Subway is one of the largest and most popular fast food chains, with locations all over the world. Many health-conscious customers wonder if Subway’s wraps can be part of a low-carb diet. This article will examine the carb content of Subway’s wrap options to determine if they fit into a low-carb eating plan.
What is considered low carb?
There is no universally agreed upon definition of what constitutes “low carb.” However, most experts consider meals or snacks that contain less than 40-50 grams of carbohydrates to be low carb. For some people, especially those following very strict low-carb diets like keto, anything over 20-30 grams of carbs is not considered low carb. When looking at the carb content of Subway’s wraps, we’ll use a benchmark of 45 grams of carbs or less to classify it as low carb. This allows for some flexibility while still staying within restricted carb limits.
Nutritional information on Subway wraps
Subway offers several wrap options, including wheat, tomato basil, spinach, and more. The carb content can vary greatly depending on the type of wrap and fillings you choose. Here are some of the nutrition facts for Subway’s wrap offerings:
9-Grain Wheat Wrap
– Plain wrap (no fillings): 46g carbs
– Chicken & Bacon Ranch Wrap: 63g carbs
– Steak & Cheese Wrap: 52g carbs
– Veggie Wrap: 51g carbs
Tomato Basil Wrap
– Plain wrap: 42g carbs
– Oven Roasted Chicken Wrap: 53g carbs
– Cold Cut Combo Wrap: 48g carbs
– Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Wrap: 58g carbs
Spinach Wrap
– Plain wrap: 37g carbs
– Tuna Wrap: 44g carbs
– Turkey, Bacon & Guac Wrap: 51g carbs
– Chicken Caesar Wrap: 48g carbs
As you can see, the spinach wrap has the lowest carb count of Subway’s wrap options. The 9-grain wheat wrap tends to be the highest in carbs. Fillings also impact the carb content, with ingredients like cheese, ranch dressing, and bacon adding more carbs than vegetables and lean protein.
Can you get a low carb wrap at Subway?
Based on the nutritional information provided above, some of Subway’s wraps can fit into a low-carb diet, while others contain too many carbs. Here are some tips for ordering a low-carb wrap at Subway:
– Choose the spinach wrap as your base – it has around 10 fewer grams of carbs than the wheat or tomato basil wraps.
– Load up on low-carb veggies like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cucumbers to add volume without carbs.
– Opt for lean proteins like chicken, turkey, or roast beef. Avoid fatty meats like bacon or pepperoni.
– Say no to cheese, ranch dressing, and other high-carb sauces and condiments. Stick to mustard, oil & vinegar, or subsauce to keep carbs down.
– Skip starchy veggies like corn and potatoes that drive up the carb count.
– Go easy on carb-heavy toppings like banana peppers, croutons, and olives.
Following these guidelines can help you build a wrap with around 30-40 net grams of carbs. The spinach wrap with turkey, veggies, mustard, and oil comes in at 37g carbs. A chicken caesar wrap made with a spinach wrap, grilled chicken, lettuce, and parmesan is around 43g carbs. These fit within limits for a low-carb meal.
Lowest carb wrap options at Subway
If you want to maximize the nutrition and minimize the carbs, these are some of the best low-carb wrap choices at Subway:
Spinach Wrap
The spinach wrap is the clear winner when it comes to keeping carbs low. Here are some great filling options:
– Spinach wrap with roast beef, spinach, onion, tomato, green peppers, cucumber, mustard. Carb count: 36g
– Spinach wrap with rotisserie chicken, lettuce, bell peppers, onions, mustard. Carb count: 32g
– Spinach wrap with tuna, spinach, onion, tomato, mustard. Carb count: 37g
Tomato Basil Wrap
The tomato basil wrap has slightly more carbs than the spinach wrap, but it can still be an option if you havecarb room in your diet:
– Tomato basil wrap with turkey, spinach, tomato, onion, mustard. Carb count: 41g
– Tomato basil wrap with roast beef, lettuce, onion, tomato, mustard. Carb count: 40g
– Tomato basil wrap with rotisserie chicken, bell peppers, guacamole, lettuce. Carb count: 43g
Salads
Order any salad and ask for it to be wrapped in a spinach or tomato basil wrap instead of getting bread on the side. This eliminates an extra 15-20g of carbs from the bread.
