Is Subway Better Than McDonald's?
Subway have taken aim at McDonald's with their new "Fresh Fit" meals. The combo meals are compared side-by-side against a Big Mac meal. Subway's meal comes out at 265 calories, while the Big Mac meal hits a gluttonous 1230 calories.
But there's more to it than that...
Subway
The Subway low-calorie edge is always based on no cheese and no condiments (e.g. mayo). But they don't ask you if you want cheese - they ask you "which kind of cheese?"
And who orders a sub with no sauce?
What exactly is in the chicken breast fillet? Sometimes it tastes more like a piece of tire rubber. Subway call it a "Boneless roasted chicken breast patty". Patty? That would indicate there is something else in there in addition to chicken meat.
McDonald's
McDonald's seem to suffer from a multiple personality disorder. They tirelessly campaign about their healthiness - their salads, and their healthy options - even persuading athletes to appear in ads.
Then they turn around and roll out the "Angus Third Pounder" - a big beef burger that weighs in at 720 to 860 calories (depending on options) - and that's without any drinks or sides.
The Outcome
Let's face it: both outlets are massive businesses dedicated to increasing their bottom-line. Overeat any of their fare - and you will no doubt increase your bottom-line (so to speak).
At risk of sounding like a pimply-faced fanboy - I think that Subway offer the better options - but you still need to choose carefully. Subway tend to focus on their "eat fresh" mantra - while McDonald's try to follow every fad at once - hoping to reach every corner of the market.
To be honest, once you've seen the documentary McLibel - you will never view McDonald's Corporation™ in the same light again.
Subway Hint: Try ordering a wrap (less refined carbs) instead of a normal Sub - most Subway outlets are happy to put anything into a wrap.
McDonald's Hint: Avoid salads with the word "crispy" in them. Look for "grilled" instead. The crispy options have lots of salt and fat.
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These companies are going to provide what the consumer wants and most aren't eating healthy on a regular basis. There business is to make money not make choices for our health. It is up to the individual to read the fine print and make good choices, or avoid eating there. As always, the choice is ours. At least now, they are making the attempt to give us healthy choices.
ReplyHad to talk about it, huh?.... I want a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, NOW! ;-)
ReplyI agree that subway is a much better choice. You can order their sandwiches or wraps with mustard and load up on all of the toppings (not cheese!) and have a great, healthy lunch. Hey...it worked for Jared, right? :)
Replywell
Replyif i have a subway nearby then i go to subway
its always your choice where you go to eat
We are big fans of Subway! (Doctor's Associates Inc :-)
ReplyWe get the Veggi Sub, then modify it with stuff at home, like grilled salmon! Mrs J does get a bit wild with her bread choices, however :-) Seriously, I think Subway does provide a few responsible choices, if the customer picks them. Of course they have lot's of poor choices on the menu. If they didn't, the company wouldn't be able to stay open :-(
re: McLibel. Without going into great detail, there is more here than even was addressed in this suit. McDonalds playlands in the 60's 70's....outside, metal merry go rounds.....
So many children injured that the gov't placed an order on them, "tell us every time a child is injured or face a $1mill fine".
what does Ronald do?
Moves them inside and covers in rubber, thus manipulating the 'outside metal play structure' wording of the order--and are NOT now reporting injuries.
My daughter, pushed off the slide by two unaccompanied minors (rules say minors must have an adult, but Ronald doesn't monitor!!) she broke her arm, spent 7 days in the hospital hooked toa morphine pump, 5 surgeries, 6 months of rehab and one year to determine if her arm was growing. $50K+ in medical bills.
Letter from Ronald's insurance "we are happy to pay for UP TO $500 in reasonable medical expenses"
This from a for profit play area, established to lure kids in!
LONG story short....no lawyer would touch it. Until I found about about the order 2 years later, then we settled as they didn't want a fuss about the matter.
They suck. Their food sucks. Their marketing lies suck. And they are the biggest cause of Obesity.
