Healthy Options at Subway
May 10, 2010, Updated Jun 28, 2020
Subway is my “go-to” restaurant anytime I’m away from home and need a quick lunch that completes the impossible triangle: Good, Fast, and Cheap.
However, Subway is not without its pitfalls. Although they have plenty of healthful options, they also have quite a few sandwiches that’ll set you back half a day’s calories (and an entire day’s worth of fat & sodium). If you’re not careful on some of your choices, it’s easy to double the fat and calories in your sandwich… without adding any extra nutrition (or all that much flavor).
Also, don’t fall for the “Health Halo” that Subway proudly flaunts: People are likely to consume more calories at Subway than McDonald’s.
Some General Guidelines
Get a 6″ sandwich (or salad!). The Footlong sandwiches, unless you get the Veggie DeLiteยฎ without cheese, start at 540 calories and can have 2400mg of sodium — a whole day’s worth.
Don’t be fooled by the “6 grams of fat or less” menu. Although the healthiest choices are indeed on that menu, some of those options are crazy-high in sodium, and officially none of them include cheese (that’s how they keep the fat content so low) — and my experience is that just about everyone adds cheese.
Skip the soda (and get a free cup of water). They also have fresh-brewed iced teas, though make sure to get the unsweetened one.
Skip the chips. Get a Bag Of Apples instead, raisins, or perhaps a yogurt. They cost the same as the chips, and Subway includes them in the “combo” meal pricing (if you insist on getting that soda).
Watch the Sauce — or you’ll add hundreds of calories without even realizing it.
Load up the Veggies — all of the veggies are low-cal and nutritious. If you’re watching sodium, though, consider skipping the pickles (125mg in 3 chips) and jalapeรฑos (70mg in 3 rings).
Swap out Iceberg for Spinach — It seems most locations now offer Spinach as an option. Get that instead of the shredded Iceberg Lettuce. You get a similar crunch (and a better taste, in my opinion), and some bonus nutrients. (Spinach is one of the healthiest leafy greens, and iceberg is one of the least).
My Go-To Sandwich
Before I get to the best/choice details, here’s my sandwich of choice. It’s delicious, with lots of great texture, crunch, and a bit of heat.
6″ Veggie Deliteยฎ on 9-grain wheat with Swiss cheese, spinach, tomato, cucumber, onion, bell peppers, black olives, jalapeรฑo slices, avocado, vinegar, and fresh cilantro (or dried oregano).
427 cal, 4.8g sat fat, 20g total fat, 587mg sodium, 11g fiber, 15g protein
[ Update: Since originally writing this post, I learned that the 9-grain Wheat bread contains more High Fructose Corn Syrup than whole grain flour (read the comments). Now when I go to Subway, I’ll get a veggie salad with avocado, and ask for spinach instead of lettuce. ]
Although I should probably cut out the cheese (my kryptonite), it’s just not going to happen. I add avocado because (1) it tastes great, (2) it’s got healthful unsaturated fats, and (3) makes the sandwich much more substantial. Note that I do not add oil or other dressing — the vinegar makes the sandwich plenty moist, and the jalapeรฑo adds lots of zing. If I’m feeling saucy (ahem), I might add mustard.
As I mentioned above, the “6 grams of fat or less” menu includes sandwiches without cheese. Since most people include cheese (and every “sandwich artist” I’ve ever met assumed that I wanted cheese), that makes the nutrition information provided by Subway somewhat inaccurate. So, I added two “triangles” of cheddar cheese to all the “6 grams of fat or less” subs (which, of course, bumps their fat over 6 grams). Details on the specific cheeses are listed further down.
6โ Sandwiches – Better Choices
Veggie Deliteยฎ
290 cal, 3.5g sat fat, 7.5g total fat, 505mg sodium, 5g fiber, 12g protein
Oven Roasted Chicken
380 cal, 5.5g sat fat, 9.5g total fat, 845mg sodium, 5g fiber, 27g protein
Turkey Breast
340 cal, 4.0g sat fat, 8g total fat, 1,005mg sodium, 5g fiber, 22g protein
Roast Beef
380 cal, 4.5g sat fat, 9.5g total fat, 935mg sodium, 5g fiber, 30g protein
“6 grams of fat or less” menu, 6โ Sandwiches – Worst Choices
I’m singling these out mostly because of their outrageous sodium content — about half your daily max. Again, I’ve added two slices of cheddar cheese to the numbers below (so it won’t match the info on Subway’s website).
