Subway Sauces Nutrition

A chain restaurant with locations throughout the world, Subway offers a range of hot and cold sub sandwiches. The menu includes subs with a variety of deli meats, cheeses and toppings. Many of the sandwiches also include a sauce or dressing to enhance the flavor. Certain sauces are better choices than others, but many of your options are too high in fat, sodium or sugar to be considered healthy.

A sub sandwich on a wooden table. (Image: IgorDutina/iStock/Getty Images)

Basic Sauces

Mayonnaise contains 110 calories and 12 grams of fat, of which 2 grams are saturated, per tablespoon. The mayo also has 70 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon. Order the light mayonnaise and you'll cut those numbers to 40 calories and 4.5 grams of fat, of which 1 gram is saturated. However, the light mayo has 80 milligrams of sodium per serving. Because a high saturated fat intake is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, mustard might be a better option, fat wise. A 2-teaspoon serving has 5 calories and almost no fat, though it does contain 115 milligrams of sodium.

Salad Dressing Sauces

Have ranch dressing on your sub and you'll take in 110 calories and 12 grams of fat, of which 2 grams are saturated, per serving. The ranch also contains 210 milligrams of sodium, which is 14 percent of the 1,500 milligrams of sodium you should limit yourself to each day, according to the American Heart Association. Too much sodium can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk of heart attack. The house sauce, which is zesty Italian, contains 110 calories, 12 grams of fat, of which 1.5 grams are saturated, and 170 milligrams of sodium, per serving.

Signature Sauces

The chipotle southwest sauce contains 100 calories, 10 grams of fat, of which 1.5 grams are saturated, and 220 milligrams of sodium per serving. The fat-free sweet onion sauce has 40 calories and no fat, though it does have 85 milligrams of sodium. Certain Subway restaurants might offer additional sauces, such as barbecue, blue cheese or buffalo, and most of these are high in sodium and some also contain an unhealthy amount of fat or sugar.

Additional Options

Red wine vinaigrette or a drizzle of olive oil on your sub is a more nutritious choice than most of the sauces. These supply a good dose of heart-healthy unsaturated fats and, in the case of the olive oil, don't add sodium to your sub. You might try the fat-free honey mustard if you're watching your fat intake, but realize that it also contains 6 grams of sugar per serving, which is about 1.5 teaspoons. Women should limit their intake of sugar to 6 teaspoons or less per day and men should stop at 9 teaspoons, according to the American Heart Association. Too much sugar can lead to unhealthy weight gain.