Do this, buy a happy meal and just leave it in the bag on a shelf somewhere in your home. Come back 1 year later and open it. See for yourself if there is any mold, mildew, decay or breakdown of FOOD.
Then, ask yourself, is it Happy? is it a meal? Should you or anyone you love consume it? Then, think of their complete lack of corporate responsibility when someone is injured on their property.
And just ask...should you give them your money.
ReplySorry, but if you had been the accompanying guardian that your daughter needed, your daughter wouldn't have been injured.
McDonald's doesn't cause obesity - stupid people who make the wrong choices do.
ReplyThough I don't eat at either place often at all, I do agree with Mario about ordering a wrap, avoiding cheese and using mustard instead of mayo.
ReplyCindy Loo... quit whining about a choice that you made.
If your daughter fell in a ditch and broke her leg would you expect Mother Earth to pay out for the medical bills? Don't complain about things you have control over. Don't blame people for things that aren't their fault.
ReplyWe don't go to McD's. It's just to gross.
We do enjoy going to Subway and having their wraps. They even use a 6 in. wholewheat bread for my son's sandwichs as all of the deli buns are white flour.
I love the 6" turkey breast and ham, toasted with cheese and onions, add all those yummy veggies and a touch of mustard and it's delightful. It's also about 400 calories which is totally acceptable for me. And so delicious.
ReplyOK, the tick at subway is...
6", turkey, no cheese, all the veggies you can eat, then only non fat sauces and non of the "no-fat" like choose mustad and a little BBQ sauce or hot sauce.
McDonalds is the Chicken McGrill, no mayo with side salad and diet or water. Both pretty good carbs and protein, low fat.
Other than that, there isn't much good food at either. Quantitiy is an issue with the salads and all the dressings are over the top.
I never order cheese at subway and I never have mayo or other dressing. It only take a little self control and tastes just fine without.
Replydo you like eating 3000mg+ of sodium in subway 12in. sandwiches and the NON-whole wheat bread?
If anyone here still eats at McDonalds and thinks they are on a diet, you have some major problems.
Replyhi, i made a no vegetables Diet blog :) the only diet i can make.
ReplyCheers from Portugal!
hey George, I didn't take her there, didn't know she was going. It was a slumber party, so bite me, ok.
ReplyBoth options are not great. The earlier poster was right, Subway has a ton of sodium, and all their meats are heavily processed. They're not "fresh"! What is fresh about a roasted chicken "patty"? Ugh!
ReplyJared may have had success there, but I think filling up on lunch meats and excess carbs is a good way to not feel satisified.
Try making your own meals with fresh ingredients. I guarantee they will taste better.
cindy loo....i would have sued the adult who brought the kids and failed to supervise them.
ReplyI love Subway! I usually get the turkey breast or the teriyaki chicken. They will make any 6" sub into a salad for you (I think it costs a bit extra, but it cuts down the calories and carbs by a LOT). And you don't have to get cheese on it: just say "no cheese" when they ask you what kind of cheese you want. How difficult is that?? I usually get mustard as a condiment (I hate mayo) and I love that they have baggies of apples as a side. Subway is one restaurant that truly does offer choices...you can indulge your unhealthy side, if that's what you want to do. Just order your food with tons of cheese and mayo and other crap. Or you can be healthy and skip all the cheese and mayo and chips. This is why my husband and I can both eat there and really enjoy it.
ReplyYes, I agree with Spectra: Subway do ask what kind of cheese, but that still doesn't mean customers have to have cheese! Its a choice, people need to take responsibility for it. Although the Subway people do tend to look at me strangely sometimes when I say no cheese. And there are sauces that you can order with little or no fat, such as the sweet onion - it just takes a little looking at the nutrition info.
ReplyIf you compare calories and fat only, Subway do offer a good (and fresh) choice when you have to get takeaway.
Those subway sandwiches look huge! How in the world does one eat them without taking out some of the 'inner works'. Stretch the mouth open so wide it hurts?
