but I’ve found that nearly every restaurant can be modified to fit the keto diet in at least one way.

In this article, I’ll explain in-depth how that can be achieved while dining out at Arby’s.

Quick Tips for Ordering Keto at Arby’s

• Go for side salads over other sides

The sides that are available at Arby’s can be pretty enticing, but most of them simply have too many carbohydrates to be keto-friendly.

That’s why I try to stick to chopped salads over all other available sides. Arby’s has a few different types of salads to choose from.

I’m personally most fond of their Roast Turkey Farmhouse Salad, because it comes with pepper bacon, cheddar cheese, tomatoes and lettuce (we’ll get into the exact macro count a little farther down this article). Generally though, all of these ingredients make for a solid keto meal as long as you hold the dressing.

Another popular salad option is the Crispy Chicken Salad. As I’ll mention in more detail below, if an item has ‘crispy’ in its name, you should probably stay away from it because it means its breaded. However for this salad, you could always just ask for grilled chicken instead.

• Always order bunless

This goes for pretty much every fast food burger or sandwich shop. Whether you’re at In-N-Out, Five Guys, or Jersey Mikes, ordering without the bun is really the only way to go.

While Arby’s doesn’t have a secret menu or a sub in a tub to make this an easier process, they’re usually very accommodating when it comes to getting your meal lettuce wrapped.

As you’ll see in the carb counts later in this article, there’s just no feasible way to keep your bun when ordering out on keto.

Along with ordering without the bun, next we’ll explain why sauces should be approached with caution as well.

• Almost always avoid the sauce

Arby’s offers a pretty wide selection of sauces that can change from season to season. However most of them are pretty loaded with sugar, making them pretty risky when it comes to keeping your meal keto.

You’ll definitely want to avoid all sorts of BBQ sauces or sweet sauces. I also stay away from their ketchup, honey mustard, and tzatziki. Regular mustard is generally pretty safe, but even their ranch can have a lot of sugar in it from the buttermilk. You’ll want to take a look at the nutrition facts before adding any sauces to your meal to be safe.

• Stay away from ‘crispy’ menu items

As I mentioned above, ordering any of the ‘crispy’ menu items definitely isn’t an option on the keto diet.

At Arby’s, ordering something ‘crispy’ means it’ll definitely be breaded, which can sometimes contribute more than enough to maxing out your daily net carb allotment. We’ll get into the specific carb counts next, but if there’s a menu option you’d like to have but is served crispy, I would recommend asking to have the meat prepared as grilled instead.

Usually it isn’t much trouble, and they can be pretty accommodating. What’s even better, is they have to use the freshest options available to custom grill your meal, so you know you’re getting higher quality food.

Keto-Friendly Options at Arby’s (750)

Compared to most types of fast food restaurants out there, I’d say Arby’s can be a little limiting. But if you follow the rules above, there are still some solid order options to help you make the most of your keto meal.

Some of my favorite lunch and dinner options (with keto modifications made) include:

• Bacon Beef’n Cheddar (hold the bun, hold the red ranch)
  • 250 calories, 17 grams of total fat, 4 grams of total carbs, 21 grams of protein)
• Classic Beef’n Cheddar (hold the bun, hold the red ranch)
  • 180 calories, 12 grams of total fat, 3 grams of total carbs, 16 grams of protein
• Smokehouse Brisket (hold the bun)
  • 360 calories, 27 grams of total fat, 3 grams of total carbs (1 gram of fiber/2 net carbs), 28 grams of protein
• Loaded Italian Pork Sandwich (hold the bun)
  • 480 calories, 38 grams of total fat, 8 grams of total carbs (1 gram of fiber/7 grams of net carbs), 25 grams of protein
• Ultimate BLT (hold the bun)
  • 590 calories, 49 grams of total fat, 7 grams of total carbs (1 gram of fiber/6 grams of net carbs), 30 grams of protein
• Turkey Avocado Club (hold the bread and tomato)
  • 330 calories, 22 grams of total fat, 5 grams of total carbs (1 gram of fiber/4 grams of net carbs), 27 grams of protein
• Classic Roast Beef (hold the bun)
  • 150 calories, 16 grams of total fat, 1 gram of total carbs, 16 grams of protein
• Jalapeno Roast Beef Slider (hold the bun)
  • 110 calories, 12 grams of total fat, 1 gram of total carbs, 9 grams of protein
• Turkey Slider (hold the bun)
  • 70 calories, 3.5 grams of total fat, 1 gram of total carbs, 10 grams of protein
• Pizza Slider (order with no bun)
  • 170 calories, 14 grams of total fat, 2 grams of total carbs, 9 grams of protein
• Ham and Cheese Slider (hold the bun)
  • 100 calories, 14 grams of total fat, 2 grams of total carbs, 9 grams of protein
• Chopped Side Salad (hold the dressing)
  • 70 calories, 5 grams of total fat, 4 grams of total carbs (1 gram of fiber/3 grams of net carbs), 5 grams of protein
• Roast Turkey Farmhouse Salad (hold the dressing)
  • 230 calories, 13 grams of total fat, 8 grams of total carbs (2 grams of fiber/6 grams of net carbs), 22 grams of protein

As you can see, from a keto perspective of aiming for high amounts of fat and low amounts of carbohydrates, I’d say that the sliders are really the best bang for your buck. Not only are they cheap, but they’re low in calories and carbs, while still being high in fat.

