I have a downfall when it comes to eating healthily – and it is, all things wrapped in pastry. Sausage rolls, pasties, pies – omg, puff pastry pies. As such, I worship at the temple of Greggs – but, I’ll be honest, I never thought to check the Greggs calories list before. And then I wondered one day – exactly how many calories are in a Greggs Sausage Roll?
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Turns out, it’s not as many as you think. Seems if you’re not eating them in pub-sized portions and if you don’t add chips, mash or mushy peas, pastry-wrapped foods aren’t quite the diet sin I’ve led myself to believe all these years.
However, it is true that some choices at Greggs are a bit more calorific than others – so, to save you scanning the Greggs nutrition leaflet while hungry hoards desperate for a vegan steak bake wait behind you (it’s got very small type, it could take a while to pick things out), I’ve done the hard work for you by scouring the Greggs nutritional information – and picking out the lowest calorie options in Greggs.
And, because being healthy isn’t just about counting calories, I’ve added the healthiest options at Greggs in their own section at the end. So, here we go…
Updated with the latest Greggs Nutritional Information in April 2023
Your Guide to Low Calorie Greggs Choices
The Lowest Calorie Breakfast
If you’re starting your day the Greggs way, we have good news – there’s actually quite a lot of choices that come in under the NHS’s suggested 400 calories for a healthy breakfast on the Greggs menu. –
Exceptions to the rule include any baguette based breakfasts and combos like Bacon and Sausage which are slighly over the 400 cut off.
The Vegan Sausage Breakfast Roll also just squeaks over at 408 calories – but, we’ll forgive it.
However, if you’re looking for the absolute lowest calorie breakfast in Greggs, then reach for the Simply Creamy Porridge Pot which is just 210 calories.
If you’re not in a porridge mood (it’s Greggs, pastry is calling, we hear you) – then, the All Butter Croissant is your low-calorie choice at 290 calories.
If breakfast isn’t breakfast without bacon or sausage, then order the Bacon Breakfast Roll at 327 calories – which, because it combines carbs and protein (and fat) will probably also keep you fuller for longer than a pure carb breakfast.
Lunchtime Classics
The Absolute Lowest Calorie Lunch in Greggs
If you’re at Greggs at lunchtime, and want to order the absolute lowest-calorie option, then pick the Sweet Potato Bhaji Salad at 244 calories.
That’s actually a lot lower than the 600 calories that the NHS suggest for a healthy lunch (and is too low even if you’re trying to lose weight) so, I’d suggest adding some yogurt, fruit or maybe a cup of Tomato Soup (195 calories) to that.
But what if that’s not what you fancy? Here’s the lowest-cal option in the rest of the choices.
Lowest Calorie Sandwiches
The good news is that all of the Greggs sandwiches come in under the 600 calories that the NHS suggest as an option for lunch. Most of them could even be combined with a cup of their 195 calorie Tomato Soup and still hit the mark.
But we’re talking about the lowest calorie Greggs sandwich here and it is the Tuna Mayonnaise Roll at 331 calories. If you prefer your sandwiches in slices of bread, then go for the Tuna Mayonnaise and Cucumber Sandwich at 334 calories – both of which may surprise you as you can normally strike anything with the word mayonnaise on it off the low calorie list.
The Honey Roast Ham and Egg Salad Roll is also good at 331 calories.
Lastly, if you want something a bit bigger, the Honey Roast Ham Salad Baguette is just 402 calories.
Lowest Calorie Savouries and Bakes
Ah, here we get to the best bit – the list of pastry-wrapped goodness – and behold, the famous Greggs Sausage Roll contains just 329 calories. I will repeat. The Greggs Sausage Roll has fewer than 400 calories.
The Vegan one has even fewer but we’ll get to that in a minute.
And for those wanting news of the Greggs Steak Bake Calories.
It doesn’t quite sneak into the list of lowest calorie options in Greggs, but it does only have 409 calories – so, just walk around the block a bit afterwards and let’s not worry about it.
Low Cal Veggie and Vegan Bake Options
There was quite the fuss when Greggs launched Vegan-friendly products, so if you don’t want to eat meat and are watching your calories, which pastry product should you choose?
As alluded to above, the Vegan Sausage Roll is your answer. It has just 303 calories.
That’s why I love writing these calorie posts – I always find something that surprises me..
And it seems I choose a good day to update this post as, Gregg has literally just announced a new edition to their vegan menu – the Vegan Mexican Chicken Bake which has 426 calories.
