How Many Calories Are in a Subway Sandwich?

Subway
16 Mar

Last Updated on August 15, 2020 by Michael Brockbank

Remember the commercials with Jared, the guy who lost a lot of weight and turned out to be, well, a less than ideal spokesperson? Even though the actor turned out to be a douche, Subway sandwiches themselves can be quite nutritious. However, they can also be next to impossible to track when it comes to calories. Although the sandwich board can give you an approximation, it can be greatly altered relatively easy. All you need to do is make a few varied choices when building your Subway sandwich and it will be a different value.



Why Is It Hard to Track Subway Calories?

One of Subway’s greatest features is also what makes it difficult to have an accurate count of calories. It’s the prospect of making your own sandwich that makes it so hard. Sure, you can look up the count on various websites. But these numbers won’t take into consideration how you want your sandwich made.

Your Toppings
The things you choose to put on your Subway sandwich will impact the number of calories you’ll get. The numbers you see on websites and at the store itself is more of an estimate should you have the sandwich made exactly how it was intended. However, a lot of people like myself will avoid certain things or have it made a completely different way. Even the type of bread you use will greatly alter the nutritional value of the product.

The Employees
Not everyone likes the same stuff on their sandwiches. Every employee in Subway has a rough idea of how much veggies and sauce to put on your lunch, but many of them add more or less. It’s not an exact measurement when it comes to the extras that are put down. Luckily, most veggies have a very small difference in calories when it comes to this. However, extra mayo and other sauces can be significantly higher.

How Do You Track Subway Sandwich Calories?

Unless you plan on picking your sandwich completely apart and weigh each component, an option is take the calories estimate and cross your fingers. If you’re observant, you can try to gauge each component the employees are loading in at about 1/4 cup. So, if you wanted double onion, it may be safe to assume 1/2 cup of onion in terms of calories.

The Meat
The pre-served cups of meat that Subway uses are close to one cup. Since most calorie programs such as MyFitnessPal use weights instead of volume measurements, it can be difficult to determine how much you’re getting in your sandwich. Depending on the meat, you could be getting approximately four ounces per cup. This is also dependent on the size of the cuts and any sauces that are on it. For example, the chicken teriyaki marinades in the sauce which will add to its weight and caloric value.

When looking for a sandwich that is light on the calories, a Google search for “Subway Calories” can show you a list of most of the brand’s products. Just bare in mind how the calories are going to fluctuate when you start customizing your own sandwich. A six-inch Black Forest Ham has an estimate of 290 calories unless you add extra mayo and other goodies.

Are Subway Sandwiches Really That Good For You?

Subway includes a buffet of meats, veggies and cheese that are greatly beneficial for the body. In my town, they even have baby spinach – which I love making salads out of. In reality, a Subway sandwich on wheat bread with minimal sauce toppings could be one of the healthier “fast-food” lunches you could eat. As long as you’re willing to do a bit of exercise, you can easily burn through the intake of carbs. In reality, the only part of the sandwich that may be bad for you is the actual bread. Even that will only increase your calorie intake by 300 or so…depending on the style of bread you order.

The biggest downside to Subway is the cost per the food you receive. That six-inch sandwich I mentioned earlier is roughly the same cost as three or four cans of Progresso soup. However, there is also about twice the food to fill your stomach. On the other side of the coin, Subway is a hell of a lot healthier than alternatives such as McDonald’s and Taco Bell when accounting for nutritional value.

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