It seems everything is so huge and over the top in the US. Does anyone consider the physical size of their stomachs and what they cram into it?
Half of one of those smashed down to a manageable size to eat would be plenty for me. It is mostly bread anyway.
When you look at the ingredients for one of those, why bother to 'pick one up to eat at home' so you can put salmon etc in it. Can't assemble one yourself?
Amazing.
Reply265 calories is a meal?
ReplyIt is if you eat 6-7 meals a day and weight 160 lbs.
ReplySpanish Patricia hits the nail on the head. In Italy, at least, what makes a good sandwich is the quality of the ingredients. In the US and the UK, it's more about the quantity of the ingredients. And while sometimes you have to go out to eat, why regularly pay money to Subway or McDonald's or Quizno's or Round Table to get food that you really don't know what it contains? If you make your own, you can control exactly what you're eating and can pamper yourself in the process. My favorite lunch is fresh fruit, a crusty roll and cheese, clocking in at under 400 calories.
ReplyI used to be absolutely addicted to mcdonalds. in late 90's i ate mcdonalds for breakfast lunch AND dinner.. i weighed at 218lbs. along with physical activities and smarter food choices. im down to 150 now. havent had mcdonalds in over 4 years. now the fries is what i was addicted to as well as the mcchicken. so when i stopped eating that junk...i would drive by and have the heroine addict's shakes each time the smell of mcfries would tickle my olfactory senses. my body was addicted to the chemicals in the food like it was a drug.. (like? ok. i dont have the proof.. but the effects it has on our bodies and minds are proof enough for us.. right?) 3 years later i was in a company of a friend who was having a mcmeal.. so for the heck of it i decided i'll help her with the fries... well.. 3 fries later and i was ready to throw up due to lack of taste and abundance of oil they were infused with. eating the fries wasnt punshment enough.. 10 mins later i started to have really sharp stoumach pains like i swallowed a jagged peace of metal... never again. i consider coffee and a smoke a healthier alternative to mcdonalds. (smoking is not recomended for children or adults)
Replyas for subway.. meh... ive been makin my lunches for the last year and a half or so.. and even when im hungry and i dont have anyting with me.. im more tempted to get home and eat then buy food outside... the quality is unmatched. when im starving id go for a protein shake... or salad (balsamic dressing) and try to pick those places that arent franchised.. you get much better quality.. those little shops owned by old italian or greek or arabic guy.. those are the best. shwarma or falafel or souvlaki.. yeah they might be high in cals. (skip on the starches) but they are made of real food.. and i would take real food along with high calories over fake food with even higher calories any day! psst. u get sick much less too.
Cindy Loo, Mcdonald's shouldn't be held accountable for poor parenting on the other children's part. You expect them to employ nannies in the playarea? I swear some people are so ridiculous.
But back to the issue at hand, Jared walked 25 miles each way to his Subway and got no condiments or cheese. Subway is a good choice if moderated correctly/
ReplyBut why go after other parents when a corporation has more blood to suck?
Replyi think subway smells bad. i won't go in the restaurant even to use the loo if i can help it because the smell makes me gag. i don't know if its the bread or the meats or what but it is so gross. i dont' go to mcd's either, except maybe once a year and then i get a small ice cream conce for 150 cals. the best fast food in my opinion is a gardenburger salad or wrap from mr. subb. i can't believe how few calories are in the gardenburger it tastes so good and has plenty of fiber and protein.
ReplyI was thinking about this on my run this morning. My reliance on convenience food has changed as I've aged. When I was in college, I loved fast food because it was fast, cheap, and comforting. In my twenties and thirties, I had more money and enjoyed restaurants more, but fast food was still convenient. In my forties I started putting on weight and so started becoming conscious about my eating, but still indulged in the occasional fast food trip. A few years ago (I'm now in my fifties) I was 45 or so pounds over my college weight, starting to take drugs to control high blood pressure, and had a scare with cancer. That did the trick for me - I'm now back to my college weight, am off the blood pressure medicine, watch what I eat and exercise regularly.
