SUBWAY Diet not so healthy after all?

www.yahoo.com...

this was a lead in story to yahoo, it just shows how some subway meals have alot more calories then people think they do.

myself being a personal trainer thought i might start a thread where people who are currently eating subway as part of a healthy eating "plan". (don't like the term diet, as it assumes the change in eating is temporary) could make sure they are making smart choices and not falling into the trap that subway's marketing has laid for the hungry and unaware consumer.

One of the biggest choices one can make when buying a meal (at any subway, fast food or general sit down resteraunt) is the DRINK you wash you meal down with. Why? well a 16 oz apple juice from subway has about 320 calories (160 per 8 oz. serving) A snapple (not diet) is about the same , and roughly 350 or so calories for a 24 oz coke.

Not to mention these calories are from SUGAR. I would like to add two personal observations i have made through experience eating, experience altering clients eating habits, as well as confirmations from dieticians, and body builders. If you combine saturated fats and sugars in the same meal you are more likely to store these calories as fat. Also if you combine sugar OR fat with alcohol the calories are more likely to be stored as fat.
With that being said or not the above points could stand alone (from just a calorie perspective, if you don't agree with my experiences or observations)

Also the chips, cookie, or fries that go with the meal can add appox 200-400 calories of high glycimic carbs and or fats to the total caloric total. Especially if you are dining at a subway the 300 or so calories from juice, and the 200 or so, from the whole grain chips equals 500 calories that go against your goals of trimming up, not to mention the insulin response from all the added carbohydrates (appox 100 grams of carbs) in the juice and chips together. I mentioned this because most people would think juice and whole wheat chips may be part of a healthy meal. But what you need to focus on is TOTAL calories, not to mention avoid combining fats (such as cheese , and mayo) on your sub, and if you can't do that, by all means dont combine these fats with sugars (like those found in the juices).

I understand changing eat habits toward a more healthy life style can be difficult but if you follow the simple rules of drinking water, or diet sode, and avoiding chips (no matter what kind) and mayo and cheese than you can pretty much win the battle when eating out.

P.S don't eat the pre meal bread at dinner either, and if you need some alcohol ( entertaining clients at dinner, lol ) order it straight up (or with a diet red bull or pepsi) and don't eat after you start drinking (drink water w/ your meal and save the wine for after) your abs and heart will thank u

any comments?

[edit on 20-11-2007 by cpdaman]

Good points. I was a personal trainer as well, once upon a time. I noticed that most people seem to have a hard time understanding portion sizes. If you eat a foot long sandwitch with mayo and cheese, you are getting a lot of carbs and fat. I mean it comes down to common sense with eating choices and sadly, most overweight people either don't use it or don't have the willpower to do it.

I think it is funny that yahoo is trying to smear subway. When, realistically... in the fast food world, you can do A LOT worse than subway. If you go to subway, you can make some genuinely healthy choices. That can't really be said for people going to McDonalds.

You are right about the beverage choice as well. Many people just don't realize just how quickly those empty calories pile up when you are drinking your fountain drink.

what i think is sad is the number of people "choosing" fast food outlets for any reason and still believing they are making "healthy" choices at all, hell the unprocessed foods we eat are tainted enough let alone the processed garbage we consume each day at fast food outlets.....

That lead story was on about mayo, sugar drink chips and a footlong.

How much for 24 oz water footlong honey oat, chicken breast, cheese, double lettuce, double tomato, double green pepper, double hot peppers and sprinkled with parmesan cheese toasted ( yes after vegs added ).

Tastes like a pizza.

puzzled i would say you looking at about 600

not that bad, especially if you stay away from cookie, or chips that may come with it.

the best idea would be to split the meal into two halves and eat about 2.5 to 3 hours apart, or get the 6 inch with Double meat (save about 100 calories) in less bread and half the cheese , but i may be nit picking

I saw the story on the news this weekend on the different fast food restaurants and the caloric chart that they have to display.

Funny but the charts are designed on a way that it no only get you confuse but it brakes out on smaller charts that when you add all the goodies up their subs are not as healthy and low caloric as they claim.

Just eat your sub plain and simple and forget about the sauces and mayo.

...but you're getting 'bad food' in their breads anyway (HFCS), fattening/unhealthy, unless you're one w/ "good metabolism" -- and for the rest of their products, well, read on:

Subway

If a sandwich is advertised as healthy, one would expect that the bread would be whole grain. Not so with Subway’s wheat bread. While it does have some whole wheat flour, it’s the third ingredient, listed just before high fructose corn syrup [4]. None of Subway’s breads are whole grain. Ammonium sulfate (a fertilizer) is also added. Unfinished sandwiches may be composted. The bread also contains azodicarbonamide. From Wikipedia,

Use of azodicarbonamide as a food additive is banned in Australia. In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive has identified azodicarbonamide as a respiratory sensitiser (a possible cause of asthma) and determined that products should be labeled with May cause sensitisation by inhalation [5].

Most of the meats at Subway contain MSG and/or sodium nitrite.

rinf.com...

Agreed. What's the need for all that bread?

Is it a conspiracy from the grain industry? I haven't eaten bread in about two years.

If you're going to eat that stuff get thin crust pizza once a month. Make your 'sandwiches' by using a wrap of a lettuce leaf instead of bread. Very low calories and tastes just as good on a hamburger.

It's well known that deli meats contain a lot of preservatives and additives. I gave you a star, ahinga.

Excellent link on the hidden additives in fast food.


