I Didn’t Think I’d Ever Stop Eating at Subway – But These 6 Factors Drove Me Away

For many years, I considered Subway to be one of my favorite restaurants. I used to love going in for an Italian BMT, some chips, and a drink, and then devouring it over a lunch break. I was their number one fan. I thought I would never stop eating at Subway. However, over time, I have learned more about the company, and what I have learned has changed my mind a bit. 

There's still a lot to love at Subway, but I do have several concerns. Some of these issues involve the ingredients, like the bread and the amount of calories in the meat and cheese. Other concerns revolve around the way that the Subway company has acted over the years. I have compiled six different factors that have driven me away from Subway. Read them, and they may change your mind as well.

The first reason why I made the decision to stop eating at Subway is that the bread isn't real. At least not according to one international court. In 2020, a court in Ireland ruled that the bread used to make the sandwiches is not technically bread. The reason is that it has a high sugar content, which is often five times higher than many other substances. However, it's still close enough to regular bread.

Whether it's real bread or not, you must be cautious about eating too much bread at Subway, or anyone else for that fact. No matter what, bread is filled with carbohydrates. Eating too much can lead to numerous health issues, including weight gain, digestive issues, an increased risk of diabetes, and even heart disease. If you must eat bread, go for whole grain, which is full of fiber and is less harmful.

I have always loved Subway, so I read a lot about the franchise. I'm learning that, due to competition and the many Subway restaurants already in existence, many are starting to shut down. As of 2022, there was a decline to less than 20,600 restaurants. That means your Subway location may not be available in the future. Granted, you'll be able to find another one down the street, but it can be disheartening.

Although we can't imagine a world without Subway, if all of them happened to disappear from the planet, you would still have many other delicious sandwich places to try. Quiznos is a popular alternative with incredibly tasty meals. Blimpie, Portillo's, Jimmy Johns, and Jersey Mike's also come to mind. There are also many popular delis that offer high-quality sandwiches, such as McAlister's Deli and Jason's Deli, which always hit the spot.

One reason why I decided to stop eating at Subway is because the service was always a little iffy. The employees were always very nice, but you could tell that they would probably rather be anywhere else. That may be due to the reports that working at Subway is very stressful and that the employees aren't paid that well.

In addition to feeling like the employees aren't treated as well as they should, it's also important to realize that someone who isn't happy at work likely isn't giving it their all. They may not listen to your order correctly, or they may not give you enough meat or toppings. An unhappy or burned-out employee could unknowingly make a lot of mistakes. Knowing that may also deter you from going to Subway.

For many years, the main advertisements for Subway revolved around their former spokesman Jared Fogle. His story was about how he would eat Subway every week. He claimed that the diet was how he was able to lose hundreds of pounds. Even though it's been years since that ad campaign, there's no doubt that many people still believe that there are health benefits to eating at Subway.

One of the reasons why many people like myself may turn from Subway is that we believe we were duped, or at least that there's some false advertising. It is possible that eating Subway can help you to be healthier, but you have to make good choices. You'll want whole grain bread and lots of vegetables. However, for many, that's not the ideal sandwich, so they may not get the benefits. Plus, Jered walked miles to and from that Subway and that's a big reason why he lost weight.

Even though Jared may have been kind of a fraud, you may be tempted to believe that Subway is still a healthy restaurant. While there are certainly worst places to eat, it's far from great for you, especially if you don't order just right. When you walk into a Subway and look at the menu, you'll see the calories listed next to each sandwich, but the numbers you're reading are not completely accurate.

I decided to stop eating at Subway once I learned this. You'll see the calories listed next to each sandwich, but you're probably missing the fine print. At the bottom of the menu, it will tell you that the calories listed only apply to a six-inch sub. Plus, that sub can only have white bread and it can't have cheese or sauce. Otherwise, your sandwich likely has many more calories.

The final reason to stop eating at Subway is that you may not be getting what you asked for, especially if you order a foot-long sandwich. For years, most people didn't think about how long a foot sandwich really is, until 2013. That's when two men from New Jersey actually measured the sandwich, realized that it was less than 12 inches long, and sued Subway. So, how did Subway respond?

In reaction to the lawsuit, a spokesperson from Subway said that the "foot long" name was not to be taken literally and that it was just a descriptive term. Still, after years of fighting, Subway lost the lawsuit, and they were required to make the sandwiches 12 inches long. Even though Subway fixed the issue, it's still not great that the company tried to deceive us for all of these years.