When you find yourself looking for a quick takeout sandwich, you may or may not think about a low sodium Subway sandwich. It’s true, there are low sodium options at Subway that can be part of a healthy diet to keep your blood pressure at a normal level.
Keep reading to find out more about some of Subway’s lowest sodium options and what to avoid!
Benefit of following a low sodium diet
Following a diet low in sodium can have a great impact on your heart health, especially keeping your blood pressure within a normal range.
The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 2300 milligrams per day of sodium. Some people with high blood pressure may benefit from reducing sodium intake to just 1500 mg per day.
What foods are high in sodium?
Generally speaking, highly processed and take out foods tend to be very high in sodium. Fried foods, deli meats, sauces, condiments, and prepackaged foods are just a few things that can have upwards of 750 – 1000 mg of sodium per serving.
However, just because these foods are typically high in sodium, does not mean that there are not low sodium options available.
Low Sodium at Subway
Subway can be a great option for a quick and convenient meal. Despite having some high sodium options, there are some great low sodium options too! Subway has all nutrition information available online, where you can see the sodium content of all their foods as well as other key nutritional facts such as calories or saturated fats.
First, choose the bread
Believe it or not, even bread can be high in sodium. So when building a sandwich at Subway, it is important to choose wisely.
Two of the lowest sodium choices are the 6 inch heart multigrain bread with 310 mg or the 6 inch Artisan Italian bread with 350 mg of sodium.
It may come as a shock that the two choices with the highest amount of sodium are the Gluten free bread at a whopping 800 mg and the spinach wrap at 780 mg! People may see these as healthy options, but do not realize they can be packing in a lot of sodium.
Next comes the meat and cheese…
Many cheeses can be naturally high in sodium. Subway has two choices that are fairly low sodium options and they are the swiss cheese and the mozzarella cheese, at 30 and 55 gm respectively.
If adding meat onto the sandwich, some of the best choices include the grilled chicken (210 mg), tuna (310 mg), or the veggie patty (320 mg). The meats that should be avoided include the buffalo grilled chicken (900 mg), the spicy italian meats (930 mg), or the meatballs (700 mg).
Adding the extras…
Any of the veggie choices are a great option to add a punch of nutrition without loading in the sodium. The only one to be wary of are the sweet peppers which could add on 150 mg of sodium.
When adding condiments, the best choices are oil, vinegar, or red wine vinegar as these are all sodium-free. However if you are looking for something with more flavor, the honey mustard, mayo, or sweet onion sauce can all be good options.
Make it even lower in sodium
Whether it’s for a Subway sandwich or another meal option, it is always important to remember that you can ask for a small portion of the cheese or sauce. Or ask for the saice on the side, so you can control the amount that goes onto the sandwich.
So, for example if you were really craving one of the higher sodium choices, you do not need to avoid it all together.
Takeaways
When following a heart healthy diet, it is crucial to pay attention to the sodium content in the foods you are eating. Typically home made foods will be lower in sodium because you can control everything going into the food.
However, nearly everyone experiences times where it is simply necessary to eat out. Looking at nutrition information available at restaurants can help you make informed decisions about the foods you purchase.
As always, completely avoiding some of your favorite foods will cause you to just crave them more and put you at higher risk for overindulging in the future. It is always recommended to consume a smaller portion of the food if it is something you really want or are craving.
Remember to always discuss a change in your diet with your doctor.
