When it comes to healthier fast food options, Subway is a name that comes to a lot of people’s minds.
Whether you’re one of them or a hardcore sandwich lover, you will likely find yourself at a Subway quite often.
But, ordering a good sandwich at Subway is a different ballgame altogether. And it gets all the more tricky when you’re a vegan.
You don’t find Subway vegan options listed on the menu. How can you order vegan at Subway, then? Let’s get it sorted for all the Subway vegan fans out there…
What’s Vegan at Subway? Vegan Options at Subway
It may be hard to find vegan options on Subway menu because (most of) their vegan specialties are only available at selected locations. However, as it is a create-your-own-sandwich restaurant, you can get yourself a good sandwich from the world’s largest fast-food restaurant chain (by a number of locations) if you know your options. For your convenience, here I am listing all the vegan options on Subway’s standard menu:
- Veggie Delite Salad
- Veggie Delite Sandwich – With a vegan bread
- White Italian Bread
- 9-Grain Wheat Bread
- All Veggies
- Vegan Sauces
- Vegan Sides
- Drinks
These are the vegan options you will find on Subway’s menu almost everywhere. However, you may find some additional vegan options at your local Subway, depending on where you live. Let’s discuss each of the Subway’s menu categories separately to find out what more vegan items you could potentially find and if there’s anything you should be careful about. I will also answer the most common questions people have with regards to Subway vegan options or ordering vegan at Subway so the next time you find yourself at the sandwich place, you know what exactly you want to order.
Subway Vegan Options – A Guide to Eating Vegan at Subway?
If you don’t like guiding the sandwich artist through each step of sandwich making, you’re in a difficult position because the only vegan option on Subway’s menu is Veggie Delite. You can get it either in salad or subform. Veggie Delite sub contains lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, red onion, and baby spinach in the Hearty Multigrain Bread, which is vegan.
If this isn’t your kind of sandwich, you’re better off going the traditional route of ordering at Subway, i.e. create your own sandwich.
Make-Your-Own Vegan Subway Sandwich
Here’s how you can make your own vegan sandwich at Subway:
Step 1 – Choose Your Bread
A Subway order always begins with choosing the bread. For plant-based eaters, there are only two options on Subway’s standard menu:
- Italian (White)
- 9-Grain Wheat
Subway’s White Italian Bread ingredients are:
Subway doesn’t provide the list of ingredients in 9-Grain Wheat bread. However, according to the restaurant’s allergen guide, it does not contain egg or milk, which means it’s vegan-friendly.
Subway Vegan Breads Available at Certain Locations
If you’re lucky enough, you may also find one or more of the following vegan breads at your local Subway:
- Hearty Italian Bread
- Roasted Garlic Bread
- Sourdough Bread
- Harvest
- Slider Roll
Note
Subway’s 9-Grain Honey Oat bread is also egg and dairy-free. However, its topping contains honey, which many vegans avoid. If you don’t, you can choose 9-Grain Honey Oat bread for your vegan sub as well.
Or Choose a Wrap
Not in a mood for sub or avoiding bread for some other reason? You can also order a vegan wrap at Subway. But, you only have two wrap options to choose from:
- Spinach Wrap
Subway Spinach Wrap ingredients are:
- Tomato Basil Wrap
Here’s what Subway Tomato Basil Wrap is made of:
Step 2 – Choose Your Fillings
Unfortunately, Subway standard menu (still) doesn’t include any vegan protein options. So, unless you’re lucky to live in a place where the restaurant does offer vegan meat, all you’re left to work with are veggies. It goes without saying that all the veggie fillings at Subway are vegan-friendly. Your options include:
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Olives
- Spinach
- Pickles
- Green Peppers
- Jalapeno Pepper Slices
- Banana Peppers
Local/Regional Veggies Options
- Carrots
- Sweet Peppers
- Avocado
- Green Chilies
- Mushrooms
- House-Made Dill Pickles
Subway Vegan Proteins at Selected Locations
Do ask at your local Subway if they offer any of the following vegan proteins. You never know, they may…
- Falafel
- Malibu Vegan Patty
Note
Subway’s allergen guide given on the restaurant’s US website doesn’t list any other vegan protein option. However, according to some online sources, you can still find the Beyond Meatball Marinara Sub at selected locations in the US and Canada.
