Subway is a popular take-out meal, and it’s no wonder why. It’s delicious, there are locations almost anywhere you go, and the fresh ingredients make it feel like a healthier choice than other fast food meals. One of the most common questions we get about Subway is – what’s the healthiest bread at Subway? We break down the nutrition facts and ingredients of each bread to give you the answer.
Types of Bread at Subway
As of 2023, the following bread can be found at Subway restaurants in the U.S and Canada:
- Artisan Italian Bread
- Hearty Multigrain Bread
- Italian Herbs & Cheese Bread
- Jalapeno Cheddar Bread (participating locations only)
- Gluten-Free Bread
- Flatbread
Subway Bread Nutrition Facts
| Artisan Italian | Hearty Multigrain | Italian Herbs & Cheese | Jalapeno Cheddar | Artisan Flatbread | Gluten-Free | Wrap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 200 | 200 | 240 | 230 | 220 | 340 | 300 |
| Total fat (g) | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 8 |
| Saturated fat (g) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Trans fat (g) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sodium (mg) | 370 | 360 | 560 | 490 | 360 | 790 | 580 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 37 | 36 | 40 | 37 | 40 | 51 | 50 |
| Fibre (g) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Sugar (g) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| Added sugar (g) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| Protein (g) | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 8 |
| Vitamin A (%DV) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vitamin C (% DV) | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calcium (%DV) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Iron (%DV) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 2 | 15 |
Note : nutrition information is based on 6-inch bread.
Calories
The calories in Subway bread range from 200-340, depending on the type of bread. The highest calorie bread is Gluten-free, with 340 calories per 6-inch. The lowest calorie breads are Italian and multigrain, with 200 calories.
Most people view calories as the most important part of the nutrition facts table. In my opinion, it’s the least helpful tool in assessing the nutrition quality of the bread. Calories are coming from a combination of the three macronutrients: fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Since not all calories are created equal, comparing the macronutrient content will give us much more insight into the composition of the bread.
Total Fat
There are 2-12g of fat found in Subway 6-inch bread, depending on the flavor. The gluten-free bread is significantly higher in fat compared to any other bread. It’s difficult to compare gluten-free bread to wheat-based bread because the recipe will be completely different. Most of the fat in gluten-free bread is coming from palm oil which is high in saturated fats.
The Subway wrap is also quite high in fat compared to the other breads, with 8g per wrap. Most of this fat is from canola oil, a vegetable oil that contains mostly unsaturated fats. For more information on canola oil, check out this post: Is Canola Oil Bad for You?
The Italian and multigrain breads are the lowest in fat, with only 2g per 6- inch. The fat in Italian bread comes from palm oil, however, very little is used. In the case of the multigrain bread, the fats are coming from a variety of seeds, such as flax seeds and millet seeds.
The Italian Herb and Cheese and Jalapeno Cheddar breads contain 5g of fat. These breads are higher in fat than the plain Italian bread because of the addition of cheese.
Lastly, the flatbread has 4g of fat, coming from soybean oil.
Saturated fat
A high intake of saturated fats can increase blood cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Subway bread has 0-7g of saturated fat, depending on the flavor. Gluten-free bread has the highest saturated fat content, with 7g per 6-inch. This is due to the palm oil used in the bread. The Italian herb & cheese and Jalapeno Cheddar flavors are second highest in saturated fat, with 2g per serving. These are higher than the Italian, multigrain, wrap, and flatbread (which have 1g of saturated fat per serving), due to the added cheese. Multigrain bread is the lowest in saturated fat, with 0g of saturated fat per 6-inch bread.
Healthiest Subway bread based on fat content: multigrain bread. It matters less the amount of fat found in bread, and more about the source of fat. Multigrain bread has 2g of unsaturated fats coming from seeds (flax and millet seeds) and 0g of saturated fats.
