The Best and Worst Sandwiches to Order at Subway

Any Fresh Fit Sandwich could also be considered healthy.
Image Credit: Reynaldo Lopez/Demand Media

Subway is always adding new sandwiches to its menu. It always has more than a dozen different sandwiches you can choose from. If you're counting calories or dieting, Fresh Fit sandwiches — which include Subway's Veggie Delite, Oven Roasted Chicken and Turkey Breast — are some of its healthiest.

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Technically, Subway's Veggie Delite sandwich is the healthiest Subway sandwich. However, any Fresh Fit Sandwich could also be considered healthy. Subway's Ultimate sandwiches are the most unhealthy, given their calories and saturated fat content.

Read more: Are Subway Cookies Unhealthy?

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Different Types of Subway Sandwiches

According to Subway's online menu, Subway stores currently offer a variety of sandwiches, including:

  • Black Forest Ham

  • Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt

  • Classic Tuna

  • Cold Cut Combo

  • Ham and jack Slider

  • Italian B.M.T.

  • Italian Spice Slider

  • Little Cheesesteak Slider

  • Little Turkey Slider

  • Meatball Marinara

  • Oven Roasted Chicken

  • Roast Beef

  • Rotisserie-Style Chicken

  • Southwest Chicken Club

  • Spicy Italian

  • Steak & Cheese

  • Steak Club

  • Subway Club

  • Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki

  • Turkey and Bacon Guacamole

  • Turkey Breast

  • Ultimate Meatball Marinara

  • Ultimate Spicy Italian

  • Ultimate Steak

  • Veggie Delite

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Subway's nutrition calculator lists the approximate nutrition facts for most of these sandwiches. Subway's calories range between 150 and 800 calories per sandwich. The exact calories vary, based on the type of sandwich you've chosen to consume and its serving size. A sandwich serving size can range from 62 to 511 grams (2.19 to 18 ounces).

Be aware that these nutrition facts are specifically listed for 6-inch sandwiches that have been made using the Subway chef's recommended recipes. Any alterations you make to your sandwiches can change their calorie count.

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Read more: Subway Flatbread Sandwiches Nutrition

Subway's Calories and Healthy Diets

In certain cases, the nutrition facts for Subway sandwiches are listed based on the use of nine-grain wheat bread and the addition of lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, onions and cucumbers. These are known as Subway's Fresh Fit sandwiches and include:

  • Black Forest Ham
  • Oven Roasted Chicken
  • Roast Beef
  • Rotisserie-Style Chicken
  • Subway Club
  • Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki
  • Turkey Breast
  • Veggie Delite

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All of these sandwiches have 400 calories or fewer per 6-inch sandwich. The only exception is the Veggie Delite sandwich, which can have 400 calories or fewer in a 12-inch sandwich.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, most adult women need between 1,600 and 2,400 calories per day. Most adult men need a slightly higher calorie intake that's between 2,000 and 3,000 calories per day.

This means that adult women may want to consume between 533 and 800 calories per meal, assuming they eat three meals, while adult men may want to consume between 667 and 1,000 calories per meal. Your exact calorie intake is determined by how active you are.

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Because no subway sandwich has more than 800 calories, all of these sandwiches could technically be considered healthy. However, if you're counting calories, the lowest-calorie sandwiches are the Little Cheesesteak Slider, Little Turkey Slider, and Ham and Jack Slider, which all have 200 calories or less. The Ultimate Meatball Marinara, Ultimate Spicy Italian, and Turkey and Bacon Guacamole have the most calories (730 to 800 calories).

Read more: 13 Everyday Activities That Burn More Than 200 Calories

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Subway's Nutrition Calculator and Fat

Subway's nutrition calculator doesn't only look at calories. It also looks at macronutrients and specific essential micronutrients.

Several Subway sandwiches contain a lot of fat. This is not necessarily an issue, depending on the type of fat. However, Subway's nutrition calculator shows that certain sandwiches are particularly rich in saturated fat.

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The American Heart Association recommends limiting your saturated fat intake to 13 grams per day. Saturated fat intake should be limited because it can increase your cholesterol levels, as well as your risk for heart disease and stroke. According to the Food and Drug Administration, most people consume too much saturated fat each day.

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Very few sandwiches exceed the American Heart Association's recommendations for total saturated fat intake. Only Subway's Ultimate sandwiches (Ultimate Steak, Ultimate Meatball Marinara, Ultimate Spicy Italian) have more than 13 grams of saturated fat per serving.

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Other Subway sandwiches have between 1/2 gram and 10 grams of saturated fat. Based on saturated fat intake, the healthiest sandwiches are Oven Roasted Chicken, Turkey Breast, Black Forest Ham, Subway Club and Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki, which all have 1 gram of saturated fat or less.

Keep in mind that a Subway sandwich is only one meal out of your two or three per day. If you consume animal products at every meal, you're likely consuming saturated fat then too. This means a product like the Spicy Italian Subway sandwich, which has 9 grams of saturated fat per serving, could be unhealthy given the other foods you're eating that day.

Read more: If You're Trying to Cut Saturated Fat, This May Be the Most Important Place to Start

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