A Rumor About Soy in Your Sub

Often I hear Karen mumbling under her breath that she needs to find out if Subway adds soy in their sandwiches. Apparently she had been told that there is soy in meat at Subway and she wanted to make sure that she wasn’t passing on untruths…last night I heard it for the last time because I finally realized that she would wonder about this until someone told her otherwise…I get it. Some nights she barely finishes her dinner before she starts dozing off.

After googling “Subway Menu,” I ended up on a page on their site…where I was able to download a document called U.S. Allergy and Sensitivity Information that answered her question. On the document I looked at there were 2 types of ways soy can be in an ingredient:

1. an * indicates that soy is an ingredient in the cooking process (vegetable oil)
2. a dot indicates that soy is an actual ingredient in the product.

To answer the question as whether soy is found in the ingredients that Subway uses…the answer is, “Yes.” If you order any sandwich off their menu there is soy in it, but how much is a relative answer. I want to translate the amount of soy by topping; this will help if you want to order a special sandwich with little to no soy in it.

Breads

• All the breads, wraps, pizzas and flatizzas used at Subway have highly refined oils that include soy as an ingredient.
• Honey Oat bread actually lists soybean as an ingredient.

Meats, Poultry, Seafood & Eggs

The following meats do not include soy at all:

• Bacon Strips
• Cold Cut Combo Meats
• Ham (Black Forest)
• Italian BMT Meats (ham, pepperoni, salami)
• Italian Hero Meats (capicola, mortadella, salami)
• Roast Beef
• Spicy Italian Meats (pepperoni, salami)

The following meats have highly refined oils that include soy as an ingredient:

• Carved Turkey
• Oven Roasted Chicken Patty
• Egg (White) Omelette
• Rotisserie Style Chicken
• Tuna
• Turkey Breast

The following meats include soy as an actual ingredient:

• Chicken Strips (Plain)
• Chicken Strips (Teriyaki Glazed)
• Egg (Regular) Omelette
• Meatballs and Marinara
• Seafood Sensation
• Steak

Cheese

• American Cheese has soy in it.
• All other cheeses offered at Subway do not contain soy in them.

Condiments and Dressings

The following condiments and dressings offered at Subway do not contain soy:

• Buffalo Sauce
• Croutons
• Honey Mustard Sauce
• Mustard (Yellow or Brown Deli)
• Oil
• Vinegar

The following condiments and dressings offered at Subway have highly refined oils that include soy as an ingredient:

• Chipotle Southwest Sauce
• Light Mayonnaise/Regular Mayonnaise
• Ranch Dressing

The following condiments and dressings offered at Subway include soy as an ingredient:

• Caesar
• Subway Vinaigrette
• Sweet Onion Sauce

Vegetables

Veggies are safe! Eat as many veggies as you like, no matter where you are!

Soups

The following soups offered at Subway do not include soy:

• Broccoli Cheddar
• Chicken Tortilla
• Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice
• Homestyle Chicken Noodle
• Loaded Baked Potato
• Tomato Basil

The following soups offered at Subway have highly refined oils that include soy as an ingredient:

• Beef Chili
• Black Bean Soup
• Creamy Chicken and Dumplings
• French Onion

Cookies

• Sugar Cookies offered for sale at Subway do not have soy in them.
• All other cookies offered for sale at Subway list soy as an ingredient.

You might wonder why your soy intake is important.

Soy is a legume. If you cannot metabolize legumes do not eat soy. Lectins found in soy will confuse your body’s ability to feel full. If you become resistant to the leptin in soy you may become resistant to naturally occurring insulin in your body or otherwise. High amounts of Phytates found in soy, bind to nutrients that your body needs in food so that you cannot absorb them.

Here is a direct quote from Paleo Leap:

Of course, the main reasons why you should avoid soy are the same reasons why you should stay away from other grains and legumes. Lectins will mess with your leptin sensitivity (hunger and energy expenditure signals), making your brain think it’s hungry even when your body has more than enough calories. Leptin resistance could lead to insulin resistance, which could lead to a host of problems also known as the metabolic syndrome. Levels of phytates in soy are also very high. Phytates bind to minerals like zinc, calcium, iron and magnesium and make them unavailable for you. Paleo Leap: The Dangers of Soy

Even if you are not following a Paleo diet, you may need to consider your consumption of soy if you have intestinal issues and need to avoid all Legumes. Soybeans that are treated at very high temperature levels, like those found in vegetable oil, contain fatty acids that are are mostly Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. Theses Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats cause inflammation and many other health issues.

The isoflavones in soy, which there are a lot of them, mess with our hormone levels because isoflavones serve as phytoestrogens.

Soy contains large amounts of biologically active compounds called isoflavones, which function as phytoestrogens… that is, plant-based compounds that can activate estrogen receptors in the human body. Authority Nutrition: Is Soy Bad For You, or Good? The Shocking Truth

Before you think I am trying to stop you from enjoying your favorite sandwich at Subway every now and then, I want you to know that I love an oven roasted chicken breast sub on Parmesan Oregano bread with all veggies (no peppers and tomatoes for me since I can’t eat nightshades) with olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper…

What I do want to show you is how to research what you need to know before you put food into your body. Everyone is different and has different needs. If you occasionally go to fast food, Subway is probably an ok choice, unless you can not metabolize soy…but that also means that nearly every fast food chain is out of the question for you. So be wise and learn what you can.

In reality if you take every bite of information offered here as your new wellness rule, Subway is the smallest of changes you will be making to your kitchen and grocery experience…I will leave that up to you to decide.

Be well! Make sure to leave your comments below!

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Summer D Clemenson co-owns Clemenson Enterprises and Wellness Works NW with her wife, Karen G Clemenson. Their personal motto is Creativity, Honesty & Positivity are a must! This mantra helps them stay community and wellness minded in all they do. Summer also writes poetry and inspirational blogs @ ClemensonEnterprises.com. Her crochet art can be viewed and purchased @ KnottyWares.com & she loves special orders!