Subway spent two decades marketing itself as the healthy fast-food option, and then spent the next decade adding pepperoni, bacon and footlong churros to the menu. Both versions of Subway exist today, on the same board, and the difference between them is entirely down to four decisions you make in the ninety seconds you stand at the counter.
This guide gives you the real numbers for the most-ordered items, shows you where the calories hide, and finishes with three sample builds you can order verbatim.
Calories in popular 6-inch subs
Figures below are for a 6-inch on 9-Grain Wheat with standard cheese and vegetables and no added sauce, rounded to the nearest ten. Double everything for a Footlong.
| 6-inch sub | Calories | Protein (g) | Sodium (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veggie Delite | 230 | 9 | 280 |
| Oven Roasted Turkey | 280 | 19 | 610 |
| Black Forest Ham | 280 | 18 | 700 |
| Rotisserie-Style Chicken | 310 | 26 | 550 |
| Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki | 370 | 25 | 700 |
| Italian B.M.T. | 410 | 20 | 1,120 |
| Cold Cut Combo | 340 | 17 | 980 |
| Tuna | 480 | 20 | 610 |
| Meatball Marinara | 430 | 20 | 870 |
| Steak & Cheese | 380 | 25 | 830 |
| Chicken & Bacon Ranch | 570 | 35 | 1,020 |
Two things jump out. First, protein per calorie is excellent on the chicken and turkey builds — better than almost anything else in fast food. Second, sodium is the real problem, not fat. An Italian B.M.T. Footlong clears 2,200mg before you add pickles, which is most of a day's recommended intake.
The four decisions that actually matter
1. Size
This is the whole ballgame. A Footlong is two 6-inch subs, full stop. If you regularly finish a Footlong at lunch and are trying to lose weight, changing nothing else and ordering a 6-inch with a side salad is worth 400–600 calories a day.
2. Bread
The spread between the lightest and heaviest 6-inch bread is roughly 60–100 calories — real, but smaller than most people assume. Hearty Multigrain and 9-Grain Wheat bring more fibre; Italian Herb & Cheese and flatbread bring more sodium and fat. Going breadless (a No Bready Bowl or salad) removes about 200 calories and 35g of carbohydrate from a 6-inch build.
3. Cheese and toasted extras
Cheese adds 40–60 calories per 6-inch. Bacon adds about 80, double meat 100–200, and avocado roughly 60. None of these are disasters individually; stacked together on a Footlong they add up to a second meal.
4. Sauce
This is where good intentions die. Here is the per-6-inch cost of the common options:
| Sauce | Calories (6-inch serving) |
|---|---|
| Yellow mustard | 5 |
| Red wine vinegar | 0 |
| Sweet onion sauce | 40 |
| Buffalo sauce | 45 |
| Honey mustard | 50 |
| Baja chipotle | 70 |
| Ranch | 110 |
| Mayonnaise | 110 |
| Garlic aioli | 120 |
| Oil blend | 45 |
Mustard and vinegar are effectively free and add more flavour than people expect. If you love ranch, ask for it on the side and dip — you will use half as much.
Three builds you can order word-for-word
Under 400 calories
6-inch Oven Roasted Turkey on 9-Grain Wheat, no cheese, spinach, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, banana peppers, yellow mustard, black pepper, oregano. Roughly 300 calories, 19g protein.
Under 500 calories, high protein
6-inch Rotisserie-Style Chicken on Hearty Multigrain with provolone, all the vegetables, red wine vinegar and a light hand of baja chipotle, toasted. Roughly 440 calories, 29g protein.
Under 700 calories, actually filling
Footlong Turkey Cali Club as a No Bready Bowl with extra spinach, avocado, no mayo, red wine vinegar and cracked pepper. Roughly 640 calories, 45g protein — and it eats like a full dinner.
Allergens, gluten and dietary needs
- Gluten: Subway does not operate a gluten-free kitchen. Salads and No Bready Bowls avoid bread, but shared utensils and surfaces mean cross-contact is likely. Coeliac diners should treat Subway with caution.
- Vegetarian: Veggie Delite is the standing option; add double cheese or avocado for satiety. Ask for clean gloves.
- Vegan: Bread choices vary by market — Italian white is usually the safest — and you will need to skip cheese and mayo-based sauces. Plant-based protein availability is regional.
- Low carb / keto: No Bready Bowls with steak or chicken, cheese, olives and full-fat sauce land comfortably under 15g net carbohydrate.
The honest verdict
Subway is one of the easiest places in fast food to eat well, and one of the easiest to eat badly — the same counter produces a 300-calorie turkey sub and a 1,200-calorie loaded Footlong. Order 6-inch, choose a lean protein, say yes to every vegetable, and treat sauce as a seasoning rather than an ingredient. Do that and Subway comfortably beats almost every drive-thru in the country.
Nutrition figures above are approximate, rounded, and based on standard US builds published by Subway. Regional recipes and portioning vary; always confirm on the official Subway nutrition pages if you have a medical reason to be precise. For what these items cost, see our price guide.
