Quick Answer
The Classic Roast Beef at Arby's is one of the leaner choices in fast food: 360 calories, 23 grams of protein, and 14 grams of fat. Move up to the Half Pound Roast Beef and you double the protein but also clear 2,000 milligrams of sodium in one sandwich, nearly the full FDA daily limit.
Curly fries and Jamocha shakes are the calorie multipliers most people underestimate. A medium curly fry plus a medium shake adds about 900 calories to any sandwich order.
Arby's sauce packets are surprisingly variable: classic Arby's Sauce is light at 15 calories, but Horsey Sauce is 60 calories of mostly fat per packet.
Full nutrition by item
Values from Arby's published US nutrition guide, current as of 2026.
| Item | Calories | Total Fat | Sat Fat | Carbs | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Roast Beef | 360 | 14 g | 5 g | 37 g | 23 g | 970 mg |
| Double Roast Beef | 490 | 22 g | 9 g | 37 g | 37 g | 1,460 mg |
| Half Pound Roast Beef | 610 | 30 g | 12 g | 38 g | 48 g | 2,040 mg |
| Classic Beef 'n Cheddar | 450 | 20 g | 6 g | 45 g | 23 g | 1,280 mg |
| Smokehouse Brisket | 620 | 30 g | 10 g | 50 g | 37 g | 1,690 mg |
| Classic Crispy Chicken | 540 | 27 g | 4.5 g | 52 g | 27 g | 1,140 mg |
| Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon | 800 | 38 g | 9 g | 75 g | 43 g | 2,420 mg |
| Curly Fries (medium) | 410 | 24 g | 4 g | 45 g | 5 g | 940 mg |
| Crinkle Fries (medium) | 360 | 16 g | 2 g | 49 g | 4 g | 610 mg |
| Mozzarella Sticks (4) | 430 | 26 g | 11 g | 34 g | 17 g | 1,310 mg |
| Jamocha Shake (small) | 500 | 13 g | 9 g | 83 g | 11 g | 340 mg |
Why the Classic Roast Beef is the smart base
The Classic Roast Beef sandwich is the best built menu item at Arby's for someone watching calories or fat. The roast beef itself is sliced thin and contains no added sauces or cheese, which keeps the calorie density around 100 calories per ounce of meat.
Add an Arby's Sauce packet (15 calories) and you keep the whole sandwich under 380 calories with 23 grams of protein, a ratio that beats most fast food cheeseburgers in the same price range.
The sandwich upgrade math
- Classic to Double. 130 more calories, 14 more grams of protein, 490 more milligrams of sodium.
- Classic to Half Pound. 250 more calories, 25 more grams of protein, but the sodium more than doubles.
- Classic to Beef 'n Cheddar. Adds 90 calories and 6 g of fat, mostly from the cheddar sauce and onion bun.
- Classic to Brisket sandwich. Adds 260 calories and 16 g of fat.
For most people the Double Roast Beef is the sweet spot: meaningful protein bump without entering Half Pound sodium territory.
Sides and shakes are where calories accumulate
A Classic Roast Beef is 360 calories. Add a medium curly fry and a small Jamocha shake and the meal jumps to 1,270 calories with about 51 grams of fat and 1,850 milligrams of sodium.
Two simple changes drop this meal back under 800 calories:
- Curly to crinkle. Saves 50 calories and 8 g of fat.
- Shake to unsweetened iced tea or diet soda. Saves 500 calories outright.
The sauce situation
Arby's Sauce: 15 calories, 4 g carbs, 180 mg sodium. Lean dip.
Horsey Sauce: 60 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g carb, 50 mg sodium. Almost pure mayo with horseradish.
Bronco Berry Sauce: 35 calories, 0 fat, 9 g sugar.
Three Pepper Sauce: 25 calories, 1 g fat.
If you use two packets of Horsey on a sandwich you add roughly 120 calories and 10 g of fat without noticing.
Lower calorie meal templates
- Roast Beef Slider + side salad + water. Around 350 calories, 18 g protein.
- Classic Roast Beef + small crinkle fries + unsweet tea. About 720 calories, 27 g protein.
- Market Fresh Roast Turkey Ranch on a wrap, no bacon + apples. About 600 calories, 35 g protein.
Sodium is the headline concern
Almost every sandwich at Arby's exceeds 40 percent of the FDA daily sodium limit by itself. The Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon sandwich alone delivers more than a full day's recommended sodium for someone with hypertension. If sodium is a concern, the Classic Roast Beef, Roast Beef Slider, or a Market Fresh wrap without bacon are the cleanest picks.
FAQs
Is Arby's roast beef real beef?
Yes. Per Arby's published sourcing statement, the roast beef is whole muscle beef round seasoned and slow roasted in store. It contains less than 2 percent added salt, beef broth, sodium phosphates, and seasoning for moisture retention.
What is the lowest calorie sandwich at Arby's?
The Roast Beef Slider at about 240 calories, followed by the Classic Roast Beef at 360.
Are curly fries vegan?
The curly fries themselves are made from potatoes, vegetable oil, and seasoning, but they are cooked in shared oil with chicken and fish, so they are not suitable for strict vegan or allergen restricted diets.
Does Arby's have grilled chicken?
Yes, the Market Fresh Roast Chicken sandwiches and wraps use oven roasted chicken breast.
The takeaway
Arby's leans cleaner than most fast food chains when you stick to the Classic Roast Beef and skip the shake. The pitfalls are sodium and side upgrades. Order the sandwich you want, swap curly for crinkle, drink water or unsweet tea, and the meal stays squarely in a normal calorie window.
