At...Subway. Now, I know Jared did it. BUT how realistic IS it? I just nommed on a 6" black forest ham sandwich with provolone cheese and TONS of veggies on wheat bread, but is it really good for me? x:
I think a 6" ham and cheese sub isn't the worst meal, especially if you avoid the high calorie extras like mayo , oil and vinegar, and other sauces. Stick with plain old mustard if you want to add something. I love their veggie delight subs, but I haven't eaten there in years.
Does it fit within the program you are doing? If you're a calorie counter, does it fit in your daily calories? Places like Subway are SUPER easy to eat well at, and they even post the caloric content of their offerings right on the glass in front of all the toppings!
You can also look the information up online.
The most important thing is, does it fit for you? Even things that people think are "bad" foods (cookies, chips, and *gasp* ice cream) can all be eaten as part of a healthy diet and nutrition program.
LOL!! Funny...I was wondering the same thing as I devoured a sub for brekkie! I came home and googled Subway nutrition. It lists pretty much everything.
I quite often google up nutrition information from the companies themselves, especially with restaurants, or when the labels on some products isn't so clear cut.
I think it can work as long as common sense and exercise prevail.
It depends on your plan. I can eat quite well at Subway - turn the ham and turkey sandwich into a salad and pile on the peppers, olives, tomatoes, banana peppers, onions, pepper, salt, olive oil, and either dressing here at home or their Southwestern dressing. The dressing isnt great for me, with some sugar and vegetable oil, but as an occasional food it's just fine.
If you're eating low carb, they work. High protein, they can work. Low calorie, fine. Low glycemic index? Sure. Just adjust your choices as needed. Eating fresh at home according to your plan is best, but almost any plan can choose an offering at subway that is fine. Of the places out to eat, they are very flexible.
You can lose weight eating McDonald's all the time if you wanted to. You'd probably feel like crap and not be healthy at all though!
Remember, thin doesn't always equal healthy!
I think Subway is a good choice for a healthy lifestyle though. It's quick, the shops are everywhere, and you can customize a sandwich to your liking. I prefer Quiznos, Blimpie and Panera, but Subway is usually much easier to come by.
We try and find Subway when we travel because they are super abundant and I know what I can eat there. I think they can be one of the healthiest fast food options if you watch what you order.
Now and then, yes. As your major source of nutrients...uh no. Well. kinda. Maybe.
There is a balancing point I think. If you are as heavy as Jared was when he started then pretty much ANYTHING (outside of cocaine, heroin and cigarettes) that helps you lose weight improves your health more than whatever questionable ingredients.
But it is still highly processed, high sodium, the "whole wheat" is not whole grain (which even that is questionable) the veggies are not anywhere close to fresh.
The question is really what would you eat if you didnt eat that? What is in comparison
Friends were discussing this on a road trip a few weeks ago and since I'm not sure I can link to the site I'll do a big quote at the end. Jared started at 425, so (as stated above) going to a plan like this would get results no matter how you cut it. Personally I would be very unsatisfied eating two sandwiches a day. I can get a lot more volume of food out of 800 calories than that.
tl:dr - white or wheat bread, no cheese, mustard or vinegar and no oil. Remember that back then Subway had less of a selection.
Fogle ordered sandwiches filled with lettuce, green peppers, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, and pickles. Fogle omitted cheese and condiments that contained fat like mayonnaise and oil. Instead, he used condiments like spicy mustard or vinegar. He alternated ordering the sandwiches on wheat or white bread, the choices that Subway offered at the time.
The sandwiches that Fogle ate were on Subway's “Seven Under 6 Grams of Fat,” menu. In the spring of 2007, that list of subs consisted of a ham sandwich, roasted chicken breast, subway club, sweet onion chicken teriyaki, turkey breast, turkey breast and ham, and the Veggie Delite.
Nutritional information
Sandwiches were served on wheat bread and contained lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, pickles, and olives. According to the Subway 2007 “Nutritional Guide,” the 6-inch turkey breast sub was 280 calories and had 4.5 grams of total fat and 4 grams of dietary fiber. The Veggie Delite sandwich was 230 calories for a 6-inch sandwich. The half-foot sub had 3 grams of total fat and 4 grams of fiber. The 6-inch sandwich provided two servings of vegetables, and the footlong sub contained twice that amount. According to the nutritional guide, Subway based those portions on amounts designated by the National Cancer Institute.
Subway is one of only fast food places I eat at now because it's one of the only ones I consider both borderline healthy and calorically feasible. At what other fast food joint am I going to get spinach for my sandwich or crisp peppers and in the quantity I want, you know? Honestly, my only real reservation is the amount of sodium in the food. It depends on what you order, but on the whole I don't think it's that bad. I love the sweet onion chicken teriyaki.
Last edited by Thistleberry; 05-30-2012 at 10:03 AM.
Now and then, yes. As your major source of nutrients...uh no. Well. kinda. Maybe.
There is a balancing point I think. If you are as heavy as Jared was when he started then pretty much ANYTHING (outside of cocaine, heroin and cigarettes) that helps you lose weight improves your health more than whatever questionable ingredients.
But it is still highly processed, high sodium, the "whole wheat" is not whole grain (which even that is questionable) the veggies are not anywhere close to fresh.
The question is really what would you eat if you didnt eat that? What is in comparison
The key is balance really. I tend to try to discourage people from labeling any foods as "good or bad" because I've seen some people start off just trying to lose a few pounds end up with full blown orthorexia. No one food is going to make or break your fitness and dietary goals.
Besides, if you look at what we all "know" to be "healthy" right now, that may not be the case in two years time. Look at eggs, orange juice, fruits, potatos, fats of all kinds, dairy, wheat etc. as examples of foods that have been on both sides of the health bandwagon at one time or another.
Echo what everyone else said. However, to cut calories I remove one side of the bread and just eat the "half" sandwich. I've found it is just as satisfying and helps me keep my calories lower.
Eating "healthy..?"
