Eating out / Burgers & American / Subway

What I'd Order at Subway to Lose Weight

Order the protein bowl or salad and double the meat; the footlong is where the carbs and calories stack up.

John Schaefer, fat loss coach for 27 years · Updated October 2026

What do I order?

Tell me where you're eating and your goal weight. I'll tell you exactly what to get, with the calories and protein.

Want me to email you your numbers? Your calories, protein, carbs and fats for your goal weight, plus this page so you have it at the table.

Answers are estimates from published nutrition data, not medical advice.

My Subway orders

Cheesesteak salad and chicken bowl

Lunch style

Big Philly Cheesesteak Salad plus Oven Roasted Chicken Protein Bowl

530calories59gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 29% of your calories and 56% of your protein for the day.

Steak and cheese footlong

Carb meal

Footlong Steak & Cheese

640calories50gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 36% of your calories and 48% of your protein for the day.

Fresh Fit crispy chicken salad

Lunch style

How I order it, the calories and the protein are in the Eating Out Playbook, along with 59 other chains and 25 kinds of restaurants.

See the Playbook ($7) →

The rule at Subway: the lunch style order is built on protein, fat and fiber. The carb meal is the one you have when this is your dinner, or the one meal of the day you're spending your carbs on.

Skip these at Subway

Footlong Ultimate BMT1,120 cal
Footlong Supreme Meats1,020 cal

Numbers from Subway's published nutrition data via fastfoodnutrition.org. Menus change, so check before you order.

How I fit any restaurant into the day

Protein firstEat the protein, then the vegetables and fats, then the carbs. You're satisfied before the bread matters.

One carb meal a dayBread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fries. Keep the big carb hit to one meal. On a night out, that's dinner.

Zoom out to the weekFat loss runs on your weekly average. One dinner out is easy to absorb when the rest of the week is steady.

The Eating Out Playbook

Every restaurant you go to, already figured out.

60 chains and 25 kinds of restaurants, including Subway. Search the place you're going, pick an order, and see how it fits your goal weight before you sit down. Works on your phone, $7 one time.

Get the Playbook Free: my numbers

Quick answers

What is the best high protein order at Subway?

Cheesesteak salad and chicken bowl: Big Philly Cheesesteak Salad plus Oven Roasted Chicken Protein Bowl. It comes to about 530 calories and 59g of protein.

How many calories should I eat at Subway to lose weight?

It depends on your goal weight. I use goal weight x 12 for daily calories, so a 150 lb goal is 1,800 calories a day and a lunch around 500 to 800 of them. The cheesesteak salad and chicken bowl is 29% of that day with 56% of the protein. Type your own goal weight on this page to see your numbers.

What should I avoid at Subway if I'm trying to lose weight?

The ones that stack calories with little protein: Footlong Ultimate BMT (1,120 calories), Footlong Supreme Meats (1,020 calories).

Can I eat Subway and still lose fat?

Yes. I've never told a client to stop eating out. Build the order around protein, keep the carbs for one meal a day, and Subway fits fine. Order the protein bowl or salad and double the meat; the footlong is where the carbs and calories stack up.