Culver’s is a popular fast food restaurant chain that is known for its ButterBurgers, frozen custard, cheese curds, and fish sandwiches. If you are watching your calorie intake or have specific dietary needs, you may be wondering how many calories are in one of Culver’s fish sandwiches.
A Quick Overview of Culver’s Fish Sandwiches
Culver’s offers two main types of fish sandwiches on their menu – the North Atlantic Cod sandwich and the Walleye sandwich. Here is a quick rundown of each:
- North Atlantic Cod Sandwich – This sandwich features a fried North Atlantic cod fillet served on a buttery, toasted hoagie roll. The standard cod sandwich comes with tartar sauce and American cheese. You can customize it by adding lettuce, pickles, onions, and tomatoes.
- Walleye Sandwich – The walleye sandwich also starts with a lightly breaded and fried walleye fillet served on a toasted hoagie roll. It also comes standard with tartar sauce and American cheese. Like the cod sandwich, you can add vegetables and other toppings.
Both the cod and walleye sandwiches are available in two sizes – a regular size or a bigger deluxe size. The deluxe sandwiches come with about 1.5 times as much fish as the regular sized portions.
Calories in Culver’s North Atlantic Cod Sandwich
Here are the calorie counts for Culver’s North Atlantic cod sandwich:
- Regular Cod Sandwich – 620 calories
- Deluxe Cod Sandwich – 810 calories
These calorie counts are based on the standard cod sandwich with tartar sauce and American cheese, before any customizations or additions.
To break it down further, here are the calories for each component of a regular cod sandwich:
- Fried North Atlantic cod fillet: 320 calories
- Hoagie roll: 230 calories
- Tartar sauce: 60 calories
- Slice of American cheese: 60 calories
And for the deluxe cod sandwich:
- Fried North Atlantic cod fillet: 480 calories
- Hoagie roll: 230 calories
- Tartar sauce: 60 calories
- Slice of American cheese: 60 calories
As you can see, the lightly breaded fried cod accounts for the majority of calories in Culver’s cod sandwich. The hoagie roll is the second highest calorie item.
Calories in Culver’s Walleye Sandwich
Here are the calories counts for Culver’s walleye sandwich options:
- Regular Walleye Sandwich – 670 calories
- Deluxe Walleye Sandwich – 890 calories
Like with the cod sandwiches, these nutrition numbers are based on a standard walleye sandwich before customizations.
Here is a calorie breakdown of the components of a regular walleye sandwich:
- Fried walleye fillet: 350 calories
- Hoagie roll: 230 calories
- Tartar sauce: 60 calories
- Slice of American cheese: 60 calories
And for the deluxe walleye sandwich:
- Fried walleye fillet: 530 calories
- Hoagie roll: 230 calories
- Tartar sauce: 60 calories
- Slice of American cheese: 60 calories
As with the cod, the breaded and fried walleye makes up the majority of calories in the walleye sandwich. The roll again comes in second for calories.
How Customizations Affect Calories
While the basic cod and walleye sandwiches have set calorie counts, customizing your sandwich at Culver’s can change the nutrition profile. Here are some common options to consider:
- Adding vegetables: Options like lettuce, pickles, onions, and tomatoes will add very minimal calories. Somewhere in the 5-20 calorie range for typical vegetable toppings.
- Extra sauce: Adding extra tartar sauce or other sauces like ketchup or mayo will add 50-100 calories per each 2-3 oz portion.
- Cheese: Each added slice of cheese adds about 60 calories.
- Bacon: A couple slices of bacon will add 60-80 calories.
- Breading: Choosing grilled preparation instead of breaded and fried preparation reduces calories by about 130-190 calories for cod sandwiches and 170-210 calories for walleye.
While vegetables are low calorie additions, adding extra sauces, cheese, bacon or keeping the fried preparation substantially increases the total sandwich calories. Opting for grilled fish and lighter sauces is the best way to cut some calories if needed.
Nutrition Information for Culver’s Fish Sandwiches
Beyond just calories, here are some other key nutrition facts for Culver’s fish sandwiches:
| Sandwich | Calories | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Cod Sandwich | 620 | 48 | 21 | 32 |
| Regular Walleye Sandwich | 670 | 48 | 26 | 36 |
| Deluxe Cod Sandwich | 810 | 57 | 32 | 43 |
| Deluxe Walleye Sandwich | 890 | 57 | 39 | 49 |
A few things stand out when it comes to nutrients:
- Carbs mainly come from the hoagie roll. Selecting grilled fish and skipping the bread can reduce carb content.
- Protein ranges from 21-39g and comes primarily from the fish. Walleye has slightly higher protein than cod.
- Total fat ranges from 32-49g with the majority coming from the fried preparation. Grilled fish cuts the fat substantially.
How Culver’s Fish Sandwiches Fit Into a Calorie and Nutrition Plan
Now that you know the calories and nutrition information for Culver’s fish sandwiches, how do they fit into a balanced and healthy diet?
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- A standard cod or walleye sandwich ranges from 620-670 calories. That accounts for 31%-34% of the average 2,000 calorie diet.
- The deluxe sandwiches run from 810-890 calories or about 40%-45% of a 2,000 calorie allowance. They make a more substantial meal.
- Enjoying the sandwiches without extra sauces, cheese, or bacon helps keep calories in check.
- Pairing your sandwich with lower calorie side items can help balance your meal. Opt for a side salad, cottage cheese or fruit instead of the standard fries or cheese curds.
- Watch sodium as the fish sandwiches contain about 15-20% of the recommended daily value. Limiting added tartar sauce helps control sodium.
- The sandwiches provide a good boost of protein from the fish. This helps you feel satisfied and supports muscle health.
As an occasional meal, Culver’s fish sandwiches can fit into most calorie objectives. Portion control and choosing healthier sides and customizations helps keep these sandwiches in check.
Low Calorie Alternatives to Culver’s Fish Sandwiches
If you are following a strict calorie controlled diet, Culver’s fish sandwiches may not work every day. Here are some lower calorie alternatives:
- Salmon sandwich: Build your own sandwich with 3oz grilled salmon, veggies, and mustard or light mayo on whole grain bread. Around 320 calories.
- Tuna salad sandwich: Made with water-packed tuna, light mayo, celery, onion, lemon juice, and dill. Served on whole wheat with veggies. Roughly 320 calories.
- Grilled chicken sandwich: A grilled chicken breast with hummus, roasted red peppers, spinach, and balsamic drizzle on ciabatta roll. About 350 calories.
- Egg salad sandwich: Hard boiled eggs mashed with light mayo, mustard, celery, onion, black pepper. On whole grain with tomato and spinach. Around 300 calories.
Making sandwiches at home gives you more control over calories and nutrition. Lean proteins, lots of veggies, and easy on the sauces and condiments keeps homemade sandwiches light.
Conclusion
Culver’s cod and walleye sandwiches range from about 620-890 calories depending on size and customizations. The lightly breaded and fried fish along with the hoagie roll account for most of the calories. Enjoying these sandwiches in moderation along with sides like salads can allow them to fit into most health objectives. If looking for lower calorie options, homemade sandwiches with lean proteins let you better control the nutrition profile.