The 14 Lowest Sodium Options in Subway

If you’re planning on ordering Subway for lunch, but need to keep a check on your sodium levels, what are the best choices you should pick? We’ve found the top 14 lowest sodium options in Subway…

What Counts as Low Sodium?

I’m guessing as you’re reading this you’ve already got a good idea of how much sodium you should be sticking to a day – you might even have a level from your doctor, in which case whatever they’ve told you usurps anything I might say here.

But, if you don’t have a prescribed level and are just trying to stick with a low sodium diet for general health reasons, it’s suggested that we generally consume less than 2300mg a day – and closer to 1500mg is preferred by the American Heart Association.

A food is classed as very low sodium if it contains less than 35mg of sodium, and low sodium if it contains less than 140mg – but, meals are made up of more than one foiod so, what does this mean you should aim for in a meal?

Well, a good rule of thumb is somewhere between 500 and 700mg a meal – which allows a little bit extra for snacks.

Can You Eat Low Sodium at Subway?

You can – if you pick carefully and know what options to avoid.

However, remember that when you’re eating out sodium levels are probably going to be a bit higher than in foods you can make from scratch at home and so, don’t worry too much if you go slightly over – just balance your intake elsewhere in the day.

Also remember, the more veggies you consume, the more potassium you take in – and that helps counteract sodium – so, when you’re ordering at Subway, pile (most of) those veggies high!

So, now you know what to aim for – what does this mean you should be ordering in Subway if you want to keep an eye on your sodium levels.

The Absolute Lowest Sodium Item in Subway Is…

Not surprisingly, it’s the Veggie Delite Salad which has just 75mg of sodium – and an extra 30mg if you top it with Swiss Cheese and an Oil or Oil and Vinegar Dressing.

Admittedly, this is also a very low calorie meal and so you’re going to need to add some extra protein, or low sodium carbs, to it to bulk it out so you’re not hungry later in the day.

Or you could pick one of our other low-sodium Subway Choices.

What’s The Lowest Sodium Sub in Subway?

As you probably know, some of the main contributors to sodium levels in our diet are bread, and processed meats, so, you do need to pick your subs choices carefully at Subway.

The best choice is a 6 inch Veggie Delite which has just 320mg of sodium.

This is also the sub that’s lowest in fat and sodium in Subway. It has zero saturated fat.

Admittedly, the Subway nutritional information is a bit lacking in further detail there – it doesn’t say which bread that is, whether there’s cheese (I’m thinking not), exactly which veggies it has – or allow for condiments.

Make the wrong choices here and you could actually still end up with a sodium packed parcel – so, here’s what you need to know to make sure you’re picking the right choice…

How to Keep Sodium Low at Subway

Pick The Lowest Sodium Bread

The lowest sodium bread in Subway is the Hearty Multigrain Bread which has 310mg of sodium in a 6 inch serving.

Other okay choices would be the 6 inch Italian which has 350mg or the Artisan Flatbread which has 360mg, but the Multigrain also has more fibre so it’s a win win.

Are Subway Wraps Healthier than the Bread?

Not when it comes to sodium content no.

The wraps are the highest sodium options in Subway – they actually contain over double the sodium.

A healthy sounding Spinach Wrap has 780mg of the stuff! First rule of making good choices in Subway, skip the wraps if you’re watching your sodium.

Which Cheese to Pick?

Grated Parmesan and Swiss are the stand out choices – both have under 30mg a serving.

Admittedly, these options aren’t available at every Subway, so of the most commonly carried cheeses, your best choice would be Monterey at 85g of sodium a serving – depending on your topping (and how much you like cheese!), you might want to leave that off.

The highest sodium option is the American at 210mg a serving.

Any Veggies to Avoid?

Generally the best thing you can do in Subway is pile on the veggies. Go to town on cucumbers,, green peppers, lettuce, onions, tomato, sliced avocado and baby spinach as these are all sodium free or at least extremely low, and they supply important potassium.

A few of the other veggies though you need to watch out for -particularly the pickles

Veggie	Sodium Level
Black Olives	25mg
Banana Peppers	65mg
Jalapeno Peppers	70mg
Green Chillis	95mg
Pickles	115mg
Smashed Avocado	130mg
Crinkle Pickles	160mg
Sweet Peppers	170mg

The Lowest Sodium Condiment

Pick the wrong one of these (Franks Buffalo Sauce) and you could add 350mg of sodium to your sandwich, doubling it’s numbers.

Instead, play it safe and choose Oil, Oil and Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar which all contain zero sodium. Yellow Mustard is also an okay option as it has just 10mg – and might go better on a sub.

Other Low(ish) Sodium Subs to Consider

If you follow the rules above and pick a Hearty Multigrain Sub with Grated Parmesan or Swiss (or skip the cheese), no sodium veggies and a no sodium dressing here’s a few other fillings you might want to consider – a few do take you over the 700g limit, but remember, you can offset these by choosing wisely the rest of your day.

Five Other Low(ish) Sodium Subs at Subway

Filling	Total for a Sub (without cheese/sauce)
Tuna	670mg
Rotisserie Style Chicken	710mg
Roast Beef	740mg
Oven Roasted Turkey	790mg
Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki	790mg

So, now you know how to pick the lowest sodium sandwich in Subway, but, what else is on offer?

The Lowest Sodium Salad in Subway

Bread is one of the main contributors to the sodium level in Subway and so by picking a salad you immediately open up your lower-sodium options.

The lowest sodium salad in Subway is again, the Veggie Delite which has just 75mg of sodium (before you add cheese or a dressing) – but, this is also very low in calories and unlikely to keep you full for the afternoon so, you’re going to want to add some protein from somewhere.

You might, therefore, want to pick one of these choices instead – or, bring a low-sodium topping from home.

Salad Topping	Sodium Content
Tuna	390mg
Rotisserie Style Chicken	470mg
Roast Beef	500mg
Oven Roasted Turkey	550mg
Black Forest Ham	570mg

Oh, and while you’d think that anything on a salad would be an okay choice, some of the salads actually contain more sodium than the lower sodium subs – avoid the Buffalo Chicken, Spicy Italian and Chicken and Bacon Ranch which all top 1000mg a serving.

The Lowest Sodium No Bready Bowl

These used to be known as Protein Bowls and they differ from the salads in that they include a larger portion of protein.

This is more likely to keep you full, but, because processed meats are another common source of sodium in the diet, it does reduce your options…

In fact, the only one that fits under our 700mg cut off is the Tuna No Bready Bowl.

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The Salads and No Bready Bowls are also the best choices in Subway if you’re avoiding gluten – although, check our guide to gluten-free Subway to see more about what to be careful about.

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Lowest Sodium Soups

Soup is another common place you’ll find a lot of sodium, and the ones at Subway are not exception.

The lowest sodium soup at Subway is the Beef Chilli with Beans, but it does still contain 810mg per serving.

Other Sides

The other sides in Subway are of the potato chip variety – and I’m guessing we don’t need to tell you that these are going to send your sodium levels above that healthy cut off.

The Cookies have lower sodium levels, but they do contain sugar and fat so, also possibly aren’t the choice your doctor would have you make!

If you need to increase the volume of your meal in Subway, you’re better off adding an extra Veggie Delite Salad than going for the sides.

So, there you have it, the best choices to order in Subway if you’re watching your sodium. If your favourite isn’t listed, then you’ll find a full list of the sodium content in Subway meals in their nutritional information.

IF you have any more questions, pop them in the comments and I’ll do my best to help you out.

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