Review: Subway's Breakfast Menu

I've said it more times than I care to recall: You must eat breakfast!

There's no getting around this. In order to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight -- I'll say it again -- you must eat breakfast! 

Not only does it kick start your metabolism into a fat burning machine, don't you just feel better and less cranky during the day when you've had a healthy meal first thing in the morning? Healthy. Not a bunch of sugary junk. My quick go-to option that I can prepare at home in a hurry, is oatmeal with sugar-free strawberry preserves.

OK, now that we're clear, I'm sure that by now, you're well aware of Subway's newest addition: the breakfast menu.

For busy people who can't fit breakfast in before leaving the house, opting for a breakfast sandwich from the  fast food restaurant that has built its brand around weight loss -- remember Jared? -- seems like the best option, right?

Well, the folks over there at Subway must be doing something correct. Next month, the restaurant will be accepting the 2011 MenuMasters Award by Nation's Restaurant News for their "Build Your Better Breakfast" offerings. The award recognizes excellence in menu research and development.

It would be reasonable to think, "This sounds great, the menu must be healthy. It won the restaurant an award after all."

Not so fast. The award isn't recognizing only healthy menus. Popeye's along with a few other restaurants, also are recipients of the award.

The nutrition facts will show how healthy Subway's breakfast sandwiches are. Let's take a look.*

Double Bacon, Egg & Cheese
Thumbs down! At first glance, this sandwich doesn't look too bad having 420 calories. But, it has 1,220 mg of sodium. That is 51% of you daily allowance. It also has 18g of fat, which is high. This sandwich isn't the healthiest option.

Black Forest Ham, Egg & Cheese
Thumbs up! I really like this one. It only has 170 calories, 4 g of fat, 24 g of carbs, 14 g of protein and 610 mg of sodium. That's a good amount of protein and all the numbers are relatively low. This is my favorite breakfast menu item.

Breakfast B.M.T.
Thumbs up! With 220 calories, 8 g of fat, 25 g of carbs and 16 g of protein this sandwich looks pretty good. It does have 860 mg of sodium, which is a little high. So if you choose this option, you'll have to be careful about your sodium intake in the rest of your day's meals.

Egg & Cheese
Thumbs down! Coming in with 360 calories, 12 g of fat, 44 g of carbs, 19 g of protein and 890 mg of sodium, it doesn't seem that terrible. Like the previous sandwich, the sodium is on the high side. That along with the relatively high number of carbs (especially, if you're watching your carb intake), and the amount of fat being on the higher side, I would suggest a different sandwich.

Steak, Egg & Cheese
Thumbs down! This sandwich is loaded with 1,260 mg of sodium! This is 53% of your daily allowance. With the sodium being that high, it's not necessary to even consider the remaining  nutrition stats. This is definitely not the most healthy option.

Sunrise Subway Melt
Thumbs up! I like this one. The sodium content of 830 mg is a bit high, so if you choose this option, you'll have to be careful about your sodium intake for the rest of the day. I like the other stats; calories are 210, 6 g of fat, 26 g of carbs and 18 g of protein. This option is fine.

Western Egg & Cheese
Thumbs down! This sandwich has the most sodium of all the sandwiches with a whopping 1,430 mg of sodium!  That is entirely too high. This really is not the most healthy option regardless of the other stats.

The winners:

• Black Forest Ham, Egg & Cheese
• Breakfast B.M.T.
• Sunrise Subway Melt

The above three sandwiches appear to be the best options from the menu. As with all fast food, sodium content tends to be very high and you have to pay close attention to that as well as the other nutritional information when making your selection.

The ideal is always to prepare your own food, but if you find yourself in a bind, you want to make the best choice possible. That way you won't take a bad situation (skipping breakfast) and make it worse (muffin and coffee).

  

*This review is based on my education as a personal trainer and opinion only. I am not a registered dietitian. If you have specific concerns or questions about your diet, you should consult your physician.