McAlister's Deli While Pregnant: Spuds, Soups and How to Order the Sandwiches

McAlister's Deli is a sandwich shop at heart, which is exactly why it raises pregnancy questions. Roasted turkey, Black Forest ham, Black Angus roast beef, corned beef and pastrami are all sliced deli meats, and because of Listeria, CDC guidance is that pregnant women should have them heated to 165°F, or until steaming, first.

The upside is that McAlister's has far more than cold sandwiches. Between the spuds, the soups and the grilled chicken, it's easy to build a satisfying meal without thinking about deli meat at all. The menu details below come from McAlister's own online and printed menus.

Build a Pregnancy-Friendly "Choose 2"

McAlister's "Choose 2" lets you pair half portions of any sandwich, soup, salad or spud, which makes it the easiest way to order well. Pick one from each column:

Every one of those pairings skips cold deli meat entirely, and most land at a good amount of protein thanks to the grilled chicken, pulled pork or roast beef served hot.

The Sandwiches, Sorted

Order as they come

• French Dip: Black Angus roast beef and Swiss on a toasted baguette, served with au jus. Ask for the beef to be served hot.
• Grilled Chicken sandwich, Grilled Chicken Club, Spicy Southwest Chicken, Spicy BBQ Crunch Chicken Sandwich: all built on cooked grilled chicken.
• Honey BBQ Pork Melt: smoked pulled pork with melted cheeses on toasted ciabatta.
• Four Cheese Melt and The Veggie: no meat at all. The cheeses McAlister's lists (Swiss, cheddar, provolone, Parmesan, American and pepper jack) are firm or processed cheeses, not soft-ripened ones.

Ask for the meat to be heated

• Spicy Turkey Melt, Ham & Cheese Melt, Smoky Pepper Jack Turkey, Turkey Ranch BLT, Cuban: these use sliced turkey or ham. The bread is toasted, but a quick trip through a toaster usually melts the cheese without getting the meat in the middle to 165°F. Ask for the meat to be heated until it's steaming before the sandwich is built.
• Reuben, The Rachel and The New Yorker: corned beef, pastrami and turkey. Same request: steaming-hot meat.

Change or skip

• McAlister's Club, King Club, Black Angus Club, Memphian and The Italian: stacks of cold deli meat (and pepperoni on The Italian). Unless the meat can be heated, choose a grilled chicken sandwich instead.
• Harvest Chicken Salad: a premade chicken salad on a croissant. Store-made chicken and tuna salads are on the CDC's list of deli foods to skip in pregnancy. Our chicken salad guide explains why homemade is different.

If you're not sure whether a location can heat the meat separately, it's completely fine to ask. Our pregnancy sandwich guide covers how to order this at any deli.

Giant Spuds

The spuds are one of the best pregnancy picks on the menu. A big baked potato brings fiber and potassium, and most of the toppings are hot.

• Good as they come: the Ranch Spud (grilled chicken and bacon), the Honey BBQ Pork Spud, the Cheese Spud and the Veggie Spud.
• Worth a tweak: the Spud Max is topped with ham and turkey as well as bacon and cheese. Ask for the meat to be heated, or swap it for grilled chicken.
• Chili on top: a good protein-and-fiber add-on, served hot.

Salads

• Grilled Chicken, Southwest Chicken & Avocado, Pecanberry and Garden salads: all fine, since the protein is cooked grilled chicken.
• Savannah Chopped Salad: comes with Gorgonzola, a blue cheese. Our advice is to eat soft blue cheese only when it's been heated, so ask for it without, or swap in cheddar.
• Chef Salad: topped with diced turkey and ham served cold. Order grilled chicken instead.
• Caesar: classic Caesar dressing was made with raw egg. Most commercially made Caesar dressings use pasteurized eggs instead, but if you're not sure, ask, or pick a different dressing.

Soups and Starters

Every soup is served hot, so they're all fine: Broccoli Cheddar, Chicken Tortilla, Country Potato, Chili, Veggie Chili and Cajun Red Beans & Rice. The chili and red beans bring the most fiber and iron. The house-made cheese dip with the nachos is served warm, and the Honey BBQ Pork Nachos are fine too.

The Famous Sweet Tea

McAlister's is known for its sweet tea, and for selling it by the gallon. Brewed black tea has caffeine, so it counts against the 200 mg daily caffeine ceiling ACOG recommends, and refills add up the same way coffee does. A regular sweet tea is also listed at up to about 150 calories, almost all of it from sugar. If you're managing gestational diabetes, that's worth knowing before a refill. Unsweet tea, half-and-half, or lemonade with water mixed in are lighter options. The fruit purée add-ins (strawberry, peach and black cherry) add flavor and a little more sugar.

Desserts

The Colossal Carrot Cake, brownie, cookie and Brookie are all baked, so they're fine as a treat. The carrot cake is listed at 1,170 calories, so it's one to share.

McAlister's is one of several sandwich chains we've covered. Our guide to Jersey Mike's, Jimmy John's and Firehouse Subs and our Panera guide work the same way.

Menus change and vary by location. If you have allergies, McAlister's notes that its food may contain sesame, milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy and shellfish through cross-contact, so tell the restaurant.