What's the healthiest meal to get at Subway?

October 30, 2025 •

4 min read

According to nutritional data, a 6-inch Veggie Delite sub is one of the lowest-calorie options, containing just 230 calories. But what's the healthiest meal to get at Subway for your specific dietary needs? Customization is key to a nutritious order.

Quick Summary

Build a nutritious Subway meal by choosing lean protein, whole-grain bread or a salad bowl, and loading up on fresh vegetables while minimizing high-calorie sauces and dressings.

Key Points

Customize Your Order: Subway's flexibility allows you to build a healthy meal tailored to your specific dietary requirements and preferences.
Prioritize Lean Protein: Choose oven-roasted turkey, rotisserie-style chicken, or roast beef to maximize protein intake while minimizing saturated fat.
Opt for High-Fiber or No-Bread Bases: Select Hearty Multigrain bread for more fiber or choose a salad bowl to reduce calories and carbs significantly.
Load Up on Fresh Veggies: Increase your fiber, vitamin, and mineral intake by adding as many fresh vegetables as possible to your sub, wrap, or salad.
Use Sauces Sparingly: Stick to low-calorie condiments like mustard, oil and vinegar, or Sweet Onion sauce to avoid adding unnecessary fat and sugar.
Beware of Hidden Sodium: Be mindful of the high sodium content in processed meats and certain cheeses, and opt for natural cheeses in moderation.
Manage Portion Size: A 6-inch sub or a protein bowl is often a more balanced portion than a footlong, helping manage overall calorie intake.

Subway's reputation as a "healthy" fast-food alternative hinges on its core strength: customization. Unlike many competitors where menu items are pre-set, Subway allows you to build your meal from the ground up. This control means the healthiness of your order is entirely in your hands, determined by the choices you make from bread to toppings. This guide breaks down the essential components and provides clear strategies for creating the most nutritious and satisfying meal, whether you prefer a sub, a salad, or a protein bowl.

The Healthiest Building Blocks for Your Subway Meal

Creating a healthy meal at Subway starts with making smart choices for each ingredient. The nutritional content can swing dramatically based on your selections, so paying attention to the details is crucial.

Choose Your Base Wisely

Your choice of bread is a foundational decision that impacts calories, fiber, and carbohydrate content.

Hearty Multigrain Bread: A consistent recommendation for its higher fiber and protein content compared to other breads, which helps you feel full longer.
Artisan Flatbread: An excellent low-calorie and low-fat option that is surprisingly dense. It's a great choice if you're trying to minimize calorie intake.
No Bready Bowl (Protein Bowl) or Salad: For a significantly lower-carb and lower-calorie option, opt for a salad or a protein bowl, which provides all the fillings without the bread. This is particularly beneficial for those following low-carb diets.

Select Lean Proteins

Protein is vital for satiety and muscle maintenance. Subway offers several lean protein options that are far healthier than their processed, high-sodium counterparts.

Oven-Roasted Turkey: A classic, low-fat source of protein.
Rotisserie-Style Chicken: Made with fewer additives than other chicken options, it provides a clean source of protein.
Roast Beef: A lean protein choice that's lower in saturated fat than other red meat options on the menu.
Black Forest Ham: A simple, lean meat choice for a satisfying sub.

Maximize Your Vegetable Intake

This is the simplest way to boost the nutrient density of any Subway meal. Loading up on fresh vegetables adds fiber, vitamins, and minerals without a significant calorie increase. Opt for all the free veggies available, including:

Spinach and lettuce
Tomatoes and cucumbers
Green peppers and red onions
Other options like black olives, pickles, and jalapenos

Pick Smart Sauces and Toppings

Many of the hidden calories, saturated fat, and sodium at Subway come from sauces and extras. Make mindful choices to keep your meal on the healthy track.

Best Sauces: Oil and vinegar, mustard, or the Sweet Onion sauce are lower-calorie choices that add flavor without excess fat.
Moderate Cheese: Use cheese sparingly. Fresh mozzarella or Swiss are better choices than processed American cheese.
Avocado: For a boost of healthy fats and creaminess, add sliced or smashed avocado.

Comparison of Healthy Subway Options

To illustrate how different choices stack up, here is a comparison of common healthy meal types, based on a 6-inch serving on multigrain bread (or bowl equivalent where applicable).


