Subway introduced healthy eating to fast food. Its spokesman Jared Fogle lost over 200 pounds by eating at Subway. Subway sponsors the show "Biggest Loser," where it highlights how eating at Subway can help people stick to a healthy diet plan. The company points to its seven subs with six grams or less of fat for quick options available to health-conscious diners. But a Subway customer can still walk out of Subway with more calories than he needs in a single meal. You can stick to the best lower calorie options at Subway while avoiding the diet traps that still linger there.
Nutrition Breakdowns
Check out Subway's nutrition details on its website subway.com. Click on the menu/nutrition tab for nutritional info. On the left hand side, select categories to browse the different menu options. There is also a printer-friendly version that can be saved or printed for quick reference.
Look through the calorie listings for the different subs. Note anything that stands out, such as the toasted options that tend to have a higher calorie count than the other sandwiches. For example, the meatball marinara contains 580 calories, while the chicken bacon and ranch has 570 calories in the six-inch size, almost double that of some of the other subs.
Depending on the sub selected and the options added, a six-inch Subway sandwich will range from about 200 calories to 600 calories. Every decision made when ordering will change these totals.
6g of Fat or Less Subs
The seven sandwiches in the "6g of fat or less" category have the least amount of calories. They are a safe option to keep meal calories in line without a lot of extra thought or effort. It makes your choice easy by sticking to this section alone. Six inches of sub is usually enough for one meal, except for athletes and young men who may need more. There are also mini subs for snacks and kid-size options.
All the six-inch subs in this category range between 230 calories and 380 calories. The veggie has the least amount of calories at 230, while the sweet onion chicken teriyaki has the most at 380. The rest fall in the 300-calorie mark, give or take 20 calories. If upgrading to a foot-long sub, double these calories. On average, one of these foot longs would be around 600 calories.
Skip the Combos
Sugary drinks, chips and cookies are extra calories that aren't needed. Subway carries Sun Chips that are lower in calories and fat. Look at the nutrition facts for calorie totals on the different chips offered. One cookie adds about 200 calories to the meal. If dessert is a must, then get a Fruizle slushy for half the calories, with most flavors being a little over 100 calories.
If a heartier meal is needed, some of the soup options can add only 100 calories. Stick to these lower calorie soup options: chicken tortilla, minestrone, chicken noodle, chicken with dumplings or rice, garden vegetable rotini, or vegetable beef. The other soups will add an additional 50 to 150 calories.
Stick to water or a calorie-free drink option like unsweetened iced tea or diet soda. Paired with a low-cal drink, a sub sandwich makes a satisfying and complete meal. With meat, cheese, bread and vegetables, a sub can hit all of the major food groups with a large balance of nutrients.
High Fat Extras
Look in the bread and toppings section to see which condiments can break the calorie bank. Avoid the items that will pack on the calories and fat: mayonnaise, oil, bacon, ranch dressing, avocado and cheese.
Also consider which sandwiches include higher fat meats such as salami. These meats drive up calorie totals to higher than the leaner meats like turkey and ham. The "salad" sandwiches, like tuna and chicken salad, also bump up calorie totals because of the extra mayo used. For example, a six-inch tuna sub has 530 calories.
Pack on the Veggies
Load your sandwich up with as many vegetables as possible. You can cram two or three veggie servings onto one sub. There are a variety of options including lettuce and tomato as well as flavorful items like peppers, onion and olives. Adding lots of veggies also adds filling fiber and antioxidants without adding many calories.
The lowest calorie option at Subway is a salad ranging from just 50 to 140 calories, before dressing is added. These salads are basically the same sandwich fillings with no calories from bread and plenty of practically calorie-free lettuce. Just beware of using large amounts of dressing, which quickly adds calories to the meal. The fat-free Italian dressing has 35 calories in a two-ounce packet, while ranch dressing contains over 300 calories in the same two ounces.
References
- Subway: Nutrition Info
- Subway: Printer-Friendly Nutrition Details
- "Nutrition Concepts and Controversies"; Frances Sizer and Eleanor Whitney; 11th Edition; 2008
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