Some examples:
– Steak & cheese salad wrap – 45g carbs
– Chicken caesar salad wrap – 37g carbs
– Roast beef and greek salad wrap – 42g carbs
Tips for ordering a custom low-carb wrap at Subway
While their standard wraps may not fit a low-carb diet, Subway does offer enough customization options to create your own lower-carb wrap. Here are some suggestions:
– Ask for a spinach or tomato basil wrap instead of their 9-grain wheat or white options.
– Choose lean proteins like grilled chicken, turkey, or roast beef. Avoid fatty proteins that often come with heavy sauces (meatballs, BMT, pepperoni, bacon).
– Load up with fresh veggies: spinach, lettuce, tomato, onion, peppers, cucumbers are all low-carb options.
– Sauces and condiments can sneak in carbs, so stick with mustard, oil & vinegar, vinegar, ranch. Avoid sweet sauces like honey mustard or sweet onion.
– Say no to cheese, which packs in carbs and saturated fat.
– Ask them to go very light on high-carb toppings like banana peppers, jalapenos, and olives.
– Consider getting a salad wrapped in a spinach or tomato basil wrap instead of having the bread on the side.
Following these guidelines can help you build a wrap to suit your low-carb needs. Feel free to customize with your favorite fresh vegetables to increase nutrition without spiking carbs.
Low-carb side options
Rather than choosing starchy side dishes that come with regular sandwiches and wraps, there are some low-carb friendly sides at Subway that pair well with a custom wrap:
– Veggie tray with ranch for dipping
– Green salad with oil & vinegar dressing
– Apple slices – around 15g carbs for a small side
– Yogurt parfait made with plain Greek yogurt and berries
– Soups like chicken noodle or broccoli cheddar
Getting a side salad, veggies & dip, or yogurt parfait can help fill your meal out while keeping carbs in check.
Keto-friendly wrap options
For those on a keto diet that restricts carbs to 20-30g per meal, Subway does offer some wrap choices that can fit into your plan:
– Spinach wrap or lettuce wrap with double meat and lots of veggies
– Salads wrapped in spinach wrap with no croutons or sugary dressing
– Egg white and spinach wrap – add veggies, mustard, hot sauce
– Tuna wrap made with spinach wrap, extra veggies, and mustard
Just watch your vegetable choices – onions, tomato, and peppers are lower carb than corn, potatoes, and fruit. Avoid sugary sauces and stick with mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar, and hot sauce to add flavor without carbs.
Low-carb breakfast wrap options
In addition to their lunch and dinner wraps, Subway does offer some suitable breakfast wraps if you are low-carb:
– Egg white & spinach wrap
– Bacon, egg whites & cheese wrap on spinach wrap
– Western egg whites wrap with peppers, onions, spinach wrap
– Ham, egg whites, & cheese wrap
– Steak, egg whites, and cheese wrap
Focus on egg whites and veggies instead of fatty meats and carb-heavy cheese and sauces. Overall the egg white wraps are your best low-carb choice for breakfast.
Comparisons to other fast food wraps
Compared to wraps from other popular fast food chains, Subway’s low-carb options are fairly competitive:
| Restaurant | Wrap | Net Carbs |
|---|---|---|
| Subway | Spinach Wrap with Turkey | 37g |
| Panera | Smoked Turkey Wrap | 53g |
| McDonald’s | Ranch Grilled Chicken Wrap | 30g |
| Wendy’s | Grilled Chicken Wrap | 32g |
| Starbucks | Roasted Chicken & Hummus Wrap | 45g |
As you can see, Subway’s lower carb wraps are competitive with and sometimes lower in carbs than other leading fast food chains. McDonald’s and Wendy’s wraps edge out Subway’s by a few grams of carbs. However, Subway’s customization allows you to potentially remove carbs through sauces and toppings.