For me - again, a 50 year old - the trick is to only eat food that I really enjoy, and enjoy it while I eat it. Fast food doesn't meet either of those requirements for me. But, in my twenties it was a different story.
ReplyThe best policy is probably to avoid all fast food but for many people (especially if you have kids) that's not possible.
ReplyI think it's true that most people who eat at Subway end up getting options like cheese, Chipotle sauce, bacon, etc that seriously increase the amount of fat. However, at least they have the option to eat a yummy sub without those. And even if they choose light mayo they can still have their sub on wheat bread.
One of the real differences is that if I'm feeling really hungry and kinda 'bad' and go to Subway I might end up with a sub with bacon and mayo (but still on wheat). Even when I'm feeling really hungry I usually still get the 6" and no chips or cookies.
However, if I go to McDonalds and am feeling like being a bit bad I'll probably end up downing a Big Mac, large fries, Coke, etc. The fries are killer and have no redeeming value. So I'd rather head to Subway where at least I stand a chance.
people cheese is just cheese.
Replyask that they put only one slice on it.
skip the sauces ( unless its the tomato sauce from the meatball grinder!)
Subway is still loads better than any other fast food resturant.
I always get the roastbeef sub, 6" (how can a person eat a 12"? Seriously), no mayo, no oil, and if you pay a few cents extra they'll let you replace the "cheese" (that is not cheese, that is some rubbery thing - I like real cheese) for more roastbeef, so you'll get more protein. They have an Italian veggie sub with arugula now and usually when I ask they'll put arugula in my sandwich too, in addition to the pickles, peppers, onions, lettuce, and tomato. For sauce, I like mustard.
Also, there is no comparing the taste at Subway vs. the taste at McD's. Don't get me wrong, I love a greasy burger and fries, but not when they taste like styrofoam. If I'm gonna eat 800 calories in one meal, it's gotta be a tasty meal. For someone used to eating food cooked from scratch, Subway is at least passable, but McDonald's is simply unacceptable taste-wise.
ReplyI don't think either is "good", as such. As far as calories/fat go, Subway CAN be better than Maccas - but the problem with Subway is, they're marketed so heavily as being a "healthy alternative" that clueless people think they can have anything there and it's healthy! A friend of mine proudly stated to me once "I had cereal for breakfast, I didn't have time for lunch but I just had a 12" chicken parma sub from Subway for dinner!"
Crumbed chicken. Cheese. FOOTLONG. Healthy?
I used to love the chicken fillet subs, but once when looking up Hungry Jacks (Burger King) nutritional info I saw their "chicken pattie" ingredients: chicken (12%). Ugh. That was enough to put me off any kind of chicken pattie/fillet for life!
McDonalds is just wrong. It's so disgusting. I stopped eating it 5 years ago and have never looked back. I can't believe I actually used to crave it!
ReplyCindy Loo
Couldn't wait to sue
Little kid broke her arm
Boo freakin' hoo.
Couldn't be my fault
ReplyHad to be you
Kids play, we pay
Boo freakin' hoo.
It's easy to beat up on Cindy (such as Rick's grinch-inspired doggerel). But, Mcdonald's playareas aren't put in their restaurants for altruistic purposes. It's not clear to me what responsibilty they should assume. I do know that private citizens have been sued under similar circumstances.
I find it offensive to accuse a mother striking back in response to her child being hospitalized of trying to make a quick buck. Her case may not have merit (I really don't know), but my sympathy is with her.
ReplyI think there is a huge difference in expecting to be compensated for medical costs, as you would if you slipped in their stores and broke your arm, and suing for millions in "emotional damages". If I were Cindy Loo, I'd expect McD's to pay the medical expenses, yes.
