Subway Nutrition: Which Options Are Actually Healthy? (2024)

Subway reminds you to “eat fresh,” but their popular tagline doesn’t exactly tell the entire nutritional story. Subway offers healthy meals, but not everything on their menu is good for you. Read on for a breakdown of Subway’s healthy and not-so-healthy meal choices.

Most of Subway’s healthiest items are from their Fresh Fit menu. These items are low in calories an d fat, and high in protein. Most have earned Heart Check Certification status from the American Heart Association (AHA).

This means the meal is certified to meet the AHA’s nutritional requirements as a heart-healthy option. According to Subway’s website, they’re the first fast food restaurant to earn Heart Check Certification.

Here are the nutrition facts for some of Subway’s healthiest meals.

Sandwiches

Heart Check Certification only applies to the following sandwiches when they’re made with 9-grain wheat bread, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and cucumbers. Also, note that the sodium amount meets the guidelines only if it is the only thing you eat. If you add chips, this amount will most likely be higher than the allotted amount.

SandwichCaloriesFatSodiumProteinFiberSugarCarbs
Six-inch black forest ham sandwich290 4.5g800mg18g 5g 8g 46g
Six-inch turkey breast sandwich2803.5g760mg18g5g7g46g
Six-inch roast beef sandwich320 5g670mg25g5g7g45g
Six-inch veggie delite sandwich2302.5g280mg8g5g7g44g
Six-inch subway club sandwich3104.5g850mg23g5g8g46g
Six-inch sweet onion chicken teriyaki sandwich3704g770mg25g5g16g58g
Six-inch rotisserie style chicken sandwich2476g550mg29g5g7g45g
Six-inch oven roasted chicken sandwich3205g610mg23g5g8g46g

Salads

Several of Subway’s salads have earned Heart Check Certification. Each salad includes lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cucumbers, olives, and (if applicable) a meat protein. The nutrition facts for Heart Check Certified salads are as follows.

SaladCaloriesFatSodiumProteinFiberSugarCarbs
Oven roasted chicken breast salad1302.5g280mg19g4g6g9g
Veggie delite salad501g75mg3g4g6g9g
Black forest ham salad1103g600mg12g4g8g11g
Roast beef salad1403.5g460mg19g4g7g10g
Subway club salad1403.5g640g18g4g7g11g

Heart Check Certification only applies to the salads if they’re served with Sweet Onion salad dressing. The dressing adds 40 calories, 0g fat, 85mg sodium, 8g sugar, and 9g carbs to each salad’s nutrition tally.

Not every Subway meal is healthy. These menu items are the least nutritious choices.

MealCaloriesFatSodiumProteinFiberSugarCarbs
Six-inch chicken and bacon ranch melt sandwich61030g1,290mg38g5g8g47g
Six-inch chicken Caesar melt sandwich54024g940mg37g5g8g46g
Six-inch classic tuna sandwich48025g580mg20g5g7g44g
Chicken and bacon ranch salad54040g1,290mg32g4g9g13g
Bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich45018g1,310mg25g4g6g44g
Spicy Italian salad30023g1,280mg14g4g8g11g
Mega melt omelet on six-inch flatbread60031g1,890mg34g2g3g44g
Pepperoni flatizza50026g1,340mg26g2g4g44g

Subway features four meals for kids that are Heart Check Certified. Each meal comes with a mini sandwich, apple slices, and low-fat milk. Remember, you can order a kid meal for yourself! The nutrition facts for the sandwiches only are as follows.

MealCaloriesFatSodiumProteinFiberSugarCarbs
Veggie delite1501.5g190mg6g3g4g29g
Black forest ham1802.5g450g10g3g5g30g
Roast beef2003g390mg14g4g5g29g
Turkey breast1802g430mg10g3g5g30g

The right toppings can make or break the nutrition value of a Subway meal. Healthy topping options include:

  • cucumbers
  • spinach
  • lettuce
  • tomatoes
  • onions
  • bell peppers
  • banana peppers
  • jalapenos
  • avocado
  • sweet onion dressing
  • vinegar
  • mustard

Not-so-healthy topping choices are:

  • chipotle southwest dressing
  • ranch dressing
  • oil and vinegar dressing
  • bacon
  • pepperoni
  • meatballs
  • sausage
  • cheese
  • mayonnaise

Subway offers a better variety of healthy meal options than many other fast food restaurants. In general, Subway’s meals are low in sugar and a decent source of fiber and protein, however, many are also loaded with fat and sodium.

Part of Subway’s appeal is that you can customize your meal. Take advantage of this option by choosing healthy toppings and nixing the cheese and full-fat condiments. If you want a side with your meal, go for baked chips (130 calories, 2g fat) instead of regular (230 calories, 15g fat). Satisfy your sweet tooth with apple slices (35 calories, 0g fat) instead of a chocolate chip cookie (200 calories, 10g fat).