Low-carb dos and don’ts
To make sure your Subway wrap fits into a low-carb eating plan, here are some dos and don’ts to follow:
Do:
– Choose spinach, tomato basil, or lettuce wrap
– Load up with veggies
– Stick with lean proteins like chicken, turkey, and roast beef
– Use mustard, oil & vinegar, vinegar, ranch, salt, and pepper for flavor
– Skip the cheese and fatty proteins like bacon or pepperoni
– Order salads as wraps without croutons or sugary dressing
Don’t:
– Order the 9-grain wheat or white wrap options
– Add lots of cheese or bacon
– Use sweet or sugary sauces like honey mustard or sweet onion
– Get starchy vegetables like corn, potatoes, and fruit
– Overdo high-carb veggies like onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers
– Pair with sugary soda, juices, or baked goods
Following these simple guidelines can lead you to a delicious and nutritious low-carb Subway wrap to satisfy your cravings.
Sample low-carb Subway wraps
To give you some ideas for building your own Subway wrap, here are a few tasty sample combinations that keep carbs low:
The Classic
– Spinach wrap
– Turkey, ham, or roast beef
– Lettuce
– Onions
– Tomato
– Cucumber
– Green peppers
– Mustard
The Italian
– Tomato basil wrap
– Salami or pepperoni
– Banana peppers
– Onion
– Lettuce
– Tomato
– Cucumber
– Oregano
– Oil & vinegar
The Tex-Mex
– Lettuce wrap
– Fajita chicken
– Pico de gallo
– Lettuce
– Jalapeno
– Hot sauce or salsa
The Greek
– Spinach wrap
– Chicken
– Feta cheese
– Tomato
– Cucumber
– Red onion
– Lettuce
– Greek dressing
There are endless low-carb possibilities for your custom wrap creations at Subway. Use these ideas as inspiration to build a wrap that suits your preferences.
Low-carb wrap hacks
Here are some extra tips and tricks for getting an ultra low-carb wrap at Subway:
– Ask for a lettuce wrap instead of a flour wrap to slash carbs even more.
– Get a salad with dressing on the side and have them wrap it in lettuce leaves rather than bread or a wrap.
– Order double meat and load up with extra veggies for a hefty, filling wrap with fewer carbs.
– Ask them to steam the vegetables to reduce the carb count compared to raw veggies.
– Skip the cheese and sauces or ask for very light amounts to minimize added carbs.
– If ordering breakfast, opt for egg whites rather than whole eggs to cut fat and carbs.
– Only use half of the wrap and keep the other half for leftovers to effectively cut the carbs in half.
With small customizations, you can hack Subway’s wraps to be very low-carb meal options. Follow these suggestions to cut more carbs and get the perfect keto wrap.
Lowest carb wrap at Subway
The lowest carb wrap option at Subway is a customized salad wrap in a lettuce leaf, which can clock in at under 10g net carbs. To build one, follow these steps:
– Start with a base of lettuce leaves instead of a flour tortilla.
– Choose a salad with low-carb ingredients:
– For protein, get grilled chicken, roast beef, turkey, or ham.
– For veggies, load up with spinach, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green peppers, onions.
– Avoid starchy vegetables like corn, potatoes, and beans.
– Skip high-sugar veggies like carrots and fruit.
– Ask for dressing and croutons on the side, and use just a drizzle of vinegar and oil.
– Optional: Add a small amount of shredded cheese like cheddar or feta.
– Have them wrap the salad up into lettuce leaves.
This will create a wrap with just lettuce as the carb source, giving you an ultra low-carb meal at under 10g net carbs if you skip croutons and sugary dressing.
Is a Subway wrap low carb? Conclusion
Subway’s wrap selection can range quite a bit in terms of carb content based on many customizable options. The standard wraps made with white or wheat tortillas are too high in carbs for most low-carb diets. However, creating a custom wrap using healthier ingredients can result in a satisfying low-carb meal.
The keys are choosing a spinach, tomato basil, or lettuce wrap as the base, loading up with non-starchy veggies, limiting fatty proteins and cheese, and avoiding sugary sauces. Following these tips and keeping total carbs under 45g can give you a delicious Subway wrap that fits into a low-carb eating plan. While wraps from chains like McDonald’s or Wendy’s may be slightly lower in carbs, Subway allows you to leave certain ingredients off to reduce carbs. Overall, with some carb-conscious customizations, many of Subway’s wraps can be a tasty low-carb option for lunch or dinner.