ReplyI love subway - but I make sure to load it up with veggies, some turkey, NO cheese and no sauce (I bring it home and add a bit of 10 calorie diet Mayo). I never touch McDonalds any more. Lady Rose, co-author of The Incredible Shrinking Ladies blog
ReplyI don't eat fast food often, but the sandwiches at Subway and Blimbie aren't bad. I always skip the cheese -- you can't taste it anyway! With lots of veggies and mustard instead of other sauces, a sandwich can make a meal that will last a few hours in my tummy.
ReplyForgetting the health issues for a minute, let's say you don't care about healthiness or are indulging yourself - why would you go to McDonalds, when you could go to a steakhouse and get a *really good juicy burger*, rather than the dry, bizarre mystery meat McDonalds offers? While I like their fries, I just don't get why people would eat anything else there.
There are other fast food places with equally nutritionally void food that do a much better job anyway.
The problem with the United States - and increasingly more and more of the world - is that our collective palate sucks.
For example, I'm still trying to figure out why people eat bologna - except for people on very limited incomes (bologna is cheap), it blows my mind that someone would choose, say, bologna, over imported prosciutto or something like that. And even if you're poor, why not try, I dunno, peanut butter?
We could potentially eat our way back to health on the basis of taste alone if people would just be made to realize how unsophisticated and banal our food has become. We could probably withstand some unhealthy food if we weren't forced to eat cruddy, uninspiring food for so many meals (cafeterias especially are miserable - miserable tasting, and miserable nutritionally).
And as for healthy fast food alternatives, my dream is that one day there will be 24 hour Mongolian grill / make your own stir fry buffet in every town.
That's always my first choice - the nice thing about these places is that they can be made compatible with *any* diet - low fat (or fat free), low carb, gluten-free, or otherwise. And, I think it tastes fantastic. Whole foods all around.
ReplyGiven your last name (invented, i guess? it's great for someone on a diet...), I'm spurred on to say: bologna is the american imitation of the sausage from bologna, italy: mortadella. If you're going to mention imported prosciutto, then also considered imported mortadella, perhaps with a bit of grana padana and dolcetto. just be sure to watch portion size. mmmm...
ReplyI love McDonalds. They have sensible meals for a low price, which is especially nice for a college student. I don't believe that a 6" peice of bread with 3 peices of turkey, NO cheese, and NO condiments with a bit of veggies is worth the money. McDonalds on the other hand is able to serve me up a tasty meal for under $5 that includes protein and healthy fats (when done right):
Reply1 Double Cheese Burger w/ 1 Peice Cheese
1 Side Salad w/ oil based dressing
1 Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
1 Diet Soda
_______________________________
I feel full and satisfied for under $5 and to me, I definatly got what I paid for. Subway is not that high on the quality scale and McD's are pioneers in the food industry on improving standards.
BOTTOM LINE: Subway and McDonalds are in two seperate categories, but when choosing a healthy alternative, either can prove sufficient. You need some fats in your diet anyhow.
Matt,
I think it is a personal choice, yup, and money (and time) comes into it. But, i don't think your menu is all that healthy:
from their web site, this comes in at 680 calories with 38% fat calories, and 1,980 mg sodium (i chose a low-fat salad dressing).when i was a college student, this would've been way too little food. as i recall, i would have had a quarter pounder, forget the disgrace of a cheese they use, add large fries, and have an apple pie. that's a lot more calories, but i burned it off.
now i'm in my fifties. that much sodium would make my mouth feel scraped raw, and i'd feel the fat oozing from my skin (i have meat of any form once a month at the most - when you eat that little meat, you smell it in the sweat of meat-eaters, no lie). plus, to my jaded tastebuds, mcdonald's patties taste pretty darn bland. a 6in subway with lots of vegetables, no cheese, and some turkey would a better choice for me because i like the crunch of green peppers, fresh onions, and spinach.
but, i'd rather have my standard lunch of fresh grapes, an ounce of a good cheese, and a small roll. it's cheap and the ingredients are all good. my college student self would have liked it too, but would wonder what's for the second course =)
Reply