Black Forest Ham
350 cal, 4g sat fat, 9.5g total fat, 1,295mg sodium, 5g fiber, 22g protein
Subway Club
380 cal, 4.5g sat fat, 9g total fat, 1,255mg sodium, 5g fiber, 30g protein
Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki
440 cal, 4g sat fat, 9.5g total fat, 1,105mg sodium, 5g fiber, 30g protein
Turkey Breast & Ham
350 cal, 4g sat fat, 9g total fat, 1,235mg sodium, 5g fiber, 24g protein
6โ Sandwiches – Worst Choices Overall
Remember, getting a Footlong will double these already-high numbers!
Subway Feast
550 cal, 9g sat fat, 23g total fat, 2,610mg sodium (!!!!), 6g fiber, 39g protein
Big Philly Cheesesteak
520 cal, 9g sat fat, 18g total fat, 1,570mg sodium, 6g fiber, 39g protein
Chicken & Bacon Ranch
570 cal, 10g sat fat, 28g total fat, 1,190mg sodium, 5g fiber, 35g protein
Meatball Marinara
580 cal, 9g sat fat, 23g total fat, 1,530mg sodium, 9g fiber, 24g protein
Spicy Italian
520 cal, 11g sat fat, 28g total fat, 1,830mg sodium, 5g fiber, 22g protein
Tuna
530 cal, 6g sat fat, 30g total fat, 930mg sodium, 5g fiber, 21g protein
Cold Cut Combo
410 cal, 6g sat fat, 16g total fat, 1,450mg sodium, 5g fiber, 21g protein
Italian BMTยฎ
450 cal, 8g sat fat, 20g total fat, 1,730mg sodium, 5g fiber, 22g protein
Subway Melt
380 cal, 5g sat fat, 11g total fat, 1,530mg sodium, 5g fiber, 25g protein
6โ Bread Only – Better Choices
“Omega 3” Wheat Bread
230 cal, 0.5g sat fat, 3g total fat, 310mg sodium, 4g fiber, 8g protein
9-Grain Wheat
210 cal, 0.5g sat fat, 2g total fat, 410mg sodium, 4g fiber, 8g protein
Honey Oat
260 cal, 0.5g sat fat, 3g total fat, 430mg sodium, 5g fiber, 9g protein
Sourdough – A bit low in fiber, but also lower in sodium.
210 cal, 1g sat fat, 3g total fat, 210mg sodium, 3g fiber, 8g protein
6โ Bread Only – Worst Choices
None of the other bread options are great, since they’re all low in fiber — which means they’re probably using only refined flour — so I’ve listed everything else here from “least bad” to “worst of all,” more or less.
Hearty Italian Bread
220 cal, 0.5g sat fat, 2g total fat, 390mg sodium, 2g fiber, 8g protein
Italian (White) Bread
200 cal, 0.5g sat fat, 2g total fat, 390mg sodium, 1g fiber, 7g protein
Flatbread
240 cal, 1g sat fat, 5g total fat, 480mg sodium, 2g fiber, 8g protein
Wrap
240 cal, 1g sat fat, 5g total fat, 480mg sodium, 2g fiber, 8g protein
Italian Herbs & Cheese
250 cal, 2.5g sat fat, 5g total fat, 590mg sodium, 2g fiber, 10g protein
Monterey Cheddar
240 cal, 3g sat fat, 5g total fat, 460mg sodium, 1g fiber, 10g protein
Roasted Garlic
230cal, 0.5g sat fat, 2.5g total fat, 1,360mg sodium, 2g fiber, 8g protein
Cheese – Better Choices
Numbers listed below are for two triangles. Cheese does not contain any dietary fiber.
Also, there isn’t a huge difference between most of these choices. I picked Provolone and Swiss as the best because they have more protein than most options and a little less fat and sodium.
