Quick Answer
A 12 inch tuna sub from Subway contains between 560-1080 calories, depending on the bread, cheese, and sauce options chosen. The tuna salad itself contains around 320 calories in a footlong sub.
Calculating Calories in a Subway Tuna Sub
Determining the calorie count of a Subway tuna sub requires looking at the individual ingredients that make up the sandwich. Here are the main factors that contribute to the total calories:
Bread
The type of bread used for the sub roll significantly impacts the calorie count. Here are the calories for a 12 inch sub roll at Subway:
| Bread Type | Calories |
|---|---|
| Italian White | 260 |
| Italian Herbs & Cheese | 280 |
| 9-Grain Wheat | 220 |
| Honey Oat | 240 |
| Roasted Garlic | 230 |
| Monterey Cheddar | 300 |
| Jalapeño Cheese | 300 |
| Gluten-Free | 220 |
As you can see, the Italian White and Monterey Cheddar rolls are the highest calorie options, while the 9-Grain Wheat and Gluten-Free rolls are lower in calories.
Cheese
Adding cheese to a tuna sub will significantly increase the calories. Here are the calories for a serving of cheese at Subway:
| Cheese | Calories |
|---|---|
| American Cheese | 70 |
| Monterey Cheddar | 50 |
| Pepperjack | 60 |
Going cheese-less on your tuna sub will save you 50-70 calories per serving.
Sauces and Toppings
Sauces and toppings like ranch, chipotle, sweet onion, and honey mustard range from 60-180 calories per tablespoon at Subway. Choosing lite mayo or mustard as your sauce instead of creamy dressings can subtract a significant amount of calories.
Some other ways to reduce the calorie count of your sauces and toppings:
– Get sauces and dressings on the side and use sparingly.
– Opt for a drizzle of oil and vinegar instead of creamy dressings.
– Skip the cheese and additional meat toppings like bacon or pepperoni.
– Choose lots of veggie toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and pickles.
Tuna Salad
The tuna salad itself also contributes a considerable amount of calories. A 12 inch tuna sub at Subway contains around 320 calories from the tuna salad alone. The tuna salad is made with mayonnaise and other ingredients that add to the total calorie count.
Lowest Calorie Option
Using the lowest calorie options for each ingredient, here is one of the lowest calorie footlong tuna subs you can get at Subway:
| Ingredient | Calories |
|---|---|
| 9-Grain Wheat Bread | 220 |
| Tuna Salad | 320 |
| Veggies | 20 |
| Mustard | 0 |
| Total Calories: | 560 |
By choosing 9-grain wheat bread, getting it without cheese, loading up on veggie toppings, and using mustard, you can get a footlong tuna sub with only 560 calories.
Highest Calorie Options
On the opposite end, here is one of the highest calorie footlong tuna subs you can get at Subway:
| Ingredient | Calories |
|---|---|
| Italian White Bread | 260 |
| Tuna Salad | 320 |
| American Cheese | 70 |
| Bacon | 60 |
| Ranch Sauce | 210 |
| Total Calories: | 1080 |
Choosing Italian white bread, adding both American cheese and bacon, and getting it with ranch dressing adds up to a footlong tuna sub with around 1080 calories.
Healthiest Tuna Sub Options
If you are looking to get the most nutrition and cut calories on your Subway tuna sub, here are some of the healthiest options to choose:
Bread
– 9-Grain Wheat or Honey Oat bread to get more fiber and protein.
Cheese
– Go easy on cheese or skip it altogether to limit saturated fat and calories.
Veggies
– Get lots of veggies like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, and onions for extra nutrients and fiber.
Sauce/Dressing
– Mustard, oil and vinegar, or sweet onion sauce are healthier dressing options.
Salt and Oil
– Request low or no salt on your tuna sub. Also ask for it without any extra oil.
Extras
– Limit additional ingredients like bacon, pepperoni, or extra meat to keep saturated fat and sodium in check.
Following these guidelines can help make your tuna sub a more nutritious meal.
Tuna Sub Nutrition Facts
Here is the full nutrition breakdown for a Subway 12 inch tuna submade on Italian bread with American cheese and veggie toppings:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 640 |
| Fat | 24g |
| Carbs | 74g |
| Protein | 38g |
| Fiber | 5g |
| Sugar | 4g |
| Sodium | 1280mg |
Key things to note:
– Fat: A tuna sub gets a good amount of its fat from the mayonnaise-based tuna salad (24g total fat). Choosing light mayo could reduce some of the fat.
– Carbs: Most of the carbs come from the bread. Opting for wheat bread adds more fiber.
– Protein: With 38g protein, the tuna salad provides a good protein punch.
– Sodium: At 1280mg of sodium a tuna sub is quite high in salt, so ordering without extra salt and oil could help reduce your total sodium intake.
– Vitamins/Minerals: You get small amounts of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12 from the tuna salad. Veggie toppings provide vitamins A, C, and K.
So in terms of nutrition, a Subway tuna sub made with lighter options can serve as a relatively balanced meal, providing a mix of protein, carbs, and nutrients. Just watch out for excessive calories, fat, and sodium that can come with certain ingredients like cheese and creamy dressings.
