Subway sandwiches and Nutrigrain bars. Healthy?

Hyperbullet

On my drive to work this evening I saw posters for both of these, and it got me wondering if:

1- Food from Subway is good for you? In my mind its essentially another form of fast food but maybe I'm wrong?

2- Are those Kelloggs Nutrigrain bars a healthy snack?

I ask because I eat Subway maybe 3 times a month if I'm stuck for food, and also I'm considering bringing some of those Nutrigrain bars with me to work instead of occasionally eating crap chocolate bars.

Ciaran500

Hyperbullet wrote: »

2- Are those Kelloggs Nutrigrain bars a healthy snack?

Terrible: http://www.kelloggs.ie/products/nutrigrain/Bar/nutri_grain_soft_bake_apple_.aspx

5 types of sugar added and salt. Try some mixed nuts if you want a healthy snack.

EDIT: Subway is bad food aswell: http://subway.com/subwayroot/MenuNutrition/Nutrition/frmNzIngredients.aspx

Sugar added to every bread and meat and from that description it sounds like all the breads are made with white flour.

TeletextPear

If you think subway is bad the nutrional info on Quiznos would make your head explode. I literally don't understand how their salads can have so many calories, it's insane :eek:

El_Dangeroso

+1 Nutrigrain bars are muck AND they're disgusting, lose/lose.

The only thing I've found in Subway that's remotely healthy is a custom salad and even then you have to avoid mayo and dressings because it's packed with omega 6 and even their salads look a little sad and limp, at least in the one nearest me.

Shelga

In short, no, they're both rubbish.

Nutri-Grain bars are another marketing ploy to make you believe they are healthy, much like Special K. They're both just processed crap. The strawberry one for example is 37% sugar. That's higher than some chocolate. Plus all the stuff added to them is crazy- as someone here said, if it says "fortified with..." avoid like the plague!

Subway is also pretty bad, low quality meat and high in salt and sugar. That said, my hunch would be that it's slightly better than the likes of McDonald's, but it's swings and roundabouts really. Lots of additives as well in their sauces, and the cheese they use is muck.

Even knowing this though, I indulge in these types of foods sometimes. Chocolate is my weakness! I just like to know that it is junk food I'm eating and not kid myself that I'm being healthy.

Transform

Ciaran500 wrote: »

Terrible: http://www.kelloggs.ie/products/nutrigrain/Bar/nutri_grain_soft_bake_apple_.aspx

5 types of sugar added and salt. Try some mixed nuts if you want a healthy snack.

EDIT: Subway is bad food aswell: http://subway.com/subwayroot/MenuNutrition/Nutrition/frmNzIngredients.aspx

Sugar added to every bread and meat and from that description it sounds like all the breads are made with white flour.

second that!

Hyperbullet

Had a look at the links for Subway. Good god they're rammed with cals! Never thought they'd be that bad.

What gets me is the advertising for the Nutrigrain bars, official snack of the GAA, IRFU and FAI apparently. By the looks of things its a fantastic marketing campaign for what is essentially sugar.

Todd Gack

Depends on what you have in subway, you can find a healthy alternative if you wish, if you like cholesterol they have that too.

Ciaran500

Todd Gack wrote: »

Depends on what you have in subway, you can find a healthy alternative if you wish, if you like cholesterol they have that too.

Other than a salad with no dressing there is nothing healthy in Subway.

coup1917

Saw a Channel 4 documentary on Subway about a year back.....
Huge amount of salt in their food........:eek:
Haven't been near it since and don't even miss it after what I saw...!!

Todd Gack

Ciaran500 wrote: »

Other than a salad with no dressing there is nothing healthy in Subway.

There is depending on your selection, drop the cheese. Something like honey mustard is the best alternative for sauce. Most meat is low fat, has a bit of salt but overall it's not the worst.

Ciaran500

Todd Gack wrote: »

There is depending on your selection, drop the cheese. Something like honey mustard is the best alternative for sauce. Most meat is low fat, has a bit of salt but overall it's not the worst.

All the breads, meats and sauces are high in salt and sugar, food being low in fat is a terrible measure of how healthy it is. I'd rather have something unprocessed and high in fats over the crappy processes Subway food.

eclectichoney

Ciaran500 wrote: »

All the breads, meats and sauces are high in salt and sugar, food being low in fat is a terrible measure of how healthy it is. I'd rather have something unprocessed and high in fats over the crappy processes Subway food.

+1 I'd rather go for something unprocessed every time - even if it's higher in calories! For example, the other day i was caught out and starving (had forgotten my mixed nuts ) but managed to track down a Meridian oat & peanut butter bar - 50g and 200 cals so more than a nutrigrain bar - but there were only 4 ingredients: organic oats, (100%) peanut butter, honey & molasses. 11g of sugars (per 50g bar) which is still high but at least it was better than a nutrigrain bar imo (and it had lots of good fats too!) I wouldn't make a habit of it, it was a once off I hasten to add.