Provolone (two half-circles)
50 cal, 2g sat fat, 4g total fat, 125mg sodium, 4g protein
Swiss
50 cal, 2.5g sat fat, 4.5g total fat, 30mg sodium, 4g protein
Cheese – Worst Choices
Cheddar
60 cal, 3g sat fat, 5g total fat, 95mg sodium, 4g protein
Processed American Cheese
40 cal, 2g sat fat, 3.5g total fat, 200mg sodium, 2g protein
Pepperjack
50 cal, 2.5g sat fat, 4g total fat, 140mg sodium, 2g protein
Condiments – Better Choices
Yellow Mustard or Deli Brown Mustard (2 teaspoons)
5 cal, no fat, 115mg sodium, no fiber, no protein
Vinegar (1 teaspoon)
8 cal, no fat, no sodium, no fiber, no protein
Condiments – Worst Choices
Shown here from most offensive to least egregious.
Chipotle Southwest Sauce
100 cal, 1.5g sat fat, 10g total fat, 220mg sodium, no fiber, no protein
Mayonnaise (1 tablespoon)
110 cal, 2g sat fat, 12g total fat, 80mg sodium, no fiber, no protein
Light Mayonnaise (1 tablespoon)
50 cal, 1g sat fat, 5g total fat, 100mg sodium, no fiber, no protein
Olive Oil Blend (1 teaspoon)
45 cal, 1g sat fat, 5g total fat, no sodium, no fiber, no protein
I wonder what’s in the “blend?”
Fat Free Honey Mustard
30 cal, no fat, 115mg sodium, no fiber, no protein, 6g sugars
Fat Free Sweet Onion
40 cal, no fat, 85mg sodium, no fiber, no protein, 8g sugars
These last two aren’t so bad, except for the added sugars.
Side Dish – Better Choices
Apple Slices
35 cal, no fat, no sodium, 2g fiber, no protein
Raisins
130 cal, no fat, no sodium, 2g fiber, 2g protein
Baked Laysยฎ
130 cal, no sat fat, 1.5g total fat, 150mg sodium, 2g fiber, 2g protein
Dannon Light and Fitยฎ Yogurt
80 cal, no fat, 80mg sodium, no fiber, 5g protein, 11g sugars
Side Dish – Worst Choices
Any bag of chips, other than the Baked Laysยฎ
Any cookie
Best Choices – Salads
Subway will turn pretty much any sandwich into a salad, which is great — though you definitely have to choose wisely, else you’ll end up with a ton of calories and sodium (mostly from the dressing).
Salads contain meat/poultry, iceberg lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, green bell peppers, and olives, and do not include salad-dressing or croutons.
Every time I’ve asked, they’ve happily made me a salad with spinach instead — which makes it a lot tastier, healthier, and, well, fancier.
Veggie DeLiteยฎ
50 cal, no sat fat, 1g total fat, 65mg sodium, 4g fiber, 3g protein
Oven Roasted Chicken
130 cal, 0.5g sat fat, 2g total fat, 280mg sodium, 4g fiber, 19g protein
Roast Beef
140 cal, 1g sat fat, 3.5g total fat, 500mg sodium, 4g fiber, 21g protein
Turkey Breast
110 cal, 0.5g sat fat, 2g total fat, 570mg sodium, 4g fiber, 12g protein
Worst Choices – Salads
Ham
110 cal, 1g sat fat, 3g total fat, 850mg sodium, 4g fiber, 12g protein
Subway Club
140 cal, 1g sat fat, 3.5g total fat, 810mg sodium, 4g fiber, 20g protein
Turkey Breast & Ham
120 cal, 0.5g sat fat, 3g total fat, 800mg sodium, 4g fiber, 14g protein
Salad Dressing – Better Choices
To get a bit more flavor, you may want to add Black Pepper, Dried Oregano, Fresh Cilantro, Banana Peppers (Pepperoncini), or Jalapeรฑos.
Vinegar (1 teaspoon)
8 cal, no fat, no sodium, no fiber, no protein
Fat Free Honey Mustard
30 cal, no fat, 115mg sodium, no fiber, no protein, 6g sugars
Fat Free Sweet Onion
40 cal, no fat, 85mg sodium, no fiber, no protein, 8g sugars
Olive Oil Blend (1 teaspoon)
45 cal, 1g sat fat, 5g total fat, no sodium, no fiber, no protein
Salad Dressing – Worst Choices
Ranch (2 ounces)
320 cal, 6g sat fat, 35g total fat, 560mg sodium, no fiber, no protein, 2g sugars
Fat-Free Italian (2 ounces)
35 cal, no fat, 720mg sodium, no fiber, 1g protein, 4g sugars
Breakfast – Better Choices
Switching to Egg Whites cuts these numbers by approx. 30 calories, 1g of saturated fat, 2.5g total fat, and 1g protein.
