As a part of the ongoing commitment by Subway sandwich shops to make its menu even better and easier for our guests to make informed menu choices, the brand announced that it would include calorie listings on menuboards across all U.S. restaurant locations in April, more than a year before the FDA enforces national menu-calorie labeling requirements. The new menu panels will be on display in all U.S. sandwich shops beginning April 11.
“For years it has been a priority for Subway sandwich shops to share full nutrition information with our guests so they can make more informed meal choices,” says Subway dietitian Lanette Kovachi, M.S., RDN. “We have been doing this since 1997. We take pride in offering our guests a wide variety of fresh, made-to-order sandwiches and salads while providing the information that allows them to get the meal that best meets their needs. We want consumers to know the calorie value of our sandwiches and salads but we also want them to know that many of our menu items contain quality calories and are packed with beneficial nutrients from whole grains, lean meats, and the wide range of vegetables we serve.”
The Subway brand has long been a frontrunner as the industry leader in its commitment to transparency and sharing of nutritional information for its menu items, including:
- 1997: Began listing nutrition information on cups, tray liners, sneeze guard, and napkins.
- 1997: “7 under 6” campaign launched (seven sandwiches under 6 grams of fat).
- 1998: Debuted full list of nutritional information for core menu items.
- 2001: Shared complete ingredient and allergen list for core menu items.
- 2007: Introduced Fresh Fit meals for adults and youth.
- 2007: Listed calories on NYC Menus (well before many other restaurants did).
- 2010: Launched its nutrition calculator on Subway.com.
- 2011: Reduced sodium by an average of 28 percent in Fresh Fit meals.
- 2012: Became the first and only restaurant chain to meet the stringent nutritional criteria for the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check Meal Certification Program, which allows us to place the Heart Check logo next to menu items endorsed by the AHA as heart healthy.
This menu-labeling milestone is the latest step in the Subway brand’s journey to evolve its menu to better meet the changing preferences and expectations of today’s guests.
Last month, Subway sandwich shops started serving rotisserie-style chicken raised without antibiotics and, by years end, will be serving only chicken raised without antibiotics while starting to phase in turkey raised without antibiotics by 2017. In addition to the protein sourcing changes, the brand continues to make significant progress on a number of other menu and ingredient improvements announced over the past year, including the decision to remove all artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives from North American menu items, and its plan to serve only eggs from cage-free layer hens across its 30,000 North American locations by 2025. The transition on both fronts has already begun in select markets in the U.S. and Canada.
The brand continues to work diligently to monitor the latest research to identify future, best-practice menu solutions that not only meet but exceed the highest standards of nutritional transparency.
