Top low-calorie picks at Subway for your weight loss goals

Since it burst onto the scene more than 50 years ago, Subway has positioned itself as a nutritious alternative to fast food, and a low-calorie takeaway that can help you on your weight loss journey.

Now with more than 1,200 stores across Australia, the convenience of ducking into your local Subway to grab a sandwich, wrap or salad for lunch can quickly become a habit that’s not easy to break, which in turn begs the question – how nutritious are Subway sandwiches, and can you reliably eat them guilt free while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Is Subway good for weight loss?

In short: it depends on what you order. There are plenty of healthy, low-calorie options at Subway, but they might not always be the ones that you think they are.

For instance, you might think that the Veggie Patty wrap would be a healthy alternative to the Chicken and Bacon Ranch one, but according to Subway’s nutritional fact sheet, which is available on their Australian website, it’s higher in both calories and in sodium, although lower in saturated fat [1].

Understanding what you’re eating is vital to healthy living, and a really important part of weight loss. Taking advantage of nutritional information sheets such as the one Subway provides can be a really useful tool in helping you not just with your calorie count, but in achieving your overall health goals.  

Which Subway bread is low in calories?

There are a variety of bread types available at Subway and similar sandwich chains, which can really vary in terms of both their calorie counts and their overall nutritiousness.

The healthiest bread option, though – and the lowest in calories – is a whole grain bread like their Hearty Multigrain Bread which contains high levels of fibre, vitamins and minerals to support your digestive system [1].

What are the healthiest options at Subway Australia?

Subway’s menu offers a range of options for people on the go, and you can feel confident in knowing a lot of it is healthy. Their focus on fresh veggies and lean deli meats, and other proteins such as oven-roasted turkey breast, grilled chicken and falafel is not only delicious, but can really help with your overall health goals.

In particular, some of the healthiest options at Subway include:

• The Veggie Delite with Avocado wrap
• The Turkey on Rye sub; and
• Their Honey Mustard Leg Ham sub (sometimes called the Black Forest Ham sub).

There’s also a range of salads that can be great, healthy options if you’re looking for something without bread, or a little lighter. The Honey Mustard Leg Ham salad (this is also sometimes called the Black Forest Ham salad) and Turkey Breast Salad are lower in calories than many of the other salads, and include a variety of fresh vegetables.

Some Subway alternative stores may also include a roast beef salad, grilled chicken salad or a rotisserie style chicken salad, which can all be potentially nutritious options too, although dietitians recommend limiting your red meat intake.

Regardless of what you’re choosing to order, going light on condiments such as Subway’s vinaigrette, red wine vinegar, buffalo sauce, mayonnaise, chipotle southwest dressing, or yellow mustard is always a good idea, as these can be high in sodium content and saturated fat.

Swapping out double meat for double veggies, and your high sodium cheeses such as American cheese or the Old English-style processed cheese for the natural cheddar or mozzarella cheese also help to keep your meal both nourishing and calorie controlled.  

What is a high-protein, low-calorie Subway order?

Many dietitians have recommended that a high-protein, low-calorie Subway order is one built on lean protein, a lot of fresh veggies such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, green peppers and red onions, and a whole grain bread.

Something like the Turkey Wrap or the Veggie Delite with Avo fits the bill as its rich in healthy fats, vitamins and other minerals, as well as being lower in calories than some other Subway sandwiches.

How to eat at Subway on a weight loss journey?

No matter what takeaway you’re getting, eating in moderation, and checking the nutritional information is always important. Being able to control portion size can be particularly helpful, so asking for less condiments, or ordering salad dressings on the side to use them minimally, can help you keep the flavour without eating more calories than you need.

You could also split a foot-long with a friend, or save half for tomorrow’s lunch, reducing the amount that you’re eating while still sating your appetite.

Sides can also be a temptation at fast food restaurants too, particularly places like Subway, which offer high calorie cookies or sugary soft drinks to go. Saying no to that double choc chip cookie or that bottle of soft drink will help to keep you on track to achieve your healthy weight goal.

What are the best takeaway options when trying to lose weight?

Whether you’re eating in or ordering takeaway, meals from restaurants or other types of eateries are often high in saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and kilojoules [3].

As a result, the best takeaway options for when you’re trying to lose weight is ultimately to avoid it when you can. Being able to control how something is made, and how much of it you eat, is an important part of losing weight, and unfortunately is much harder to do when you’re not the one preparing the meal.

That said, we all live busy lives, and, understandably, sometimes takeaway is convenient, accessible, and fun. In those cases, avoiding fast food restaurants is always a good place to start, as well as any deep-fried and pastry options.

In particular, try and choose places where you can customise your meal i.e. if you have a craving for fish and chips, order the fish grilled instead of battered or crumbed, get the minimum chips, and order a side salad or vegetables to go with it [3], or if dumplings are more your style, order them steamed instead of fried [2].

Otherwise, dietitians suggest lean meat and vegetable stir-fries, rice paper rolls, sashimi and miso, grilled meat, fajitas and naked burrito bowls can be better alternatives to many when it comes to takeaway in Australia [2].

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