Sodium
The sodium content of Subway bread ranges from 360-790mg of sodium per 6-inch. While sodium is a necessary part of bread making, choosing a lower sodium bread can help to reduce the overall sodium load of your Subway order. The recommended daily intake of sodium is less than 2300mg per day. If you choose a bread at the higher end of the salt range, you can see how by the time you add your protein and sauce, you could be well over 50% of your daily sodium intake for the day, with only one 6-inch sub!
The gluten-free bread is the highest in sodium, with 790mg, followed by the wrap which has 580mg, and Italian herb & cheese which has 560mg. The lowest sodium options are multigrain and flatbread, with 360mg, and Italian, with 370mg.
Carbohydrates
The carbohydrate content per 6-inch Subway bread ranges from 36-51g, depending on the flavor.
Gluten-Free bread carbohydrates
The gluten-free bread has the highest carbohydrate content, with 51g. These carbohydrates are coming from corn starch, tapioca starch, and sugar.
Subway wrap carbohydrates
The Subway wrap is the second highest in carbohydrates, with 50g per serving. The carbohydrates in the wrap cones from (white) wheat flour. The high carbohydrate content of the wrap compared to Subway bread may surprise people, as often wraps are selected under the impression that they are lower in carbs.
Multigrain bread carbohydrates
The lowest carbohydrate bread is the multigrain, with 36g per 6-inch. The primary source of carbohydrates in the multigrain bread is whole wheat flour, followed by (white) wheat, rye, and oat flours.
Italian bread and jalapeno cheddar bread carbohydrates
The Italian and jalapeno cheddar breads have 37g of carbohydrate per 6-inch. The carbohydrates in these cases comes from (white) wheat flour, and the jalapeno cheddar bread has a small amount of potato starch added.
Italian herb & cheese and flatbread carbohydrates
Both the Italian Herb & Cheese and flatbread have 40g of carbohydrate. This may surpirse people, as many assume that the flatbread is lower in carbohydrates compared to the traditional bread.
Fiber
The fiber content of Subway bread ranges from 1-3g per 6-inch bun, depending on the flavor. The highest fiber breads are multigrain, and gluten-free, with 3g each. The lowest fiber bread is Italian and the flatbread, with only 1g. Italian herb & cheese, Jalapeno cheddar, and the wrap each have 2g of fiber.
Sugar
Sugar is required in breadmaking and is most often present in small amounts in breads. It can also be added in larger amounts as a flavoring agent. The sugar content of Subway bread ranges from 2-7g, depending on the flavor.
The highest sugar bread is gluten-free bread, with 7g per 6-inch. The lowest sugar bread is the wrap and flatbread, with 2g of sugar. Italian, Italian herb & cheese, and jalapeno cheddar have 3g of sugar, and multigrain has 4g of sugar.
Healthiest Subway Bread Based on Carbohydrate Content:
Multigrain bread. When it comes to carbohydrates, the source and amount of fiber is most important. Multigrain bread is made with whole wheat bread as the first ingredient and has 3g of fiber per 6-inch.
Protein
The protein content of Subway bread ranges from 2-9g per 6-inch bun. The gluten-free bread is significantly lower in protein compared to the other flavors, with only 2g. All other flavors have a similar protein content, with 7-9g.
Healthiest Subway Bread Based on Protein Content:
Multigrain, Italian herb & cheese, and jalapeno cheddar are highest in protein, with 9g oer 6-inch bread. However, keep in mind that since you will also get a significant amount of protein from your Subway toppings (meat, fish, or meat alternative), the protein content of the bread itself is less crucial. In the context of your full meal, whether you get 7g or 9g of protein from your bread is negligible.
Micronutrients
Both the Italian herb & cheese and jalapeno cheddar provide a small amount of vitamin A. Multigrain and jalapeno cheddar are excellent sources of vitamin C, and all bread, except gluten-free, are good sources of iron. Subway wraps, multigrain, Italian herb & cheese, jalapeno cheddar, and gluten-free bread have a small amount of calcium.
