Subway has long been known for trying to set itself apart from the fast-food pack. The company’s “eat fresh” tagline aimed to convince you that it’s healthy. And, with multiple “fresh fit” sandwich options and vegetables lined up for selection right in front of you, it was easy enough to believe.
However, a glance at the menu — and this UCLA study in the Journal of Adolescent Health — indicates Subway is not that different from many other fast food options.
Researchers examined the purchase patterns of adolescents at both McDonald’s and Subway and found that, on average, they purchased 1,038 calories at McDonald’s and 955 calories at Subway — not a statistically significant difference. Additional studies have shown that people tend to overeat when they consider a food "healthy," which could add unintentional calories.
But before you go running back to the familiar faces of Micky-D’s or Burger King, a closer look at Subway’s menu shows that they do have some healthy options — you just have know what to order.
With regard to weight maintenance, calories play an important role. Because of this, HealthGrove, the health data analysis and visualization site from Graphiq, used data from the ESHA nutrition database and the current Subway menu to compile a list of 25 6-inch sandwiches offered by the popular chain, ranked from most to least caloric.
