Numerous individuals considering a low-carb diet might find Subway’s wraps appealing compared to their conventional subs. Wraps from Subway contain all the usual sandwich ingredients wrapped in a tortilla instead of a roll. However, if weight loss is your goal, opting for a wrap might result in consuming more fat and calories than you realize.
Subway’s wraps feature traditional soft tortilla ingredients like enriched unbleached flour, wheat gluten, baking powder, soy lecithin, sugar, yeast, garlic granules, onion powder, dextrose, and citric acid. They are available in two flavors: spinach and tomato basil. According to Subway, each spinach wrap and tomato basil wrap contains 290 calories, 8 grams of fat (including 3.5 grams of saturated fat), between 730 and 780 milligrams of sodium, 48 to 49 grams of carbohydrates, and 8 grams of protein.
The slight variation between the two tortillas lies in their flavoring, which is evident in their ingredient lists. For example, the tomato basil wrap also includes palm oil, dehydrated bell pepper, paprika, and tomato powder, while the spinach wrap contains spinach powder and parsley.
“While the ingredients in the wrap are technically safe, they’re not nutrient-dense or health-promoting. The wraps use enriched flour as the first ingredient, meaning that the flour is enriched with synthetic vitamins,” explains Sam Presicci, RD, CPT, the lead registered dietitian at Snap Kitchen.
Synthetic vitamins, such as folic acid, are not readily usable by the body, as Sam Presicci points out. “The wraps seem healthy since they have names like ‘tomato basil’ or ‘spinach,’ but in reality, they only contain a little bit of vegetable powder for color.”
Moreover, E.A. Stewart, RD, owner of Spicy RD Nutrition, raises a concern regarding the spinach wrap’s fat content. “I question if [the spinach wrap] also contains palm oil [like the tomato basil wrap], but Subway accidentally left it off the ingredient list,” she notes.
Subway’s Turkey Breast Signature Wrap boasts a calorie count of 420, with 10 grams of fat (including 4 grams of saturated fat), 1,550 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates (including 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of sugar), and 28 grams of protein. In comparison, the six-inch Turkey Breast Signature sandwich from Subway contains 250 calories, with 3 grams of fat (including 0.5 grams of saturated fat), 650 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates (including 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of sugar), and 18 grams of protein.
Overall, the wrap surpasses the sandwich in calories, fat, sodium, and carbohydrates, while also offering more protein due to its double portion of meat. To increase protein intake without the additional fat and carbs from the wrap, customers can opt to add double meat to their sandwich.
Despite the assumption that the wrap might be a better choice for reducing carb intake, sticking with the traditional six-inch sub on whole-grain bread actually results in fewer carbs, as well as less fat and calories.
Relevant articles:
– Subway Wraps Nutrition: Are They Healthier Than the Subs?, livestrong.com
– Subway: Keto Food and Drink Options (Complete List), thecoconutmama.com
– Which Bread at Subway is the Healthiest? An Ingredient Review, Illuminate Labs, Sep 29, 2023
– Of the Subway bread choices, which is the healthiest? Ranking the different types, Yahoo News Singapore, Mar 4, 2024