This might not make for a super satiating meal, but if you’re in a pinch and all you can find is an Arby’s, they’ll definitely help you get by compared to a lot of other fast food chains.

If you’d like to explore other potential options, head over to Arby’s’ website to view the full range of nutrition facts for available products

Next, let’s dive a little deeper into what you should be avoiding on your trip to Arby’s while doing keto.

Foods to Avoid at Arby’s on Keto

As I mentioned above, going bunless, avoiding sauces, and getting food items grilled instead of ‘crispy’ are the main golden rules to follow when ordering Arby’s on Keto.

Unfortunately, some menu items simply aren’t hackable like that, and should still be avoided because their high net carb counts.

Most of these items include their sides, such as:

• Chicken tenders
• Curly fries
• Loaded curly fries
• Jalapeno bites
• Potato cakes
• Mozzarella Sticks
• Steakhouse onion rings
• Apple cinnamon crisps
• All milkshakes, sodas, and fruit juices
• All cookies and seasonal deserts like turnovers and floats

Additionally, some sandwiches and even sliders are off limits even with taking sauce and buns out of the equation. These include:

• Buttermilk buffalo chicken sandwich
• Buttermilk chicken cordon bleu sandwich
• Buttermilk chicken bacon and swiss
• Buttermilk chicken slider
• Reuben Sandwich
• Chicken and Cheese Slider

The buttermilk chicken is unfortunately unable to be grilled, and the reuben sandwich comes with thousand island sauce pre-made that can’t be removed just by taking out the bun, and it’s got a considerably high carb count.

However if you follow the guides above, and watch out for these items with hidden carbs, you should be in pretty good shape to getting a keto-friendly meal.

Restaurant Keto Rules to Follow

• Plan out your meal ahead of time

This is one of the most important rules to follow when you eat out at any type of restaurant, especially at fast food ones like that of Arby’s.

Planning out your entire order in advance allows you to truly set yourself up for success with the keto diet, because you’ll know exactly how many net carbs to expect, and will be able to stick to a plan that keeps you in a healthy state of ketosis without any mystery or potential risks.

If you don’t plan out your order in advance, you greatly increase the risk of adding hidden carbs to your meal, which when viewed on a daily or weekly basis, could very easily knock you out of ketosis before you even realize it.

• Watch out for fried foods

Fast foods can be pretty tricky on the keto diet, because a lot of food is both breaded and deep fried.

As I mentioned earlier in this article, with Arby’s you’ll want to avoid food items labeled as ‘crispy’, because they’re most likely both breaded and deep fried. The breading process obviously adds bread to any food, upping the carb count significantly.

Additionally both fried and deep fried foods are usually prepared with inflammatory oils like vegetable or soybean oil. When following a keto diet it’s best to avoid inflammatory foods, because inflammation can actually kick you out of ketosis, even if you’re staying within your carb macro goals.

If you are having a tough time figuring out which menu items are fried, feel free to ask your waiter or server for grilled options instead.

• Aim for high amounts of fat over protein

One thing that I find a lot of new keto dieters forgetting is to focus on their fat macros above all else. The keto diet is followed best when you’re aiming for 65-70% of your calories coming from fat, with about 20-25% of them coming from protein, and a minimal amount coming from carbohydrates.

It’s very easy to overdo protein when eating out at restaurants, but it’s important to keep fat at the top of mind. This can be achieved by adding sides like sour cream or asking for extra cheese, as well as getting eggs or avocado added to meals when possible.

For restaurants like Arby’s, I like to go for ranch (check those sugar nutrition facts though as their sauces do tend to change), and extra cheese from time to time. Do remember that they tend to use American cheese similar to that of Kraft singles, which actually do have some sugar, and can equate to 2 to 3 net carbs per slice!

• Balance out the rest of your meals

Lastly, balancing out the rest of your meals surrounding your meal out is the best way to ensure success and avoid completely going off the rails.

If you slip up and go over your carb count, it’s perfectly okay, and a normal part of the diet process. What will do you more harm is trying to overcorrect this mistake by restricting calories afterward. It’s a pitfall a lot of people fall into, but calorie restriction will actually limit the amount of nutrients that your body needs, and can easily contribute to future binge eating that could knock you out of ketosis entirely.

The best thing to do is to try and balance out the rest of your meals, and make sure that your meals at home are low in carb, high in fat, and balanced with proper nutrients so that your body can bounce back after a lot of fast food. You’ll be surprised how much more quickly your body is able to bounce back with a balanced diet, instead of a restricted one.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, it definitely isn’t impossible to order low carb at Arby’s, you just have to have a good understanding of hidden carbs and know exactly what you’ll need to look out for.

Eating out on keto can be complicated, but as long as you know to watch out for buns and sauces, you’ll be in a pretty good position to keep your net carb count as low as possible.

And remember, even if you slip up, it’s best to balance out the rest of your meals and aim for ideal keto macro targets with the rest of your food for the day.

Do you have any keto-friendly Arby’s options I didn’t mention here? Drop a comment below and I’ll add it to the list!