Tuna Sub vs. Other Subway Sandwiches
How does a Subway tuna sub compare to some of their other popular footlong sandwiches calorie and nutrition-wise? Here is a quick comparison:
| Sandwich | Calories | Fat (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuna | 640 | 24 | 38 |
| Turkey | 480 | 8 | 28 |
| Roast Beef | 520 | 12 | 32 |
| Cold Cut Combo | 600 | 20 | 36 |
| Veggie Delite | 230 | 3.5 | 12 |
As you can see, the tuna and cold cut combo tend to be higher in calories and fat compared to roast beef or turkey subs. The Veggie Delite is by far the lowest calorie option.
In terms of protein, tuna subs provide one of the higher amounts with 38g per footlong. The turkey and roast beef subs supply decent protein as well.
So if you are looking for lower fat and calories, turkey or roast beef may be a better choice than tuna. But for max protein, the tuna sub tops the list.
Tips for Building a Healthier Tuna Sub
Here are some tips to lighten up your Subway tuna sub and make it a healthier meal:
– Choose whole wheat or multigrain bread instead of white breads.
– Get a 6 inch sub instead of a footlong to cut calories and carbs in half.
– Skip the cheese and creamy dressings or sauces.
– Opt for lots of veggies and go easy on sauces.
– Ask for tuna with light mayo or oil and vinegar instead of regular mayo.
– Request low or no salt added to the tuna salad.
– Avoid extras like bacon, chips, or cookies to limit fat, carbs, and sugar.
– Cut your sub in half and save one part for leftovers rather than overeating.
Following these guidelines can help reduce your calorie, fat, carb and sodium intake when enjoying a Subway tuna sandwich!
Healthier Alternatives to Tuna Subs
If you are looking for healthier sandwich options at Subway, here are some good low calorie alternatives to tuna subs to consider:
Veggie Delite
Packed with veggies and around 230 calories for a footlong, the Veggie Delite is one of the lowest calorie subs on the menu. You get nutrients from the veggies without all the saturated fat and calories of deli meats.
Turkey and Avocado
Turkey is lower in fat and calories compared to tuna, and fresh avocado adds heart-healthy fats. Order on multigrain bread with mustard and veggies for a nutritious sub.
Roast Beef and Hummus
Hummus gives you protein, fiber and healthy fats. Combined with roast beef on wheat bread, this makes for a filling low-calorie option.
Rotisserie Chicken Salad
The rotisserie chicken salad is lighter than tuna salad, providing protein without all the mayo-based calories and fat.
Veggie Protein Bowl
Choose a veggie protein like falafel, tofu, or black beans over meat for a plant-based protein bowl full of fiber and nutrients.
So if you are looking for lighter alternatives when visiting Subway, consider swapping out tuna for lower-calorie fillings like turkey, chicken, roast beef, hummus or veggies.
Tuna Sub Meal Combinations
Here are some ideas for nutritious meal combinations featuring a 6 inch Subway tuna sub:
Tuna & Veggies
– 6 inch Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sub
– Side salad with oil & vinegar
– Apple slices
– Iced tea
Tuna & Fruit
– 6 inch tuna sub
– Baked chips or apple slices
– Small nonfat milk
– Yogurt parfait with berries
Tuna & Soup
– 6 inch tuna sub
– Broccoli cheddar soup
– Garden side salad
– Diet soda
Tuna Power Bowl
– Tuna salad protein bowl with lettuce, tomato, onion, green peppers
– Hummus
– Greek yogurt
– Whole grain chips
– Sparkling water
Pairing your tuna sub with nutritious sides like salads, fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and broth-based soups can help provide a filling and balanced meal. Stick to water, unsweetened tea, or diet drinks instead of high-calorie sodas and juices.
Should You Eat Subway Tuna Subs While Pregnant?
Eating tuna subs in moderation can be safe during pregnancy as long as certain guidelines are followed. Here are some tips when enjoying Subway tuna subs while pregnant:
– Limit tuna to no more than 6 ounces per week. Too much mercury from fish can be harmful.
– Choose “light” tuna over white or albacore, which tend to be higher in mercury.
– Avoid tuna daily. Stick to 1-2 times per week at most.
– Pick breads and veggies high in folate like spinach, carrots, wheat bread. Folate is crucial for neural tube development.
– Load up on veggies for added vitamins and minerals like vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium.
– Skip high-mercury add-ons like extra seafood or bacon.
– Use low-mercury condiments like mustard, oil and vinegar dressing.
– If cooked seafood smells fishy or off, don’t eat it.
– Make sure your tuna is cooked thoroughly and served fresh, not sitting out.
Consuming tuna in moderation along with plenty of fruits and veggies can allow you to safely enjoy the occasional Subway tuna sub while pregnant. But limit tuna to no more than 1-2 times weekly and avoid other high-mercury fish to keep mercury exposure to a minimum.
Conclusion
In summary, a footlong Subway tuna sub can range from 560-1080 calories depending on the ingredients chosen. Lower calorie options include 9-grain wheat bread, skipping the cheese, limiting sauces, and loading up on veggies. Higher fat and calorie additions like cheese, creamy dressings, and breads like Italian white will increase the total calorie count.
Compared to subs like turkey and roast beef, the tuna sub tends to be higher in calories and fat due to the mayonnaise-based tuna salad. But it provides one of the highest amounts of protein.
To make your tuna sub healthier, opt for light tuna packed in water, choose wheat breads, load up on veggie toppings, go easy on condiments, and pair it with nutritious side items. Consuming tuna in moderation along with plenty of fruits and veggies can allow pregnant women to safely enjoy the occasional Subway tuna sub while limiting mercury exposure.