There are so many choices when you walk up to the deli counter, but it's not just about the sandwiches — deli food is an entire category. See if you can pick the healthier choices below.

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES vs. ROASTED RED PEPPERS vs. PITTED GREEK OLIVES

Stuffed grape leaves are the worst of the lot: Five leaves have 210 calories. Three ounces of roasted red peppers in oil have about half the calories at 120. If you have four or five olives, however, you're looking at only 25 to 45 calories — they're about six to nine calories apiece. But the real winner would be simple roasted red peppers that aren't packed in oil — 30 calories for 4 1/2 ounces.

PESTO PASTA SALAD vs. TUNA SALAD

You might think all the mayonnaise in tuna salad would make it the worse choice, but the numbers show the opposite: For a 1/2-cup serving, tuna salad has 230 calories, whereas pesto pasta salad, with ground pine nuts, oil and pasta, is quite a bit higher at 340 calories for the same amount. Coleslaw might be your best option, but with mayonnaise, sugar and sometimes additional olive oil or other ingredients, the end result can still have 150 calories per cup.

If you're ordering pasta salad, ask the people at your deli if they have 100 percent whole-wheat pasta (not semolina or 100 percent pure durum semolina). The extra fiber will fill you up faster. Another way to fill up without increasing calories is to add lots of vegetables. So look for salads that include lots of vegetables, and if you can request extra veggies, go ahead. At home, make your own fresh bean salad with assorted veggies dressed with vinegar and lemon juice for only 70 calories per 1/2 cup. Make sure to use low-fat mayo when making tuna, and go light on the oil when making pesto salad.

PASTRAMI vs. ROAST BEEF vs. CORNED BEEF

Pastrami is corned beef that's been smoked for added flavor, then salted, dried and seasoned, and sometimes sugared — which means 4 ounces can have as much as 390 calories and 1,900 mg of sodium, whereas 4 ounces of roast beef have 220 calories to 260 calories. However, lean roast beef drops to 120 calories to 140 calories per 4 ounces. Same with corned beef: Buy it lean, and it comes in at around 120 calories to 140 calories for 4 ounces.

Typically, these meats are packed into sandwiches served on huge rolls, often with coleslaw and Russian dressing, both of which are high in calories (because of the mayo). These can increase the total to as high as 800 calories per sandwich, make sure to ask for lean meats whenever possible. Another good option — chicken or turkey breast slices at approximately 120 calories for 4 ounces.

Ask for ketchup, spicy mustard, salsa, horseradish, pickle chips and plenty of fresh veggies for garnish. Steer away from extras like cheese, mayo and oil. If you can't completely forgo them, at least choose the low-fat or fat-free versions.

SALAMI vs. BOLOGNA vs. PROSCIUTTO vs. DRY SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE

At 460 calories for 4 ounces, the dry sweet Italian sausage is your worst choice. Bologna (4 ounces: 280 calories) and regular soft beef salami (4 ounces: 300 calories) are close, but Genoa salami has 360 calories in 4 ounces and is loaded with sodium. Prosciutto has 280 calories in 4 ounces and is low in saturated fat (8 grams) and high in protein — great for low-fat, low-carb diets. Always look for lean cold cuts, such as Hebrew National Lean Salami (only 180 calories for 4 ounces).

WILD RICE WITH CRANBERRIES vs. BROWN RICE vs. RICE PILAF

This wild rice dish (technically not rice but the seed of an aquatic grass) is actually the lowest in calories at 190 per cup. Other typically added ingredients include scallions, carrots, celery, raisins, shallots and olive oil, any of which could bring the fiber content higher than that of famously healthy brown rice. Brown rice, too, is not a bad deal — at 220 calories per cup, it's packed with 3.5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. And 1 cup of white rice in rice pilaf also has 220 calories, although when you start to add butter, oil, beef or chicken stock and some diced veggies, that can go up to about 280 per cup.

ROASTED POTATOES vs. BLACK BEAN SALAD vs. FRUIT SALAD

The black bean salad, typically made with black beans, kidney beans, corn, peppers, onions, cucumbers, cilantro, wine vinegar and oil, is a pretty good choice both caloriewise and healthwise. A 4-ounce serving has 130 calories and is packed with fiber, protein and folate. However the best choice is the fruit. The same 4-ounce serving, including cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes and pineapple, has only 50 calories. Roasted potatoes, usually doused in oil, have about 160 calories in 4 ounces.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate, and author of "Breaking the FAT Pattern" (Plume, 2006). Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter at www.dietdetective.com.