Subway Sandwiches

jenlouise4 · May 2012

So I was watching "Supersize Me" (always a good way to get rid of the diet hunger pangs!) and it reminded me of something I was thinking the other day. Through occasionally looking at other peoples' food diaries, particularly those in the US* I've noticed that Subway sandwiches seemed to be quite common as a lunch option, which really surprised me. I'm not sure whether it's due to the fact that they are less common here in the UK but I've always seen them as essentially fast food places- I mean, all the food looks the same in a very processed way. I was baffled since even with the "healthy option" ones, you're still consuming food which most likely has additives and perhaps hidden ingredients that makes them less nutritional/wholesome. Why are some people on diets so averse to packing your own lunches? It's cheaper and you know exactly what goes into them, having chosen the ingredients yourself.
If someone could stick up for Subway I might understand it a bit better, or maybe you also see them as a daft alternative to the good old packed lunch? I mean, I know there's that guy who lost a crazy amount of weight on a Subway diet but that's very much subjective, and I'd imagine, dependant on his previous diet. Let me know your opinion- Subway: healthy or not? And why don't people want to do their own lunches more often?
Hope this hasn't come across as too harsh or mean. It's one person's view so take it with a pinch of salt and I'd be keen to hear your own

*apologies for the slight generalization. It's probably more widespread that that. Also, I duly admire those brave enough to leave their diaries open- this is just an observation and not a personal attack on anyone.

skinnylion · May 2012

For some people it's just easier, and compared to other convenience lunch "restaurants" it is definitely one of the best options (i.e. instead of stopping at McDonald's.) Subway has lots of vegetables, and even though some ingredients are high in sodium you can still build a pretty good sandwich and save the time/effort you would have had to put into the same kind of sandwich at home.

PERSONALLY I would much rather make my own, but I have lots of free time to do that kind of thing!

laken87 · May 2012

i'm a SAHM,who only goes to town once a week. (we live in the country and i buy enough stuff to last a week.) i cook for my two children every night,except for the day that we go to town. on that day i normally go to subway and buy me a foot long sandwich,which i eat half for lunch and the other half for supper. it's a nice little change from cooking all the time. i normally get the steak & cheese and put so many veggies the person has a hard time closing it. and it is only like 350-380 calories for a 6 inch sandwich. so it's nice for me to have "healthy fast food" for a once a week treat.

TexanThom · May 2012

I am not on a "DIET". I am eating for the rest of my life, and if that means a low-cal sandwich, so be it. 450 calories is not a lot for a complete lunch.

jconnors2012 · May 2012

if you skip the cheese, have a light dressing and load it with veggies it is definitely a better option than most fast food places!

katemme · May 2012

Some work places don't have fridges or microwaves, so bringing something room temperature, or having warm yogurt or a soggy lean cuisine meal isn't going to work. At least Subway is the 'healthier' option, even though you can still eat like crap there.

And I'm a dog walker, if I'm hungry I either have to go out or wait til I get back home to eat, if I didn't bring a clif bar or dry cereal with me.

MB_Positif · May 2012

I am with skinnylion...overall, Subway is just a better calorie option over the usual American fast food joint...with the exception of the excessive sodium in the deli meats. I pretty much only go there once or twice a year, but we occasionally make sandwiches at home with better bread, but the deli meats are pretty much the same as Subway.

iKapuniai · May 2012

I'd rather get a 450 calorie subway sandwhich MEAL than a 1,000 calorie hamburger. Simple as that.

AriesGrl · May 2012

Subway dosent just serve sandwiches.....they have great salads too...whats wrong with that?????

Jill_newimprovedversion · May 2012

I like the salads, which doesn't REQUIRE you to add meat/cheese if you don't want it.
Like every other salad option (buffet/restaurant), the highest cals come from the dressings/croutons/cheese
ALL of those are OPTIONAL too.

And the kids' meals offer a side of fresh apple slices.
Often I get the kids' meal for myself.

And some of us have jobs that require eating on the *run*

which, BTW, isn't considered *exercise* :ohwell:

Louise1247 · May 2012

Hey!! My mate works at Subway

Here in the UK, all of the meats are not processed, but some reformed (re-moulded and some water added ) but some meats are as they are- fresh almost.

The cheese is only 20kcal for a slice (2 triangles) so its not too much of a bad choice

Dressings are the worst part, but as previously mentioned, just chose a healthier one

Also- from my own exp. here in the uk the wraps are worse than the white bread for carbs! Any food is ok as long as in moderation so deffo based on convenience

wackyfunster · May 2012

Yeah, they are more or less fast food, but one of the only fast food places here with low fat options. The quality of their food is also a little bit better (outside of the US, labelling regulations are a lot more strict, so Asian or European fast food is actually a LOT healhier than American. Compare the nutritional info sometime if you want a laugh).

