Wow

What’s Really In…
SUBWAY 9-GRAIN WHEAT (6″)
210 calories
2 g fat (0.5 g saturated)
410 mg sodium

Okay, so you’re probably not in the habit of ordering a la carte bread loaves at Subway, but there’s a good chance you’ve eaten at least a few sandwiches built on this bread. The good news is that Subway actually delivers on the nine-grain promise. The bad news: Eight of those nine grains appear in miniscule amounts. If you look at a Subway ingredient statement, you’ll find every grain except wheat listed at the bottom of the list, just beneath the qualifier “contains 2% or less.” In fact, the primary ingredient in this bread is plain old white flour, and high-fructose corn syrup plays a more prominent role than any single whole grain. Essentially this is a white-wheat hybrid with trace amounts of other whole grains like oats, barley, and rye.

So outside of the nine grains, how many ingredients does Subway use to keep this bread together? Sixteen, including such far-from-simple ingredients as DATEM, sodium steroyl lactylate, calcium sulfate, and azodiacarbonamide. But here’s one that’s a little unnerving: ammonium sulfate. This compound is loaded with nitrogen, which is why it’s most common use is as fertilizer. You might have used it to nourish your plants at home. And Subway does the same thing; the ammonium sulfate nourishes the yeast and helps the bread turn brown. What, did you think that dark hue was the result of whole grains? Hardly. It’s a combination of the ammonium sulfate and the caramel coloring. Seems like Jarod might frown on that sort of subterfuge.

Of course, in terms of calories, Subway’s still one of your best allies in the sandwich game. But here’s an even better idea: Whip up one of these 25 best sandwiches in America at home in minutes. You’ll save calories, money, and precious time.

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