And as for the infamous Vegan Steak Bake that started a million Twitter wars – that has been discontinued (RIP old friend), but considering how much fuss this is currently causing, I’m going to keep it in here just in case they list. If it does come back with the same recipe it has just 408 calories.
What About the Salads?
If you’re not feeling the bread and pastry on your trip to Gregg they do sell a few salads.
And of these, as we mentioned, the Sweet Potato Bhaji is the lowest calorie option. The Smokey Cajun Rice with BBQ Chicken and Sweetcorn Fritters is another good choice at 253 – again, you’ll need to bump that up a little bit.
You could also option for the pasta salads which have a few more calories – but still well under healthy levels. The Tuna Crunch Pasta is just 375 calories.
If you’re checking out take away lunch calories you might also want to have a look at our guide to the calories in Leon.
Doughnuts, Cakes and Biscuits
Okay, so none of them is an apple, but life is too short to never have a treat – and actually, they aren’t as scary as you might think.
Although, the lowest calorie doughnut in Greggs was a bit of a surprise…
Looking at that pictures, and, the past versions of this post, I was pretty sure that the Ring Doughnut was still going to claim it’s prize as the lowest- cal option, and at 219 calories, it’s still a contender
But, it was pipped at the post by the Sugar Strand doughnut. How something with a layer of bright pink icing and sugar bits on it, came out lower I don’t know – but it squeaks in at 209 calories as the lowest calorie doughnut in Greggs.
Biscuitwise, go for a Gingerbread Man – it has 178 calories. Or, the Star Biscuit has 194 calories.
If you’re after a cake, and have some willpower, then the Triple Chocolate Brownies are a good bet at just 98 calories a packet.
They are also one of the few gluten-free offerings on the menu – see more about whether you can eat gluten-free at Greggs here.
Is Greggs Healthy?
In terms of calories, it’s not as bad as you might think – and, compared to when I’ve written these guides for places I would class as having a more healthy image, there’s nothing that made me think OMG, REALLY!
Remember, to maintain your weight the NHS suggest sticking to the 400:600:600 rule where you have 400 calories for breakfast, 600 for lunch and 600 for dinner – and there’s actually a LOT on the Greggs menu that fits the bill.
However, being healthy isn’t just about calories but when it comes to other healthy options, not surprisingly, while you might find some lower fat/lower sugar items – quite a few that tip into the red.
Personally, that doesn’t bother me so much as, if I’m going to Greggs, I’m going because I want a sausage roll or a pasty and so, I’m not expecting to walk away without some level of fat in my meal and I’ll adjust the rest of my day accordingly.
The Healthiest Options in Greggs
If however you are looking for healthy options in Greggs – not just low calories ones, then there are some items that score low for saturated fat and sugar. You’ll want to go for the Apple and Cinnamon or Simply Creamy Porridge Pots. If you’re having sandwiches, then the Tuna Mayo Sandwich is your best bet, or try the Tuna Crunch Pasta. The Tomato Soup also scores well for those.
The absolute healthiest choices in Greggs though are, not surprisingly, the two salads – the Smoky Cajun Rice or the Sweet Potato Bhaji – not only are these low in saturated fat and sugar, they are also lowest in salt.
Plus they’re one of the few dishes on the menu that has more than a smattering of veggies. If you want to make them healthier though, I’d add the contents of half a salad bag, or baby spinach bag to these to bump up the nutrient levels.
I did notice that overall, the calories had gone down slightly in this update, but marginally – the biggest difference was that more items have been added to the menu.
And always remember, one meal doesn’t break a diet, it’s what you do at the next one that does, so keep things balanced and you’ll be fine with the odd Steak Bake in your life.
Where to Find the Other Greggs Nutritional Information
If your favourite isn’t listed, you’ll find a full list of Greggs calories on their website.
The Greggs UK website let’s you see calories per item on the national menu by clicking on them – if you’re looking for one of the chain’s regional specialities or items that are only stocked in their hospital shops, then click here and you’ll find calorie information for the whole range.
This main leaflet is also handy if you’re tracking other nutritional elements like fat or sugars are is marks items using the traffic light system so you can see instantly if your favourite is green, amber or red.
Who is The Wellness Nerd?
My name is Helen Foster and I’m a health journalist and wellness author. Publications I’ve written for include Women’s Health, Reader’s Digest, Body and Soul, Good Health at the Daily Mail and more. I have also written 16 books on health and nutrition.
I don’t like Greggs, but this post made me smile. Genius. Will remember this next time I get a craving for a veg sausage roll 🙂