E. g. Taco bell got busted here because to call something "beef" here, it must contain at least 28% (IIRC) beef, and theirs was something like 7% beef (the rest is fillers, "pink slime", refuse, etc. to save money). It's kinda ludicrous. Took
me several years to be able to eat most meats here after moving back from Japan.

heidikat72 · May 2012

let me start by saying i used to work at a subway so i might be a little biased. compared to other "fast food" places, they do have comparatively healthier options. and for some people at lunch it's all about convenience so a subway veggie delite sub on whole wheat or a big mac, fries and shake? yeah subway would be the better option in that case. of course making your own lunch is the best way to control the nutrition content but there are days when the convenience of being able to grab a quick relatively healthy bit on the run is needed.

sleepyjean88 · May 2012

I think Subway is as healthy as you make it, yes you can have a footlong sandwich full of cheese meat and dressings, but you can also have wholegrain bread with grilled chicken and whack it full of veggies.

dad106 · May 2012

I'd rather get a 450 calorie subway sandwhich MEAL than a 1,000 calorie hamburger. Simple as that.

You can get a hamburger meal for around 450 calories.. just gotta get creative and have half the bun, not eat all the fries and choose a sensible drink.

To OP:
I pack my lunch because I find Subway to be disgusting.. and only eat it when I have no other option.

I also know what I can eat to make up a meal that fits into my calories... and it's much easier to do when I can pack it.

meshashesha2012 · May 2012

i like subway. for one they are everywhere, so there's always one around. plus they have healthy sandwiches on their $5 deal so it's super cheap and you can easily split it with a friend or save the other half for another meal.

finally most of the delis here are INSANE with the amount of meat and cheese they put on sandwiches. mounds and mounds of it and it's never any rhyme or reason to it because you can go one day and one person with put almost a pound of meat on your sandwich and you go the next day and someone else will put twice that.. subway's bot like that at all, you always know exactly how much you're going to get .

the sodium content is quite high, but it's about what you'd expect for lunch meats

keem88 · May 2012

i try to bring my own lunch to work since we have a fridge and a microwave.
my fiance is a manager at a retail store in a mall, and they do not have a fridge or microwave.
i recently got him a lunch box and cold pack so he could bring sandwiches and what not, but for him it is easier to get food from the food court or a place around the mall. there is a subway there, and i know he would rather get a salad or sandwich from there loaded with veggies and lunch meat instead of going to arbys, mcdonalds, bk etc.
i eat at subway every now and then if i dont have time to pack a lunch, since it does seem to be better than other fast food (although i am sure the veggies are mass produced and lost a lot of nutritional value, oh well)
that is my reasoning for eating there, i can only speak for myself.

EuroReady · May 2012

I dont mean to hijack the thread but...
How do you log Subway sandwiches when they get made in front of you but not by you? I have been wanting to try it forever but I feel like it would be a lot of guesswork when logging. Thoughts?

Newf77 · May 2012

I am proud to say that I go to Subway pretty much every week. I prepare my meals at home 6 days a week {usually} and do pack meals for work. However on Saturdays after doing my shift I go home to just me and my dogs, I enjoy relaxing and have established a routine. I find no problem in having a meal that fits into my caloric intake from a fast food restaurant. I pick low sodium/calorie breads; load up the vegetables’; no cheese and if I add a condiment go for extra mustard. I get home get comfortable and share some time with my pooches and relax before the wife gets home. Like a previous poster stated any deli meat is going to have sodium content, yes at home sandwiches can be made with different bread that might be lower in sodium or calories but then again I really just like having one day that I can have someone else “pamper” me. It is in my pre-established parameters and I am constantly being told I need to eat my calories back so one day a week I do.
As for open diaries, some people {I} have it open to friends only because they got tired of unsolicited comments or they just do not need the guidance.

@EuroReady; MFP database has several of the sandwiches already in there, you can tell the "artist" what you want and do not want and most will accomadate the request for more veggies. No it is not an exact science and most the "Artist" do not weigh the ingerdents, but I have found them to stay fairly uniform.

iemcanadian · May 2012

This is funny because I just had Subway for lunch for the first time in ages, haha.

It's easy to customize what you want to fit your needs (lower cal, lower fat, etc) as well as get it exactly as you like it. It is also marketed as the "fresh, healthy option" and after that campaign with the guys losing so much weight, of course people associate Subway with healthy, fresh lunches.

Also a lot of jobs are not equipped for storing food, or if someone is very busy they may not have time to prepare a lunch.