Any Egg Muffin Melt, except the Double Bacon, Egg & Cheese
170-190 cal, 2-2.5g sat fat, 6-7g fat, 450-650mg sodium, 5-6g fiber, 13-16g protein
The basic “Egg & Cheese” melt is the best of all these.
Double Bacon, Egg & Cheese Muffin Melt
220 cal, 3.5g sat fat, 10g total fat, 640mg sodium, 5g fiber, 16g protein
Breakfast – Worst Choices
Switching to Egg Whites cuts these numbers by approx. 30 calories, 1g of saturated fat, 2.5g total fat, and 1g protein.
6โ Cheese & Egg Omelet Sandwich
420 cal, 7g sat fat, 18g total fat, 1,060mg sodium, 5g fiber, 22g protein
Any 6″ Omelet Sandwich, except the 6″ Cheese & Egg
450-520 cal, 7-11g sat fat, 19-25g total fat, 1,430-1,450mg sodium, 5g fiber, 27-31g protein
—
Menu Mondays are my recommendations for the most healthful options at chain restaurants. Although it may be tough to find โperfectโ options when eating out, itโs important to choose โbetterโ whenever possible, and I hope these guides will help make that easier for you.
indicates the โbest-of-the-best,โ and indicates the โworst-of-the-worst,” more or less.
Photo by _BuBBy_.
Heya. I have a choice. Subway or McD at work. Naturally when trying to be healthy I head over to Subway, I eat a foot long egg and bacon with white cheese on Flatbread. I toast it extra long and have on it lettuce, spinach, sometimes black olives or onion. Dependent on how much I’ve sweat in the day I’ll either treat myself with some mayo or go just plain(no dressing). How healthy you think this is Andrew? It’s usually the one and only thing I eat in a day.
Just change the actual article, don’t add to it if you made a mistake.
The blend is 85% olive oil and 15% canola.
as an employee at Subway, ngl this pisses me of on a few notes (like insinuating you HAVE to get lettuce but to tell tehm to ‘substitute’ like ??? we don’t require SHIT–the veggies are your own digression.) HOWEVER. i like this a little cuz i like to see how people think the best way to eat healthy there are. PRO SUBWAY TIP: DONT get your veggies chopped when u get a salad. ask for the dressing on the SIDE. the veggie thing because the employees are more willing to deal with you and the sauce thing because you can regulate but also walk out with enough. Cheese: get shredded cheese because u can tell us “hey could u go light on the cheese? i dont want the usual amount, thank you very much” because otherwise u get a LOT more calories and we literally CANT shorten a cheese portion… Read more ยป
Thanks for posting the most healthy options at Subway restaruants.
Great article! Thank you for the details you include. It is very helpful in my pursuit of healthier eating!
You say a footlong starts at more than double the calories and sodium of one of the 6 inch subs you listed. This doesn’t make any sense.
The footlongs are indeed double the calories (and everything else) as the 6″ subs. I’m guessing you are referencing the “official” calories of the 6″ Veggie Delite. As I said above, unless you get a footlong Veggie DeLite without cheese — and they default to adding cheese in the real world — all of the footlongs are at least 540 calories.
It’s possible some of the numbers have changed slightly, since I wrote this post a few years ago…but the overall strategy is still much the same.
Ive read nearly all of your healthy option guidelines, and I want to say thank you! You’ve made eating out so much easier for me, and I appreciate it!
This is a great article! Thanks for putting it together with so much detail.
I use this site for figuring what to eat at restaurants. Subway is just one of the ones mentioned.
http://www.dietreviewsdigest.com/stick-to-your-diet
I always get this (not extremely healthy, but I love the sub)
– White bread with sesame-seeds (toasted)
– cucumber
– lettuce (iceberg)
– pickles
– black olives (I always beg them to give me about one hand FULL. Some do that, some start to nag about the ‘rules’ of the amounts of food. But I’m not even having cheese so…pffff)
And for the sauces, I choose light mayonaise, but I ask them to put just one ‘stripe’ on the sandwich. Else I get sick.