Subway Nutrition: Which Options Are Actually Healthy? (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest option from Subway? ›

The Healthiest Subway Options
  1. Grilled Chicken No Bready Bowl (with Baja Chipotle Sauce) Per order: 270 calories, 10g carbs, 3g fiber, 5g sugar, 35g protein, 11g fat, 3g saturated fat, 605 mg sodium. ...
  2. 6-inch Roast Beef. ...
  3. Veggie Patty Salad (with Creamy Sriracha) ...
  4. 6-inch Rotisserie-Style Chicken (with Smashed Avocado)
Jan 18, 2024

What is healthy about Subway? ›

In general, Subway's meals are low in sugar and a decent source of fiber and protein, however, many are also loaded with fat and sodium. Part of Subway's appeal is that you can customize your meal. Take advantage of this option by choosing healthy toppings and nixing the cheese and full-fat condiments.

What is the unhealthiest thing at Subway? ›

We note for added condiments and cheese in our listing.
  1. Fritos Chicken Enchilada Melt with Southwest Sauce (680 calories).
  2. Chicken Bacon Ranch Melt With Cheese (570 calories). ...
  3. Big Philly Cheesesteak (550 calories). ...
  4. Meatball Marinara With Cheese (530 calories). ...
  5. Spicy Italian With Cheese (530 calories). ...

Is it healthy to only eat Subway? ›

While the "Subway Diet" may result in weight loss due to an overall reduction in calories consumed, it severely restricts food choices. Most experts believe that a balanced diet containing a variety of different foods is the healthiest way to lose weight.

How to eat at Subway on a diet? ›

How To Eat At Subway and Lose Weight
  1. 1) Order a SALAD. Every sub on Subway's menu can be ordered as a salad. ...
  2. 2) Choose your protein. Plan-friendly protein options that Subway offers are turkey and chicken. ...
  3. 3) Top it. This is the fun part. ...
  4. 4) Dress it. ...
  5. 5) Add your carb. ...
  6. 6) Don't stress.

What sandwich has the most protein at Subway? ›

Grilled Chicken Wrap

This is a great option if you're looking for the highest protein option with moderate carbs. While the carbs are still high, the wrap has a footlong protein serving without doubling the bread to be double the carbs.

How to make a healthy Subway sandwich? ›

Some general guidelines for choosing healthy Subway options include the following:
  1. Avoid the footlong sandwiches and opt for six-inch sandwiches.
  2. Check for the sodium and fat content.
  3. Skip the soda and opt for unsweetened tea or water.
  4. Avoid chips and get a bag of apples, raisins, or yogurt.
Aug 16, 2022

Which is healthier Mcdonald's or Subway? ›

According to Lesser, although Subway's nutrient profile was slightly healthier than those of its McDonalds counterpart, “the food still contained three times the amount of salt that the Institute of Medicine recommends.”

What is the most unhealthy Subway bread? ›

The second healthiest bread at Subway is the Artisan Italian, as it's also low in calories, fats, and sugars. The unhealthiest bread at Subway is the Spinach Wrap, as it's high in calories, sodium, and carbohydrates.

What is more unhealthy Subway or McDonald's? ›

Looking at the overall meal, the Subway meal in terms of protein and sugar was slightly healthier than McDonald's and provided more vegetables, however it was higher in sodium. Remember both meals contributed the same total number of calories but on top of that, it was a large amount of calories.

Is a cold cut sub healthy? ›

But they're not the healthiest option. Canned and prepackaged cold cuts are loaded with saturated fat, sodium and nitrates — all while being short on protein. The sliced-to-order meat you get at the deli counter can be a healthier option, but still contains more sodium than anything you'd make yourself.

What did Jared from Subway eat to lose weight? ›

Fogle changed his eating habits upon the switch to eating at Subway, replacing his 10,000-calorie-per-day food consumption with one small turkey sub and one large veggie sub along with some baked potato chips and diet soda, totalling about 2,000 calories.

Is Subway once a week healthy? ›

Yes, Subway can be eaten once every two weeks as part of a healthy diet. It is important to make sure that you are choosing healthier options such as whole wheat bread, lean meats, and plenty of vegetables. Additionally, be sure to watch your portion sizes and opt for low-fat dressings and condiments.

What is healthier KFC or Subway? ›

First, it depends on what type of meal you are ordering. Both Subway and KFC offer a variety of options, from sandwiches to salads and even fried chicken. If you're looking for a light meal, then Subway's sandwiches and salads are generally a healthier choice than KFC's fried chicken.

Is Subway healthy when trying to lose weight? ›

Subway can be a healthy option for weight loss if you choose whole-grain bread, lean proteins, and load up on vegetables like healthy spinach while being mindful of portion sizes as well as avoiding high-calorie extras.

Does Subway have low calorie options? ›

All Subway® standard build six-inch Subs, flatbreads and salads are 600 calories or less and much of our range including many salads and everything in the Low Fat range is under 400 calories*.

Is Subway wrap or bread healthier? ›

Although the wrap may seem like the logical choice if you're trying to cut back on carbs, you'd actually get fewer carbs — as well as less fat and calories — by sticking with the traditional six-inch sub on whole-grain bread.

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