Austin1988 · May 2012

Lower calorie and more filling than most fast food joints. I'm heading there now, since I didn't have time to go grocery shopping last night. Thanks for the idea!

keem88 · May 2012

I dont mean to hijack the thread but...
How do you log Subway sandwiches when they get made in front of you but not by you? I have been wanting to try it forever but I feel like it would be a lot of guesswork when logging. Thoughts?

i know the one i go to they usually put the same amount of everything on the sandwich each time, so i use their website to add my own stuff to the sandwich i get to see what the calories are. you could always quick add those calories here, but you wouldn't be able to track any of the other values. if it is a basic sandwich like veggie delite with all veggies, you can prolly type that in the food list here and it would pop up. if you get something really random that may be harder to find on the food list here.

lind3400 · May 2012

Subway is by far the best option for "fast food" or Pita places cuz yo ucan get all the veggies you want and its not fried... you can usually get a 6inch for 300 cals depending on the meat, which is better than a McDonalds meal lol....I don't go often cuz I'm cheap but I don't "diss" it either...

iKapuniai · May 2012

I'd rather get a 450 calorie subway sandwhich MEAL than a 1,000 calorie hamburger. Simple as that.

You can get a hamburger meal for around 450 calories.. just gotta get creative and have half the bun, not eat all the fries and choose a sensible drink.

In my mind, half a bun and half the fries doesn't equate to a full meal. Sure, if you halved everything from your hamburger meal to equate it to a full subway meal, go for it... personally, that just isn't satisfying and is barely considered an adequate meal. Just my opinion. But yeah, you could have a hamburger SNACK for 450 calories. lol

lind3400 · May 2012

I dont mean to hijack the thread but...
How do you log Subway sandwiches when they get made in front of you but not by you? I have been wanting to try it forever but I feel like it would be a lot of guesswork when logging. Thoughts?

Some of the restaurants yo ucan "make" your sandwich online I think Subway has that and it gives u the nutrition content...but that still doesnt control how much sauce gets put on....and little things that add up so its pretty much a close estimate

mallory3411 · May 2012

My hubby and I are eating a lot more Subway these days. One recently opened up by our place which helps! We eat them probably once a week for a quick dinner.

While I do consider them fast food they are healthier fast food. Now, they are still loaded with sodium for the most part but still MUCh healthier than other options.

I like how you make them as healthy (or unhealthy) as you want to. I also get the veggie sub, no cheese, tons of veggies and little sauce. Very healthy and filling "fast food" dinner. Our usuals were McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's Dominos Pizza so this is a much better alternative. They can be very healthy meals in a pinch.

momtokgo · May 2012

I would rather eat a veggie sub on whole wheat any day over a deep fried, pre made fast food meal. I don't eat subway often, but when I really don't want to cook, I go there.

Jill_newimprovedversion · May 2012

I dont mean to hijack the thread but...
How do you log Subway sandwiches when they get made in front of you but not by you? I have been wanting to try it forever but I feel like it would be a lot of guesswork when logging. Thoughts?

Some of the restaurants yo ucan "make" your sandwich online I think Subway has that and it gives u the nutrition content...but that still doesnt control how much sauce gets put on....and little things that add up so its pretty much a close estimate

>still doesnt control how much sauce gets put on>

SIMPLE SOLUTION to this: ask for it on the side- you can gauge exactly how much you add.

yentess · May 2012

I dont mean to hijack the thread but...
How do you log Subway sandwiches when they get made in front of you but not by you? I have been wanting to try it forever but I feel like it would be a lot of guesswork when logging. Thoughts?

On the subway website you can find all the nutritional content for exactly how you make your sandwich. Since I get the same thing anytime I go there I just add it to the database and I would label it with my name (ieSubway-Stephanie's 6" turkey on flatbread). Then anytime you eat there you can just add the sandwich and have complete nutrition info without having to type everything in everytime.

And as far as the popularity of Subway for those trying to lose weight I think it is mostly because of Subway's marketing it as a healthier fast food. You can find healthy options at pretty much any fast food place as they all have some type of salad and grilled chicken options. I only eat Subway on rare occassions because I still end up eating more calories than if I had made a meal at home, and while pregnant I learned about all of the unhealthy additives in deli meat.

d0gma · May 2012

E. g. Taco bell got busted here because to call something "beef" here, it must contain at least 28% (IIRC) beef, and theirs was something like 7% beef (the rest is fillers, "pink slime", refuse, etc. to save money). It's kinda ludicrous.

No, you don't recall correctly. Taco Bell was not "busted," they were sued. The suit claimed that in order to be called beef, USDA standards say it must be 40% beef and that Taco Bell was only 35% beef. The lawyer who submitted the lawsuit, who claimed he had a private lab do the tests, refused to provide the results of the test and then withdrew the lawsuit 3 months later.

That's what 2 minutes on Snopes and 3 minutes on Google yield.

As for Subway, I hardly ever eat there. All their sandwiches taste the same to me and it's easier for me to pack my own lunch.

tmarie2715 · May 2012

People are lazy-- bottom line.

Those huge bread slices will put you over for carbs and calories unless you restrict the rest of the day and or planned ahead and worked out to plan for a larger calorie intake. I've also heard they are very high in sodium, like all cold cuts. I imagine people don't bother to read the fine print on the calorie and fat amounts that those numbers are BEFORE any cheese, mayo, dressing, oil, etc.

Subway Sandwiches

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