Riskymove

Hyperbullet wrote: »

What gets me is the advertising for the Nutrigrain bars, official snack of the GAA, IRFU and FAI apparently. By the looks of things its a fantastic marketing campaign for what is essentially sugar.

yes its something I take issue with, but it seems money talks

I always think it a great irony to see kids sports teams sponsored by something like McDonalds or other sports sponsored by booze

boredatwork82

My take on Nutrigrain bars is that they are a snack that you can take before a match or training, if you hadn't had time to eat properly.
If you are active and need some food I am sure that nutrigrains are adequate.
I usually eat one before a match to try and build up energy stores, they are pretty light and don't repeat on you, and are fulfilling enough.

Like energy drinks, just because they are related to sports doesn't necessarilly mean they are healthy.

Iristxo

Organix do cereal bars for kids in several varieties. There's one that only has banana and date, nothing else. All the other ones have wholegrain oats, some have some sunflower oil which is not good and some fruit juices from concentrate which is not good either but that's the worst of it. They're supposed to be for kids so you have to look for them in the kids food section, where the formulas are and all that. And not all supermarkets have them. Alternatively health shops do have cereal bars but they're way more expensive than the organix ones. And all the ingredients in the organix ones are organic as well.

Sapsorrow

boredatwork82 wrote: »

My take on Nutrigrain bars is that they are a snack that you can take before a match or training, if you hadn't had time to eat properly.
If you are active and need some food I am sure that nutrigrains are adequate.
I usually eat one before a match to try and build up energy stores, they are pretty light and don't repeat on you, and are fulfilling enough.

Like energy drinks, just because they are related to sports doesn't necessarilly mean they are healthy.

Yup we were just talking about this in my sports nutrition class today how normal people use sports supplements (nutrigrains, lucozade, powerbar etc..) totally out of context when they are designed for people who train for a day at a go and need a sh*t load of CHO to keep going throughout the day. Nutritional nightmare for us normal folks and so fattening!

El_Dangeroso

khrystyna100 wrote: »

Yup we were just talking about this in my sports nutrition class today how normal people use sports supplements (nutrigrains, lucozade, powerbar etc..) totally out of context when they are designed for people who train for a day at a go and need a sh*t load of CHO to keep going throughout the day. Nutritional nightmare for us normal folks and so fattening!

Ya know that ad that says 'Lucozade: Keeps you going 33% longer. FACT!'

Well do you know what that's actually based on?

They had 9 recreational soccer players do some intense exercise (sprinting I presume)
Those given water lasted 6.7 minutes
Those given Lucozade lasted 8.9 minutes
Difference = 2.2 minutes

Our stats lecturer told us that and I laugh every time I hear that ad now:pac:

corkcomp

there is no doubt that fast releasing carbs are beneficial for intense exercise, and they are pretty essential for getting past "the wall" of glycogen depletion. however as another poster aluded to, most people need not worry about getting to that wall .. those who REALLY need sports supps know themselves who they are. everybody else (and Ive seen people walking on treadmills drinking lucozade sport) should steer clear...

Sapsorrow

Temple_Grandin wrote: »

Ya know that ad that says 'Lucozade: Keeps you going 33% longer. FACT!'

Well do you know what that's actually based on?

They had 9 recreational soccer players do some intense exercise (sprinting I presume)
Those given water lasted 6.7 minutes
Those given Lucozade lasted 8.9 minutes
Difference = 2.2 minutes

Our stats lecturer told us that and I laugh every time I hear that ad now:pac:

Jesus these f*ckers get away with murder!! The whole advertising/labelling thing is such a joke

sarah_de_sousa

Didn't watch the whole thing but i seen on a talk show called maury that twins lost a significant amount of weight doing the subway diet. Not sure exactly what it entails but its something to do with eating a foot long subway (i think daily) not sure what else you eat though as i wasnt really watching it i only had it on in the background

Sapsorrow

oh dear

cleremy jarkson

I'd say that as soon as the fitness forum regulars saw the title for this thread they jumped with excitement at the opportunity to blast somebody down for wondering whether a nice-tasting food could possibly be good for them

Ciaran500

cleremy jarkson wrote: »

I'd say that as soon as the fitness forum regulars saw the title for this thread they jumped with excitement at the opportunity to blast somebody down for wondering whether a nice-tasting food could possibly be good for them

Surprisingly that ****e doesn't taste particularly nice once you start to cook you're own food, bought a frozen pizza last week and didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I used to.

El_Dangeroso

Subway sandwiches can be tasty but nutrigrain bars are bleuch. They taste like gone-off jammy dodgers.

Might as well eat a chocolate bar and actually enjoy it!

Davei141

sarah_de_sousa wrote: »

Didn't watch the whole thing but i seen on a talk show called maury that twins lost a significant amount of weight doing the subway diet. Not sure exactly what it entails but its something to do with eating a foot long subway (i think daily) not sure what else you eat though as i wasnt really watching it i only had it on in the background

The subway diet. I can just imagine the subway marketing department laughing their bollox off.