[edit on 20-11-2007 by Badge01]

reply to post by Badge01


Whole wheat(s) are good for most -- when there is NO additives in them. Why do *they* do it? Because HFCS is a big business industry, and one of the main reasons/artificial substances that is a SUGAR RUSH addictive and it keeps 'customers' coming for more, just in case they didn't like the sandwich 'enough'.

Thanks for the kind words Badge!

Like I mentioned though, (good) grains should be a staple in most people's diets, minus the HF corn syrup. Although, it's common to be allergic to some grains, people who truly care about your health should see an allergist for more info.

[edit on 20-11-2007 by anhinga]

whole wheat is not that healthy anyway, especially when you look at your insulin response to carbs, known as the glycemic index , whole wheat bread is not that much lower than white bread. i mean flour is still the main ingredient.

For a bread that is HEALTHY and TASTES good (to me and some friends) I buy EZEKIAL bread (no flour or preservatives it must be refrozen then defrosted for 12 seconds in microwave).

it comes in a cinnamon raison which is tasty , BUT each slice does have 110 or so calories, but it is a healthier way to start you day than with a bagel.

nothing beats german Schwarzbrot

cant get healthier then that

For the biggest health gimmick enter via the Subway

Nothing like paying $10 million to get an American Heart Association seal of approval on your "healthy" product.

Oh and... moving this to the medical forum.
.

reply to post by cpdaman


Agreed, I meant certain grains on the bread like millet, flaxseed, brown rice and a couple others are needed for any diet. Even the junk science, FDA has them on it's pyramid.

The bread you mention is also called sprouted bread which is pretty good for people.

...on the edit: also, stay away from Subway's vegetarian sandwiches -- their ingredient is soy protein isolate which is common in a lot of faux health foods today. It's digested the same as HFCS -- all filler, addictive w/ no nutrients.

Whole Foods are common in most cities today, it's worth to visit their 'takeout' food counters for lunch sometimes or the obvious 'bring your' lunch. Try to avoid this and other 'sandwich' places, the breads aren't good for you and should you check that Mickey D's post floating around -- they're into all kinds of toxics.

[edit on 20-11-2007 by anhinga]

To be honest I dont think many people buy a subway sandwich for its healthy and nutritional value, I'd tend to bet money on it being simply a place you can call in and grab a bite to eat to fill in a hunger hole with a nice munch.
If you want healthy, grab an apple.

reply to post by anhinga


Yes you are right I have been eating Ezekiel for years now, taste better toasted with peanut butter.

Buy I love their Cinnamon raisin one I can eat that one just the way it is.

Well after this threat I guess I will be skipping subway wraps and salads for now on.

To be honest, i think they do, otherwise

subway wouldn't have spent the millions on marketing

not to mention Gools link for scratching the fda's back to get a heart seal of approval.....

and i'd also be willing to bet a large chunk of people feel the same way as you stated " a place to fill your hunger hole" or something like that.

I feel the same way sometimes, and i like their 6 inch honey oat, double meat (chicken) no cheese, or mayo , but i love their SW sauce, with a water.

[edit on 20-11-2007 by cpdaman]

Everything in this nation is run by corporate groups and just like they pay lobbyist to run our government so they pay for about everything else.

I think if people were just wanting ot fill their "holes" theres alot of other options out there that taste better then subway. I go about twice a week as an alternative to packing my lunch , and i have sworn off mcd, bk and the others. It has to be better for you then the typical drive thru meal.

Question to the trainers concerning the soft drink side of the post. I quit soda , i have a significant sweet tooth and a distaste for stevia and artificial sweetners. I have switched to O.J not from concentrate and dole 100% juice from the cooler. I know the calories are very high. The actual calories are not my concern it is putting something into my body that actually benefits it that is my concern. Is the sugar in the juice just as bad for me as the sugar from the soda ... is it all the same or different. Should i go back to soda and just take a vitamin???

reply to post by marie4954


Never go back to soda -- 100% pure, the pureness is the key, juice is 'good sugar' and you NEED numerous servings of fruit a day -- absolutely keep doing what you're doing -- just try to make sure your juices are free of 'high-fructose corn syrup' (HFCS) -- tests have proven it up to 500 times sweeter/ effective on the body, then 'cane sugar' or fruit sugars. Plus, don't see the name HFCS as natural, in the process of creating it, the sweetener becomes 'artificial' thus semi-toxic, at least for weight-gain and addiction.

All the more reason to avoid Subway sandwich breads. Yuck. MSG (toxic) in their meats, 'soy isolate' in their 'veggie' patty, I haven't read about their salads... yet.

[edit on 21-11-2007 by anhinga]

yes you need servings of fruit a day, but an apple has 90 calories, and juice (16 0z) has 30o or so.

my sister was tring to get lean and every day before her morning run would drink a large glass of Oj, and sure she had a healthy heart from running, but didn't lose much weight.

she switched to water before her run like i told her ( and fruit to after a weight workout ) when your body craves and needs sugars and over 2 months lost 8 pounds and a couple inches.

you are also better off eating fruit becuase liquid calories tend not to fill one's appetite up

if someone is happy with their weight and not trying to get leaner and willing to gain a couple , by all means drink alot of 100% juice.

cherry's, grapefruit's, apple's, dried apricots are good sources but i cant stress enough, if you want to lose weight, or get a bit leaner and still get your fruit's from natural sources, eat them after a weight workout / or body sculpting workout when your body has burnt up is glycogen stores and craves it.

[edit on 21-11-2007 by cpdaman]