Subway has remained a consistently affordable and healthy option for food on (or off) campus. They recently launched "power bowls", advertised as being an even healthier and protein-packed option compared to their sandwiches. How do they really stack up in comparison?
To find out, I tried their two flagship chef-crafted flavours: Piri Piri Chicken ($11) and Southwest Steak and Avocado ($13)... of course I used a 2 for $20 coupon in the app 😆.
The Piri Piri Chicken Bowl has 29g of protein, comprising of rotisserie chicken, brown/red/wild rice, cheese, veggies, and topped with Piri Piri sauce and garlic aioli.
It tasted pretty much like one would expect: healthy, chickeny, and ricey. There was nothing wrong with it, and it had a good mixture of textures. I chose to add a chipotle sauce on top as well, and would recommend doing so if you get one because it definitely helped to add a layer of flavour.
The Southwest Steak and Avocado bowl has 26g of protein and the same rice blend, but with steak, avocado, a different assortment of veggies, cheese, and chipotle sauce.
As a big fan of both steak and avocado, I expected that I would have liked it more than the chicken bowl, but I actually found it more bland as the not-exactly steak did not blend great with the other ingredients.
How did they stack up against Subway sandwiches?
Flavour-wise, not well. Despite having pretty much the same ingredients as their sandwich counterparts, the sandwich versions taste better somehow, likely thanks to the delicious bread and more carefully devised proportions.
To compare the actual nutrition facts, I will compare them to footlongs as they are more similar to them pricewise ($14 for Piri Piri Chicken or Steak footlongs, but often ~$10 each with coupons).
- Piri Piri Chicken power bowl: 620 calories, 31g fat, 59g carbs, 7g fiber, and 29g protein
- Piri Piri Chicken footlong: 1020 calories, 46g fat, 88g carbs, 4g fiber, and 62g protein
- Steak & Avocado power bowl: 650 calories, 34g fat, 62g carbs, 9g fiber, 26g protein
- Steak & Cheddar footlong: 1040 calories, 36g fat, 110g carbs, 6g fiber, 62g protein
As you can see, despite being advertised as protein-packed, power bowls actually have less protein per calorie and more fat per calorie compared to footlongs. As you can see, the carbs in power bowls are more healthy as they contain more fiber, however if you choose multigrain bread, you can get 4g of additional fiber in a footlong (though still not as much as in a power bowl).
Overall, I would personally recommend sticking with Subway footlongs over power bowls, not only because you get more food and flavour for the money, but because they actually have proportionally more protein. If you're concerned about health, then you could choose multigrain bread and consume an additional source of fiber (like an apple), and if you're concerned about calorie intake, then you could get a 6" sub instead for almost as many calories and save a lot of money.
If anyone from Subway is reading this, then something that's advertised as a protein-packed option should really have more protein, especially when it's not as appetizing as a classic sandwich :).
Hope this helps with your campus food choices!
- Ana
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