What should I order at Subway for high protein?
A footlong 5 Meat Italian carries the most protein on the menu, 80 g. For a smaller appetite, the 6 inch Seasoned Steak and Fresh Avocado or Grilled Chicken and Fresh Avocado, both from the Fresh Fit range, land at 35 g for 450 calories or less.
Key takeaways
- A footlong is roughly double a 6 inch in every number, so the size you order matters as much as which sandwich you pick.
- The Fresh Fit range, built around leaner proteins, produces the best protein-to-calorie 6 inch sandwiches: Seasoned Steak and Fresh Avocado or Grilled Chicken and Fresh Avocado both hit 35 g under 450 calories.
- The 5 Meat Italian Protein Bowl carries 66 g of protein for 960 calories. A 5 Meat Italian Wrap appears in the nutrition PDF but was not offered by the checked Los Angeles restaurant, so it is not ranked here.
- The Big Hot Pastrami Salad is worth asking about if your Subway carries it: 26 g for 410 calories, on par with the Fresh Fit sandwiches, though it's listed as available at participating locations rather than everywhere.
Subway's sandwiches, salads, protein bowls and pockets are all pre-defined named items on the menu, not builds put together on the spot, so every order below is exactly what you'd ask for at the counter.
The highest protein items
80 g protein5 Meat Italianfootlong, 1340 kcal
70 g proteinChicken & Bacon Ranchfootlong, 1160 kcal
66 g protein5 Meat Italian Protein Bowl1 bowl, 960 kcal
62 g proteinSubway Clubfootlong, 1000 kcal
62 g proteinRoast Beeffootlong, 1000 kcal
56 g proteinSteak Phillyfootlong, 1020 kcal
High protein, low calorie: better for a smaller appetite
The Fresh Fit sandwiches and the Protein Pockets are built around leaner fillings, which is where the best ratios on this menu turn up.
35 g proteinSeasoned Steak & Fresh Avocado, Fresh Fit6 inch, 430 kcal
35 g proteinGrilled Chicken & Fresh Avocado, Fresh Fit6 inch, 450 kcal
26 g proteinTurkey & Ranch Delite, Fresh Fit6 inch, 380 kcal
26 g proteinBig Hot Pastrami Salad, no dressing1 salad, 410 kcal
24 g proteinBaja Chicken Protein Pocket1 pocket, 330 kcal
23 g proteinSweet Onion Teriyaki Chicken Salad, no dressing1 salad, 300 kcal
Swap this for that
- Swap the footlong 5 Meat Italian sandwich for the 5 Meat Italian Protein Bowl: 14 g less protein for 400 fewer calories, just by losing the bread.
- Swap the footlong Roast Beef for the footlong Chicken & Bacon Ranch: +8 g protein for 160 more calories.
- Swap the Big Hot Pastrami Salad for the Baja Chicken Protein Pocket: about the same protein for 80 fewer calories.
If Chick-fil-A is more often on your route, the Chick-fil-A high protein menu works the same way.
If you're managing a GLP-1 prescription and unsure how a heavier order fits your plan for the day, that is a question for your prescriber or dietitian rather than a menu page.
More questions about Fast food
What's the highest protein item at Subway?
A footlong 5 Meat Italian, at 80 g of protein for 1,340 calories in the checked Los Angeles storefront. That's a large order, worth splitting across two meals rather than eating in one sitting.
What should I order at Subway if I'm on a GLP-1 medication?
A 6 inch Fresh Fit sandwich, Seasoned Steak and Fresh Avocado or Grilled Chicken and Fresh Avocado, both give 35 g of protein for well under 450 calories. If bread feels like too much, the Baja Chicken Protein Pocket is a smaller option at 24 g for 330 calories. Check bigger changes to how you eat around your prescription with your prescriber or dietitian.
Do the Protein Bowls actually have more protein than a sandwich?
Not more, but a better ratio: the 5 Meat Italian Protein Bowl has 66 g, close to the footlong sandwich's 80 g but for 380 fewer calories. Availability varies by restaurant.
