The Ultimate Guide: Is the Roast Beef Sandwich at Subway Healthy?

October 29, 2025 •

4 min read

With over 37,000 locations worldwide, Subway has long been marketed as a healthier fast-food alternative, but customers often question if options like the roast beef sandwich at Subway are truly healthy. The answer lies not just in the base protein but in the careful selection of bread, cheese, and condiments that complete the meal.

Quick Summary

The healthiness of a Subway roast beef sandwich depends heavily on how it is customized, with the base ingredients being a decent protein source but overall nutritional value highly influenced by your choice of bread, sauces, cheese, and vegetables.

Key Points

Lean Protein Source: Roast beef is a lean meat option that offers a high protein content relative to its fat, making it a good foundation for a balanced meal.
Customization is Crucial: The overall health of your sub depends heavily on your choices of bread, cheese, and condiments, which can add significant calories, fat, and sodium.
Watch the Sodium: A standard footlong roast beef sandwich can contain more than a day's worth of recommended sodium, so portion control and careful add-on selection are key.
Choose the Right Bread: Opting for a Hearty Multigrain or whole-grain bread over white varieties can increase the fiber content of your meal.
Pile on the Veggies: Loading your sub with fresh vegetables like spinach, lettuce, and tomatoes is a simple way to boost nutrients and fiber without adding calories.
Limit High-Calorie Sauces: Avoid creamy or sugary condiments and stick to low-calorie options like mustard or vinegar to keep your sub healthier.

The Nutritional Profile of a Standard Roast Beef Sub

At first glance, the roast beef at Subway appears to be a solid choice. Nutrition experts confirm that roast beef is a notably lean cut of meat, almost as lean as turkey, and provides a significant amount of protein. This makes the core ingredient a high-protein, low-saturated-fat component of a balanced meal. However, the overall nutritional value can fluctuate dramatically based on the choices made while building the sandwich.

The Numbers: A Tale of Two Sandwiches

The nutritional information for a Subway roast beef sub can vary significantly between a basic 6-inch and a fully-loaded footlong. For a standard 6-inch sub on 9-grain wheat bread with basic veggies (lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, onions), it typically contains around 310-340 calories, 5g of total fat, and 25g of protein, with about 790mg of sodium. While the protein and fat content are quite reasonable, the sodium content can be concerning for individuals watching their intake.

Contrast this with a footlong on Italian Herbs and Cheese bread with cheese and mayonnaise. That single sandwich can push over 900 calories, with 42g of fat and a massive 2,620mg of sodium, exceeding the daily recommended sodium intake of 2,300mg. The discrepancy highlights that the seemingly simple addition of bread, cheese, and sauce can completely alter a meal's health profile.

Customization: The Key to a Healthier Sandwich

The beauty of Subway lies in its customization, which gives you complete control over your meal's nutritional content. Here is how your choices can make or break the healthiness of your roast beef sub.

Bread Choices

Not all bread is created equal. The default white bread options often contain less fiber and more processed ingredients than the whole-grain alternatives. By simply choosing the Hearty Multigrain bread, you can add extra grams of fiber, which aids digestion and promotes a feeling of fullness.

Cheese and Toppings

Cheese can add a substantial amount of calories, fat, and sodium. While some choices, like mozzarella or provolone, are better than American cheese, the healthiest option is often to skip the cheese entirely to reduce saturated fat. When it comes to toppings, load up on fresh vegetables. Ingredients like lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, and spinach add vital vitamins, minerals, and fiber without a lot of extra calories or sodium. However, be mindful of sodium-heavy additions like pickles and olives.

Condiment Concerns

Many creamy or sugary dressings can undo the health benefits of a lean roast beef sub. Mayonnaise, for example, is high in calories and fat. Healthier alternatives include low-fat options like mustard, or simply choosing red wine vinegar or a minimal amount of oil for flavor without the caloric excess.

Roast Beef vs. Other Subway Options

To put the roast beef sub's healthiness into context, it's helpful to compare it to other popular Subway choices. All figures below are for a standard 6-inch sub on 9-grain wheat bread with standard fresh vegetable toppings and no cheese or high-fat sauce.


Sandwich (6-inch)	Calories	Protein (g)	Sodium (mg)
Roast Beef	310	25	790
Oven-Roasted Turkey	270	21	820
Veggie Delite	210	10	370

As the table shows, the roast beef sub offers one of the highest protein counts among the leaner options, though it does have a slightly higher calorie count and comparable sodium level to the turkey. The Veggie Delite remains the lowest in calories and sodium, but with significantly less protein. This comparison confirms that the roast beef is a strong contender for a healthy, protein-rich meal, provided the add-ons are kept in check.

How to Build a Healthier Roast Beef Sub

Choose the right size: Opt for the 6-inch over the footlong to keep calories and sodium in check.
Select whole-grain bread: Go for the Hearty Multigrain option for increased fiber and overall nutrition.
Load up on veggies: Ask for a generous portion of all the fresh vegetables to boost fiber and nutrients. Spinach, in particular, is nutrient-rich and filling.
Be selective with cheese: Consider skipping the cheese entirely or asking for a modest amount of a lower-sodium variety like provolone or mozzarella.
Choose condiments wisely: Stick to mustard, vinegar, or just spices to avoid unnecessary fat, sugar, and calories.

Conclusion: Making the Best Choice

In short, is the roast beef sandwich at Subway healthy? The answer is that it can be, but it is not inherently so. While the base protein is lean and beneficial, the potential for high-calorie, high-sodium additions means a custom, thoughtful approach is necessary. By choosing whole-grain bread, filling up on fresh vegetables, and being cautious with cheese and condiments, a Subway roast beef sub can be a satisfying and nutritious fast-food option. As with any fast-food meal, a mindful approach to customization is the key to aligning your order with your dietary goals. For more in-depth nutritional comparisons and tips, you can explore resources like EatingWell's guide to healthy Subway options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lean options like oven-roasted turkey breast, rotisserie-style chicken, and roast beef are generally considered the healthiest protein choices at Subway, as they are lower in fat and offer high protein content.

A standard 6-inch roast beef sub, prepared with basic fresh vegetables and on 9-grain wheat bread, typically provides around 25 grams of protein.

Yes, like most deli meats, the roast beef at Subway is a processed product. While still a lean protein, it is typically high in sodium and may contain preservatives.

The Hearty Multigrain bread is recommended as the healthiest bread option because it is a whole-grain choice that provides more fiber compared to the white bread varieties.

To reduce calories and fat, opt for a 6-inch sub, skip the cheese, choose low-fat condiments like mustard, and fill your sandwich with extra fresh vegetables.

A Subway footlong roast beef sandwich with standard toppings can contain a very high amount of sodium, often exceeding the daily recommended limit. For example, some loaded versions have more than 2,600mg.

While Subway is often perceived as healthier, studies show that adolescents can consume a similar amount of calories at both chains, depending on what they order. A standard Subway sub is likely healthier than a Big Mac, but poor choices at Subway can make the meal as unhealthy as a fast-food alternative.