For those who do not know, Subway launched the vegan version of their famous Meatball Marinara sandwich at more than 650 locations across the US and Canada in September 2019, in partnership with Beyond Meat.
There is good news for those living or visiting the UK that the vegan meatball sub is a permanent item on Subway menu there. It’s called Meatless Meatball Marinara and is made using Italian white bread. It also includes vegan cheese and vegan garlic mayo. Sounds incredibly delicious, doesn’t it?
Interested to learn more about the differences between Subway in the US and UK? Check out the following fun video…
Let’s not get carried away and talk about what you can top your veggies with when ordering vegan at Subway.
Step 3 – Choose Your Toppings
Subway offers the following vegan-friendly sauces and toppings options:
Vegan Sauces at Subway
- Yellow Mustard
- Mustard Seed Spread
- Deli Brown Mustard
- Fat-free Sweet Onion Sauce
Subway Vegan Condiments and Toppings
- Provencal Herbs
- Oregano
- Sub Spice
- Sea Salt & Pepper
- Salt
- Pepper
- Oil
- Subway Herb Garlic Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Subway Vinaigrette
- Guacamole
Subway Vegan Sauces and Condiments Available Only at Selected Locations
- Ketchup
- Buffalo Sauce
- BBQ Sauce
- Creamy Italian Sauce (it’s egg and dairy-free, as per the restaurant’s allergen chart)
- Golden Italian Sauce
- Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Hot Pepper Relish
- Giardiniera
Top your veggies with as many of these vegan sauces and condiments to make your vegan sub flavorful and delicious.
Step 4 – Choose Your Side
Subway offers a few vegan chips options to choose from as sides (you don’t get exciting side options at Sunway anyways). The exact options may vary by store, but you can typically find Lays, Mrs. Vickies, and Sun Chips.
To be on the safe side, always check the ingredients of chips before buying to make sure they are vegan.
They also offer Applesauce at Subway, but who needs that?
Step 5 – Choose Your Drink
Subway doesn’t have an extensive beverages menu. When ordering vegan at Subway, you can pair up your sandwich (or salad) with any of the following drinks:
- Coca Cola Fountain Sodas
- Hubert’s Lemonade
- Simply Orange Juice
- Vitamin Water XXX
- Sunway Freshly Brewed Iced Tea
- Gatorade
- X2 Sport Energy Fruit Punch
- Honest Kids Super Fruit Punch
- DASANI Water
Does Subway Offer Vegan Desserts?
Bad news for vegans with a sweet tooth! Subway doesn’t offer any vegan dessert options, so you’ll have to skip the dessert.
Subway Menu Items That May Look Vegan, But Are Not
Subway offers Veggie Patty at selected locations. It can easily be mistaken as vegan-friendly. However, according to the restaurant’s allergen guide, it’s vegetarian, not vegan. It contains egg and milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
§ Is there a Subway vegan sandwich?
Subway only offers one vegan sandwich as part of its standard menu. It’s called Veggie Delite. However, you can also make your own vegan sandwich with your choice of vegetables, sauces, and condiments.
§ Is Subway veggie patty vegan?
Subway Veggie Patty may appear vegan, but it contains egg and dairy, as per the restaurant’s allergen guide. It’s vegetarian, not vegan.
§ Is Subway vegan cheese available?
Unfortunately, Subway doesn’t offer vegan cheese in the US. However, it does so in the UK.
§ Do we get Subway vegan cookies?
No. Subway cookies contain egg and milk. They are not vegan.
§ Is Subway bread vegan?
There are only two vegan bread options available nationwide at Subway. However, there are some more options at selected outlets. Refer to the bread section above for a detailed discussion on Subway vegan breads.
§ Is Subway bread dairy-free?
Not all Subway breads are dairy-free. Only a few are and they are listed in the breads section above.
§ Is Subway buffalo sauce vegan?
Subway Buffalo Sauce is vegan. According to the restaurant’s allergen guide, it doesn’t contain eggs or milk.
The Final Word – Is Subway Vegan-Friendly?
Subway cannot be termed as a super vegan-friendly restaurant at most places. However, you may find vegan protein options at Subway in some areas.
It’s also a good place if you want to avoid the usual unhealthy fast food options or looking to increase your vegetable intake but don’t have time to whip up your own meals.
Did you find this article helpful? Interested to learn about vegan options at other US fast-food restaurants as well? Read my article Red Robin Vegan Options to learn how you can eat vegan at a famous burger place.
