What is the healthiest thing to eat from Subway?

October 5, 2025 •

4 min read

According to nutrition experts and available menu data, Subway offers a variety of customisable, healthier alternatives to traditional fast-food meals. The ultimate answer to What is the healthiest thing to eat from Subway? lies not in a single pre-set item, but in understanding how to build a balanced, fresh meal tailored to your nutritional needs.

Quick Summary

Building a healthy Subway meal involves choosing a salad or a six-inch sub with lean protein and whole grain bread, maximizing vegetable toppings, and opting for light condiments to control calories and sodium.

Key Points

Start with a Salad or 6-inch Sub: Opting for a salad or a smaller sub is the easiest way to control calories and carbohydrates.
Choose Lean Proteins: Select lean meats like oven-roasted turkey or rotisserie-style chicken over processed or higher-fat options.
Maximize Vegetable Toppings: Load up on extra spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, and other vegetables to increase fiber and nutrient intake.
Select High-Fiber Bread: Hearty Multigrain bread is the best choice for fiber, while Flatbread is a good low-calorie alternative.
Minimize High-Calorie Sauces: Stick to low-calorie condiments like mustard, oil, and vinegar to reduce fat and sodium.
Go Easy on Add-ons: Be mindful of cheese, extra meats, and creamy sauces that add calories and sodium quickly.

Building a Balanced Meal at Subway

While fast food might have a reputation for being unhealthy, Subway's emphasis on fresh vegetables and customizable orders allows for nutritious choices. By paying close attention to your choices, you can create a meal that is rich in protein and fiber while being lower in calories, fat, and sodium.

The Healthiest Menu Items

Several menu items provide a great starting point for a healthy meal. The key is to order the smallest size (e.g., 6-inch subs or salads) and be mindful of your additions.

The Veggie Delite: A simple, low-calorie, and low-fat base that can be loaded with an abundance of fresh vegetables. A standard 6-inch Veggie Delite has one of the lowest calorie and sodium counts on the menu, and even less as a salad.
Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast: A lean protein choice that's low in saturated fat and high in protein. This offers a satisfying and low-calorie sandwich or salad option.
Rotisserie-Style Chicken: A protein-packed option with a favorable nutritional profile. Dietitians often prefer it over the grilled chicken for its simpler preparation.
Black Forest Ham: Another lean deli meat that provides a good source of protein with relatively low calories.
Protein Bowls: For those looking to cut carbs, a protein bowl is an excellent choice, containing all the ingredients of a sandwich without the bread. It's a great way to load up on protein and veggies.

Customization is Key to a Healthy Order

Your choices for bread, toppings, cheese, and dressing can drastically change the nutritional content of your meal. Making smart choices is vital for keeping your meal balanced.

Choosing Your Foundation: Bread or No Bread?

Hearty Multigrain Bread: Often cited by dietitians as the best bread choice due to its high fiber and protein content, helping you feel full for longer.
Flatbread: One of the lowest-calorie options, and notable for having no added sugar.
Salad Base: Opting for a salad or a protein bowl is the simplest way to reduce carbohydrates and calories while maximizing your vegetable intake.

Building Up Your Meal with Fillings

Pile on the Veggies: This is arguably the most important step for a healthier meal. Add extra spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and onions to increase fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Stick to Lean Proteins: Lean options like oven-roasted turkey, rotisserie chicken, and roast beef are your best bet. Avoid processed, high-sodium options like meatballs, salami, or pepperoni.
Mindful Condiments: High-calorie, creamy dressings can quickly add unnecessary fat and sodium. Healthier choices include:
- Yellow mustard
- Oil and vinegar
- Sweet Onion Teriyaki (in moderation due to sugar content)
Go Light on Cheese: A single slice of natural cheese like provolone or mozzarella is a better choice than double portions or processed American cheese, which is higher in sodium. Some locations even offer fresh mozzarella. Avocado is an excellent alternative for adding healthy fats.