Feature	Veggie Delite (Sub)	Oven-Roasted Turkey (Sub)	Rotisserie-Style Chicken (Sub)	Roast Beef (Protein Bowl)
Protein (approx.)	8g	18g	29g	30g
Calories (approx.)	~230	~280	~247	Varies (under 500)
Fat (approx.)	2.5g	3.5g	6g	~7g (Meat/Veggies)
Sodium (approx.)	~280mg	~760mg	~550mg	Low (without high-sodium extras)

Sample Healthy Subway Meals

Here are some specific meal-building ideas tailored to different nutritional goals:

The Low-Calorie Champion (Veggie Delite): Order a 6-inch Veggie Delite on Hearty Multigrain or Flatbread. Load it up with all available vegetables like spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Finish with a drizzle of oil and vinegar. This meal is light and packed with plant-based nutrients.
The High-Protein Powerhouse (Roast Beef Protein Bowl): Choose a Roast Beef Protein Bowl. This automatically excludes the bread, reducing carbs and calories. Add a generous helping of spinach, cucumbers, green peppers, and red onions. Top with a minimal amount of Swiss cheese and a light vinaigrette dressing. This is an ideal post-workout meal.
The Balanced Classic (Turkey Breast Sub): Order a 6-inch Turkey Breast sub on Hearty Multigrain bread. Pile on fresh veggies like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers. Opt for mustard for flavor, or a light touch of Sweet Onion sauce. Skip the cheese or ask for a modest portion of fresh mozzarella to control sodium and fat.

What to Avoid for a Healthier Meal

Just as important as knowing what to choose is knowing what to skip. Certain ingredients can quickly transform a healthy meal into a less-healthy one.

High-Sodium & Processed Meats: Avoid highly processed meats like pepperoni and salami, which are staples of subs like the Italian B.M.T.. They significantly increase the sodium and saturated fat content.

Calorie-Dense Dressings and Sauces: Creamy sauces like Ranch, Chipotle Southwest, and regular mayonnaise can add hundreds of calories and grams of fat to your meal. Opt for lighter alternatives or use them very sparingly.

Excessive Cheese and Toppings: While tasty, adding extra cheese and toppings like bacon can drastically increase your meal's fat and sodium content. Stick to one or two lean options and add avocado for healthy fats instead.

High-Carb Sides and Drinks: Meal combos that include chips, cookies, or sugary fountain drinks can easily negate the benefits of a healthy main. Choose water or unsweetened tea instead.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, there is no single "healthiest meal to get at Subway." It's the meal you build for yourself. By focusing on whole-grain bases or low-carb bowls, selecting lean proteins like oven-roasted turkey or rotisserie-style chicken, loading up on fresh vegetables, and being mindful of high-calorie sauces, you can create a customized meal that aligns perfectly with your health goals. The power of choice is Subway's greatest asset for health-conscious diners. Remember to use the nutrition information available on Subway's official website for precise planning and to double-check allergen info before ordering.

Subway Nutrition Information

Frequently Asked Questions

The Veggie Delite sub is one of the lowest-calorie options. A 6-inch Veggie Delite on 9-grain wheat bread with standard fresh vegetables contains approximately 230 calories.

Yes, Subway salads can be very healthy, especially if you skip the bread and load up on vegetables. You can significantly reduce calories and carbohydrates by choosing a 'No Bready Bowl' and opting for a light vinaigrette or oil and vinegar.

For low-fat protein, your best choices are oven-roasted turkey, Black Forest ham, and roast beef. Rotisserie-style chicken is also a great option with minimal additives.

To reduce sodium, choose fresh-cooked meats like rotisserie chicken over processed deli slices. Opt for fresh veggies, use low-sodium cheeses like Swiss or fresh mozzarella sparingly, and stick to low-sodium dressings like oil and vinegar.

For vegetarians, the Veggie Delite sub or salad is the classic choice, packed with fresh vegetables. Some locations also offer a Veggie Patty sub or bowl, which is a good source of plant-based protein.

Compared to creamy, mayonnaise-based dressings, the Sweet Onion Teriyaki sauce is a relatively lower-calorie option. However, it does contain some sugar and sodium, so use it in moderation.

A 'No Bready Bowl,' or protein bowl, includes all the fillings of a standard Subway sub, such as meat, cheese, and vegetables, but served in a bowl without the bread. It is an excellent low-carb and high-protein alternative.

While wraps might seem lighter, many are higher in calories and sodium than a 6-inch sub on certain breads like Hearty Multigrain or Flatbread. The best option is often the bowl or salad to avoid excess calories.