Healthiest Subway Bread Based on Micronutrients
Italian herb & cheese and jalapeno cheddar bread contain the highest overall micronutrient content.
Subway Bread Ingredient Comparison
| Artisan Italian | Hearty Multigrain | Italian Herbs & Cheese | Jalapeno Cheddar | Artisan Flatbread | Gluten-Free | Wrap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, yeast, sugar, contains 2% or less of: wheat gluten, wheat sourdough (cultured wheat flour, natural flavour), salt, palm oil, cultured wheat flour, soy lecithin, enzymes, ascorbic acid, soybean oil. | Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, whole wheat flour, yeast, wheat gluten, sugar, rye flour, contains 2% or less of: rye sourdough (water, fermented rye flour), salt, soybean oil, brown sugar, whole oat groats, sunflower seeds, millet seeds, flax seed, dried molasses with wheat starch, soy lecithin, cracked wheat, ascorbic acid, enzymes. | Bread: Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, yeast, sugar, contains 2% or less of: wheat gluten, wheat sourdough (cultured wheat flour, natural flavour), salt, palm oil, cultured wheat flour, soy lecithin, enzymes, ascorbic acid, soybean oil. Monterey Jack Cheese: monterey jack cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes), cheddar cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes, annatto colour), potato starch and powdered cellulose to prevent caking, natamycin (a natural mold inhibitor). Parmesan Oregano topping: corn maltodextrin, enriched wheat flour, toasted bread crumbs (enriched wheat flour, sugar, sea salt, yeast), salt, spices, dehydrated garlic, parmesan cheese (part skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), modified corn starch, sunflower oil, citric acid, yeast extract, lactic acid, natural flavour & no more than 2% silicon dioxida added (anticaking agent). | Bread: Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, yeast, sugar, contains 2% or less of: wheat gluten, wheat sourdough (cultured wheat flour, natural flavour), salt, palm oil, cultured wheat flour, soy lecithin, enzymes, ascorbic acid, soybean oil. Monterey Jack Cheese: monterey jack cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes), cheddar cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes, annatto colour), potato starch and powdered cellulose to prevent caking, natamycin (a natural mold inhibitor). Jalapenos (jalapeno peppers, water, distilled vinegar, salt, natural flavors, sodium benzoate (preservative), calcium chloride, sodium metabisulfite (preservative). | Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, soybean oil, yeast, sugar, salt, cultured wheat flour, vinegar, oat bran, oat fiber, enzymes. | Egg whites, cornstarch, modified cornstarch, tapioca starch, palm oil, sugar, distilled monoglycerides, contains less than 2% of the following: yeast, rice bran and germ, salt, natural flavour, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate), pectin, xanthan gum, carbohydrate gum, guar gum, enzyme. | Unbleached wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrite, riboflavin, folic acid), water, non GMO canola oil, cultured wheat flour, malted wheat flour, wheat gluten, salt, sugar, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate, guar gum, inactive dry yeast, soy lecithin, citric acid, enzymes. |
| Allergens | Contains wheat, soy | Contains wheat, soy. | Contains milk, soy, wheat | Contains milk, wheat, soy, sulfites | Contains wheat. May contain milk. | Contains eggs | Contains wheat, soy, barley |
Which Subway Bead is Healthiest?
Overall, Subway’s multigrain bread is the most well-rounded bread option. It is made with whole grains and contains a source of fiber. It is lower in sodium, added sugar than the other bread, and has zero saturated fat. Multigrain bread also has seeds in the ingredient list, such as flax and millet seeds which contribute 2g of healthy unsaturated fats.
Related Content:
Low Sodium Fast Food Options (Complete List A-Z)
Sources:
Subway Nutrition Facts: U.S, Canada
Ingredient List, Subway
Saturated Fat, American Heart Association, 2021
Fats and Oils, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, accessed July 13, 2023.