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Subway Order Comparison

The nutritional impact of your choices becomes clear when comparing a carefully constructed healthy order with a more indulgent, less mindful one. Below is a comparison table showcasing the difference, using typical nutritional values for a 6-inch sub.


Feature	Healthy Custom Order	Less Healthy Order	Resulting Nutritional Impact
Base	6-inch Hearty Multigrain Bread	Footlong Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread	Significantly fewer calories and lower carb count. Hearty Multigrain adds fiber.
Protein	Oven-Roasted Turkey	Meatball Marinara	Lower calories (~270 vs. >380) and substantially lower saturated fat.
Veggies	Extra Lettuce, Spinach, Cucumbers	Minimal Veggies	High fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Increased satiety without extra calories.
Cheese	Single slice of Mozzarella or skip it	Double American Cheese	Reduced sodium and saturated fat content.
Sauce	Oil & Vinegar or Mustard	Mayo or Ranch	Significantly lower calories (e.g., 45 vs. 100+ for a 6-inch) and less fat.
Overall Impact	Balanced, high-fiber, lean protein meal	High-calorie, high-sodium, and high-fat meal	Supports weight management and overall health goals better.

Sample Healthy Meal Plans

The Lean Turkey Sandwich: A 6-inch Oven-Roasted Turkey on Hearty Multigrain bread with spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, bell peppers, and a drizzle of red wine vinegar and olive oil.
The Rotisserie Chicken Power Bowl: Rotisserie-Style Chicken in a bowl with a generous portion of all available fresh vegetables. Add some avocado for healthy fats and dress lightly with oil and vinegar.
The Veggie Lover’s Delight: A 6-inch Veggie Delite on Flatbread, loaded with fresh vegetables and seasoned with black pepper. Consider adding avocado for extra creaminess and healthy fat.

Conclusion: Mindful Choices Define Your Healthiest Subway Meal

The healthiest option at Subway isn't a single item but a strategy of mindful ordering that prioritizes fresh vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and minimal high-calorie condiments. Whether you choose a six-inch sub or a protein bowl, controlling your ingredients is the most effective way to manage your calorie, fat, and sodium intake. By focusing on customization, Subway can be a convenient and genuinely healthy fast-food choice that aligns with your nutritional goals.

For more detailed nutritional information and to build your specific order, you can explore the official Subway website, including their detailed nutritional documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Veggie Delite Salad is one of the lowest-calorie options, with only about 50 calories for a standard portion before any dressing is added. The 6-inch Veggie Delite sub and mini subs with lean protein also rank very low in calories.

The Hearty Multigrain bread is considered the healthiest option due to its higher fiber and protein content. The Flatbread is another good choice, especially for those watching their calories, as it's the lowest in calories and has no added sugar.

Not necessarily. Wraps at Subway typically contain a footlong portion of meat and can have more calories, fat, and sodium than a 6-inch sub. If you're trying to reduce calories and carbs, a 6-inch sub on whole grain bread or a salad is often a better choice.

To minimize calories, fat, and sodium, you should limit or avoid high-calorie, creamy sauces like ranch, mayonnaise, and chipotle southwest. Healthier alternatives include mustard, oil and vinegar, or ordering a sweeter sauce like Sweet Onion Teriyaki in moderation.

You can reduce sodium by choosing leaner, less processed proteins like oven-roasted turkey, opting for natural cheese like provolone or mozzarella instead of American cheese, avoiding high-sodium sauces, and loading up on fresh, low-sodium vegetables.

While the tuna contains heart-healthy omega-3s, Subway's tuna salad is mixed with a mayonnaise-based dressing, making it significantly higher in fat and calories than lean protein options like turkey or chicken. For a healthier profile, it's best to choose a leaner protein.

Yes. For a low-carb meal, you can order any of the sandwiches as a Protein Bowl or a salad, effectively removing the bread. Filling it with lean protein like rotisserie chicken or oven-roasted turkey and plenty of vegetables is a great low-carb strategy.