When you walk into your local Subway restaurant, you’re immediately hit with a variety of bread choices – Italian herbs and cheese, 9-grain wheat, honey oat, roasted garlic, etc. With so many options, how do you know which bread is the healthiest in terms of calories? If you’re watching your calorie intake or following a specific diet plan like keto or paleo, understanding the calorie differences between breads can help you make smart choices. In this blog post, we talk about What is the lowest calorie bread option at Subway.
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An Overview of Subway’s Bread Selection
Subway prides itself on offering guests plenty of customization options, and that starts with your choice of bread. Here’s a quick rundown of the basic bread varieties offered at Subway:
- Italian (White) Bread: Subway’s classic Italian bread has a soft texture and mild flavor. The Italian herbs and cheese variety adds parmesan and oregano for more flavor.
- 9-Grain Wheat: Made with whole grains like oats, wheat, barley, and rye. It has a heartier texture and nuttier flavor than white bread.
- Honey Oat: Subway’s honey oat bread is another whole grain option, made with oats and sweetened lightly with honey.
- Roasted Garlic: Has a crispy texture and is topped with garlic and parsley for a zesty flavor.
- Flatbreads: Subway offers three varieties – Italian, hearty multigrain, and chipotle southwest. The flatbreads have a thin, crispy texture.
- Wraps: You can also opt to turn any regular Subway sandwich into a wrap using a tomato basil, spinach, or honey wheat wrap.
Figuring Out the Lowest Calorie Bread
When comparing calories between bread options at Subway, you’ll notice some significant differences. Generally, Subway’s wheat and multigrain varieties tend to be lower in calories than the white breads. The flatbreads and wraps offer additional low-calorie alternatives.
Here is a breakdown of the calorie counts in Subway’s breads and wraps:
- 9-Grain Wheat Bread: 80 calories per 6-inch sub
- Honey Oat Bread: 90 calories per 6-inch sub
- Italian (White) Bread: 150 calories per 6-inch sub
- Roasted Garlic Bread: 160 calories per 6-inch sub
- Multigrain Flatbread: 170 calories per full flatbread
- Tomato Basil Wrap: 60 calories per full wrap
- Spinach Wrap: 60 calories per full wrap
- Honey Wheat Wrap: 80 calories per full wrap
As you can see, the 9-grain wheat bread and honey oat bread offer the lowest calorie subs, coming in at just 80-90 calories for a 6-inch sandwich. The spinach and tomato basil wraps are also great low-calorie options at just 60 calories per full wrap!
If you are following a keto or paleo diet, your best bet would likely be the spinach wrap, which cuts out grains entirely. Going wrap-free, the 9-grain wheat bread would be the lowest calorie keto/paleo friendly choice.
Tips for Ordering Low-Calorie at Subway
Ordering a lower calorie sub or wrap at Subway is easy to do with these simple tips:
- Opt for wheat breads over white breads
- Choose veggie-loaded sandwiches
- Ask for easy or light mayo instead of regular mayo-based sauces
- Skip the cheese and other higher calorie toppings
- Go for a spinach or tomato basil wrap for a lower carb option
- Load up on veggies instead of heavy sauces and cheeses
Combining wheat breads or wraps with lots of crisp veggies and going easy on condiments is the key to keeping your Subway sandwich slim in calories. Building your own sub also lets you control the ingredients and portions more carefully.
Sample Low Calorie Subway Order Ideas
Here are some ideas for putting together flavorful, yet diet-friendly subs at Subway:
- Turkey breast sandwich on 9-grain wheat with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, vinegar, and mustard.
- Rotisserie chicken wrap in a spinach wrap with carrots, spinach, banana peppers, and balsamic vinaigrette.
- Veggie Delight on honey oat bread with green peppers, onions, spinach, tomatoes, pickles, jalapeños, and yellow mustard.
- Roasted chicken salad sandwich on multigrain flatbread with plenty of lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and hot sauce.
The combinations are endless when you load up on fresh vegetables and low-calorie sauces. This lets you enjoy flavor and volume without all the calories found in subs made with heavy meats, cheeses, and sauces.
Should You Toast Your Subway Bread?
Toasting your Subway bread adds a nice crunch and can enhance flavor by caramelizing ingredients. However, it does slightly increase the calorie count.
Here is how toasting affects calorie counts:
- 9-Grain Wheat Toasted: 110 calories (vs 80 calories untoasted)
- Honey Oat Toasted: 120 calories (vs 90 calories untoasted)
- Italian Bread Toasted: 180 calories (vs 150 calories untoasted)
As you can see, toasting typically adds about 30 calories to the bread’s count. So if watching calories closely, you may want to skip the toasting. But if you don’t mind a slightly higher calorie count in exchange for added texture and flavor, go for it!
The Lowest Calorie Bread Winner
When counting calories and cutting carbs, the clear winner at Subway is the 9-Grain Wheat bread. With just 80 calories per 6-inch sub, it’s one of the lightest options. The 9-grain wheat offers plenty of fiber and nutrients as well with 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein per serving.
For an even lower carb choice, go for a full spinach wrap which contains about 60 calories and cuts most grain-based carbs. Load it up with vegetables and lean protein for a nutritious low-calorie sandwich option on-the-go.
So next time you visit Subway, opt for wheat breads, veggie-rich fillings, and easy on the sauces if you are aiming for lower calorie subs. Understanding the calorie differences between bread options helps you feel good about your choices. Now you can feel confident ordering Subway’s lowest calorie bread picks! I sincerely hope you find this “What is the lowest calorie bread option at Subway?” article helpful.

Bhawesh Gupta is the lead writer behind NineCalories.com, bringing 4+ years of expertise in nutrition. With B.Sc and M.Sc degrees in Nutrition and membership in the Indian Dietetics Association (IDA), Bhawesh offers valuable insights into dietary science. His work focuses on promoting local foods and clearing up nutrition myths. Connect with Bhawesh on Instagram, where he shares his knowledge with over 371K followers.