Subs can be a tasty and convenient meal option when you’re on the go. Two of the biggest sub shop chains are Subway and Quiznos. While both offer a variety of breads, meats, cheeses, veggies, and sauces to customize your sandwich, they have some key differences when it comes to nutrition and health. In this article we talk about Subway vs. Quiznos-A Health Nut’s Guide to Subs.
Ingredients & Options
Both Subway and Quiznos offer freshly baked breads, vegetable toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and pickles, and protein options like turkey, ham, roast beef, tuna, and chicken. However, Quiznos tends to have more premium meat choices like angus steak and Italian meats. Quiznos also offers more cheese choices, including swiss, cheddar, pepper jack, and provolone.
Subway has a wider variety of bread options, including 9-grain wheat, honey oat, Italian herbs & cheese, and flatbread. Quiznos breads are more traditional white or wheat. For sauces and spreads, Subway has light mayo, mustard, oil and vinegar, sweet onion sauce, and fat-free honey mustard. Quiznos has mayo, mustard, hot peppers, balsamic vinaigrette, basil pesto, and buttermilk ranch.
So if you’re looking for more whole grain bread options, lighter sauces, or simple veggie subs, Subway has better customization. But if you want more high-end meats and cheese or richer sauces, Quiznos offers greater indulgence.
Calories & Nutrition
As a health-conscious sub eater, you probably care about calories, carbs, fat, and other nutritional values. When customizing your subs, both Quiznos and Subway offer healthy as well as diet-busting options.
For example, a 6-inch Subway Roast Beef sub comes in at 320 calories with 41g carbs and 9g fat. A small Quiznos Italian sub with pepperoni, salami, and ham contains 560 calories, 36g fat, and 48g carbs. The Quiznos sub has more than double the calories!
But Subway’s footlong Meatball Marinara sub packs a whopping 1020 calories, 57g fat, and 123g carbs. Quiznos’ Chicken Carbonara sub has 710 calories, 26g fat, and 73g of carbs. So both chains also have indulgent options too.
Overall, Subway tends to have more low-calorie and low-fat options on the menu. But it also has very high-calorie footlong subs. Quiznos small subs tend to have more calories than Subway’s six-inch options. But Quiznos large subs are usually lower in calories than Subway Footlongs. Choosing whole grain bread, lots of veggies, and lean meats while limiting fatty sauces and cheeses can keep subs relatively healthy at both chains.
Nutritional Information Accessibility
For counting calories, carbs, sodium, or other nutrients, it’s important that nutritional information is easily accessible. Subway provides complete nutrition facts charts online for all menu items. So you can study up before ordering your perfect healthy sub combo. Quiznos only provides approximate calorie counts and nutrition badges like low-carb or low-fat on its online menu. To get all the details, you need to ask for a printed guide in the restaurant. So Subway definitely gives health-focused customers more of the info they need upfront.
Vegetarian & Vegan Options
Veggie subs are naturally healthier, packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber without the saturated fats found in most meats and cheeses. Both sandwich chains cater to plant-based diets, but options vary.
Subway has exclusive vegetarian and vegan signature sandwiches like the Veggie Delite and Malibu Garden. Quiznos doesn’t offer any meatless subs, but you can build your own combo. For ingredients, Subway has more vegetables to pile onto subs, while Quiznos offers better non-meat proteins like guacamole and hummus. Overall Subway is more vegetarian and vegan friendly.
Gluten-Free & Low Carb Choices
For people avoiding gluten or cutting carbs, sub shops can be tricky. But both Subway and Quiznos have options. Subway has lettuce wrap sandwiches and also gluten-free bread or wraps available in some locations. Quiznos doesn’t offer gluten-free baked goods, but has low-carb lettuce wraps.
Subway’s 9-Grain Wheat and Honey Oat breads pack more fiber and nutrients than white rolls. At Quiznos you’re stuck with white or wheat bread, so lower carb options are limited. For low-glycemic diets, Subway is better to keep blood sugar steady. But Quiznos lettuce wraps make a decent gluten-free, keto, or paleo sub substitute.
Ingredients Quality & Sourcing
Health-wise, it’s not just calories and carbs that count. Ingredient quality is also key when feeding your body. Subway advertises 100% whole grain breads without high-fructose corn syrup. Its chicken is antibiotic-free. Subway also has mandatory standards for produce suppliers regarding food safety and sustainable farming practices.
Quiznos doesn’t promote any special diet-friendly ingredients. The company was criticized in past years for using questionable chicken suppliers. While food quality and standards may have improved, transparency still lags behind Subway. If wholesome ingredients are important to your health, Subway seems a safer bet.
Customization & Portion Control
One advantage sub shops offer over other grab-and-go meals are portion control. Both Subway and Quiznos have small and large sandwich sizes to match your appetite and dietary needs. Subway’s 6-inch subs keep calories more reasonable. Quiznos small subs have slightly higher calorie counts but remain a lighter option compared to oversized footlongs.
Having many vegetable toppings to pile high is nutritious and lets you control portions. Subway offers a wider range of veggies and diet-friendly sauces. Quiznos has fewer vegetable options, but more diverse cheese and protein picks. So vegetarians may find Quiznos easier to customize. Carnivores get more options at Subway.
In Conclusion
Subway and Quiznos both offer fresh, customizable subs that can cater to many dietary needs. Key differences to consider are Quiznos’ more premium meats and cheeses versus Subway’s greater bread, veggie, sauce selections. Subway menu items tend to be lower calorie but have some extremely high-calorie footlongs too. Quiznos small subs are often higher in calories than Subway 6-inch options.
For nutrition info accessibility, vegetarian options, gluten-free subs, lower carb choices, and sourcing diet-friendly ingredients like whole grains, Subway generally comes out ahead as the healthier sub shop. But Quiznos carnivorous subs packed with quality meats, cheese, and flavor provide an indulgent alternative. Choosing wisely while customizing your sandwich is the key to good nutrition at both chains. So whether you’re a health nut or just sub lover, the choice between Subway and Quiznos comes down to your own dietary priorities and sandwich preferences. I sincerely hope you find this “Subway vs. Quiznos-A Health Nut’s Guide to Subs” article helpful.
