Can I Eat Low Sodium at Subway

People on the low sodium life are constantly looking for dining options where they can trust that they can get a meal, or some sort of options to be able to order off of the menu when they are out to eat. Subway has long since touted itself as one of the healthiest options for fast food out there today. Until recently it held that title solely, but as of recently Chipotle has also made the claim. I covered Chipotle’s low sodium options in my post; Can I eat Low sodium at Chipotle. Now I will share the answer to can I eat low sodium at Subway.

What Can We Eat That is Low Sodium at Subway

In researching restaurant menus, I have found one thing to be universal. That claims of “healthy” options may mean things like a reduced calorie count, or lower fat content, but they do not include is low sodium. Most heart patients are on a 2000 mg or less sodium restriction. Subway uses the USDA recommendations based on a 2000 calorie a day diet which allows for 2300 mg of sodium. So we start out of the bat not on very good footing for us low sodium people.

Subway Has Partnered with the American Heart Association

Subway does go above and beyond by assembling meal combos that they have submitted to the American Heart Association for certification as Heart Healthy Meals. That is awesome, but you also have to read the fine print that if you alter or add any toppings above and beyond the options presented it no longer may qualify as heart healthy.

Go here to find out the Subway nutrition info. Like with any restaurant, you need to search for the hidden salt and look for the best choices. Just because a restaurant claims that they are healthy, does not mean you can assume that all of their menu choices will be healthy and low in sodium. By Low sodium, we are looking for choices that would not eat up more than a third of your allotted daily milligrams. This means the total for the meal should come in below 700 mg, giving a little leniency. so, can I eat low sodium at Subway? Here are the choices I’ve found:

Subway is known for their sandwiches so lets start right there

They have a special section of their menu for their low fat subs. All the choices I will list are based on their 6 inch subs (double the amounts if you choose a foot long). Per their Nutrition page, these amounts are based upon the following options: 9-grain wheat bread, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers and cucumbers.

The best option in this category is their Veggie Delight at 280 mg. If you wish to have a meat choice in this category, the next best option is the chicken breast that comes in at 610 mg. Black Forest Ham or their Club are the worst at 800 mg.

In the next category up of sandwiches, the Tuna sandwich comes in the best at 580 mg. The Spicy Italian is the worst choice in this category at 1490 mg.

Subway runs regional and limited specials that they list on their menu as well. The Barbecue Rib Patty is 590 mg. which makes it the best choice in that category. Compare that to the Big Hot Pastrami Melt at 1470 mg.

The Kids Menu

As with most restaurants, the kid’s portion of the menu contains smaller portions which also translates into lower sodium as well. Subway is no different, all four of the Kid’s Meal Sandwiches come in under 500 mg.

Salads

Subway offers two tiers of salads on their menu as well. the category with their low fat salads offer a few choices that are sodium friendly. The numbers for their salads are based on the following ingredients: lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cucumbers and olives.

They do NOT include dressing. Oil and Vinegar dressing is best at 0 mg. but the Sweet Onion dressing is only 170 mg. The best of the low fat salads is the Veggie Delight at 80 mg. followed by the Oven Roasted Chicken Breast at 280 mg.

In their second tier of salads, the Tuna salad is the only low sodium choice at 370 mg. All of their other regular salads are over 700 mg. and a few are over 1000 mg.

Breakfast

Breakfast sadly is NOT a meal that we low sodium people should order at Subway. The hash browns are 610 mg. Their “best” choice, the egg and cheese sandwich comes in at 860 mg. Completely off the list. To make things worse, the foot long Mega Melt is 3100 mg.

Flatizzas and Pizzas

Their Flatizzas and Pizzas also do not have a low sodium option for us. The plain cheese Flatizza starts at 810 mg.

Bread

Bread choices at Subway really make a difference as well. The sandwiches above were based upon the 9-grain wheat at 270 mg.. Both their Italian (white) and their Hearty Italian also are at 270 mg. It goes up quickly from there, the worst choice would be the Roasted Garlic at 1240 mg. The Flatbreads are a decent choice, as both the white and wheat are under 350 mg.

Condiments

As far as condiments and toppings go, the best cheese choice is Swiss at 35 mg. Vinegar and Oil are the best sauces at 0 mg. and Buffalo Sauce is the worst at 400 mg. All of the veggies are solid, but watch the pickles, they come in at 110 mg. per three chips. Want to make a custom sandwich, the tuna, oven roasted chicken, and the roast beef are all under 400 mg.. The Italian meats for the B.M.T. and Pepperoni are the worst at 800 mg.

Desserts

Their desserts are mostly under 150 mg. Apple slices are the best at 0 mg. and Apple Pie is the worst at 290 mg. You should skip chips, but if you have a craving, the Baked Lays are 200 mg. Finally, they do offer soups, but none of them are sodium friendly.

Let me know what your favorite low sodium options are at Subway in the comments below.