When you’re craving a sandwich at your favorite fast-food chain, it’s easy to think subs or hoagies are a healthier choice than burgers or fried chicken sandwiches. However, some subs pack in more calories than you’d expect—sometimes even more than most people consume in an entire day! We’ve compiled a list of 15 of the highest-calorie sub sandwiches from popular chains like Subway, Jimmy John’s, Firehouse, and Quiznos so you can be mindful of which options to avoid.
While we don’t recommend calorie counting or focusing solely on calorie deficits for everyone, it’s important to note that fast food is notoriously high in calories, fat, and sodium, and low in essential nutrients like fiber. In fact, research shows that consuming fast food regularly is linked to several health risks like diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.
As we highlight these extremely high-calorie fast-food sandwiches, we’re looking at the bigger picture. These sandwiches are not just calorie-dense—they’re often high in total fat, saturated and trans fats, and sodium, making them potentially harmful choices.
Read on to discover which 15 fast-food sandwiches have the most calories, ranked from lowest to highest. Then, check out the 25 Healthiest Fast-Food Orders.
Subway Footlong Monster
Nutrition (Per 12-inch sub):
Calories: 1,080
Fat: 58 g (Saturated Fat: 22 g, Trans Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 2,500 mg
Carbs: 78 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 70 g
Just because this is the least-caloric sandwich doesn’t mean it’s a healthy choice. The Footlong Monster Sub from Subway is piled high with bacon, steak, peppers, two servings of cheese, and creamy ranch—and it all sits wedged between 12 inches of toasted Italian bread.
Subway Footlong Spicy Italian
Nutrition (Per 12-inch sub):
Calories: 1,180
Fat: 70 g (Saturated Fat: 32 g, Trans Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 3,880 mg
Carbs: 92 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 10 g)
Protein: 50 g
Similar to the Monster Sub, Subway’s Footlong Spicy Italian is an extremely high-caloric sandwich that you may want to split with a few friends. Along with having over 1,100 calories, this sub also packs in 3,880 milligrams of sodium, which is well over the FDA’s recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams.
Quiznos Large Veggie Guacamole
Nutrition (Per large sub):
Calories: 1,240
Fat: 69 g (Saturated Fat: 21 g)
Sodium: 2,640 mg
Carbs: 119 g (Fiber: 9 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 43 g
The name “Veggie Guacamole” for a sandwich makes it seem like a nutritious choice. Who wouldn’t want some fiber and healthy fats from a serving of avocado and vegetables? Sadly, though, this name is misleading because this sandwich is one of the highest-calorie menu options at Quiznos.
Quiznos Large Turkey Bacon Guacamole
Nutrition (Per large sub):
Calories: 1,260
Fat: 55 g (Saturated Fat: 15 g)
Sodium: 3,610 mg
Carbs: 117 g (Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 75 g
Another high-calorie menu item at Quiznos is the large Turkey Bacon Guacamole sandwich, which has way more calories than most people would aim to have in one meal. Even though you’ll get lean protein from the turkey and healthy fats and fiber from the guac, you’re far better off skipping this sandwich or at least ordering a smaller size.
Subway Tuna Sub
Nutrition (Per 12-inch sub):
Calories: 1,360
Fat: 95 g (Saturated Fat: 17 g, Trans Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 1,970 mg
Carbs: 75 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 63 g
Tuna is one of the healthiest fish you can eat when you need a nutrient-rich protein boost, but if you’re watching your calorie intake, you may want to get your tuna elsewhere. The Footlong Tuna Sub from Subway has a whopping 1,360 calories and almost 2,000 milligrams of sodium. Not even the 63 grams of protein is worth that.
Jersey Mike’s Big Kahuna Cheese Steak
Nutrition (Per giant size):
Calories: 1,380
Fat: 52 g (Saturated Fat: 23 g)
Sodium: 4,754 mg
Carbs: 126 g (Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 19 g)
Protein: 99 g
Jersey Mike’s Big Kahuna Cheese Steak Sandwich is loaded with veggies, cheese, and meat, and even though this one is full of flavor and will definitely satisfy any intense cheese steak cravings, it’s just not worth it at 1,380 calories. Plus, you’re looking at almost 5,000 milligrams of sodium—which is more than twice the recommended limit for an entire day!
Quiznos Large Classic Italian
Nutrition (Per large sub):
Calories: 1,430
Fat: 82 g (Saturated Fat: 25 g)
Sodium: 5,140 mg
Carbs: 117 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 11 g)
Protein: 61 g
A large Classic Italian Sub from Quiznos has almost 1,500 calories, which is enough for at least two separate meals. This sub also has 25 grams of saturated fat, which is almost twice the daily limit of 13 grams that the American Heart Association suggests. Saturated fat in small quantities is completely fine, but in excess, it has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Subway The Beast
Nutrition (Per 12-inch sub):
Calories: 1,460
Fat: 88 g (Saturated Fat: 28 g, Trans Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 4,160 mg
Carbs: 90 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 14 g)
Protein: 80 g
With a name like “The Beast,” there’s no surprise that this Subway sandwich would make the list. This sub is topped with a 1/2 pound of meats like turkey, salami, pepperoni, ham, and roast beef, plus mayo, vinaigrette, and a double serving of provolone cheese.
Jimmy John’s Beach Club
Nutrition (Per 16-inch sub):
Calories: 1,710
Fat: 78 g (Saturated Fat: 28 g, Trans Fat: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 4,090 mg
Carbs: 149 g (Fiber: 13 g, Sugar: 6 g)
Protein: 91 g
At Jimmy John’s, you can order any of their subs with a 16-inch French bread loaf—yep, longer than a Subway Footlong—and it’s safe to say that this sandwich size may be a bit big for the average person. Their 16-inch Beach Club, for example, has over 1,700 calories, 28 grams of saturated fat, 4,090 milligrams of sodium, and almost 150 grams of carbohydrates. The good news is that you don’t have to order the extra-large size to still enjoy this sandwich. Try their “Unwich” option, which is a lettuce wrap instead, for just 500 calories.
Jersey Mike’s Giant Original Italian
Nutrition (Per giant size):
Calories: 1,730
Fat: 103 g (Saturated Fat: 27 g, Trans Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 4,470 mg
Carbs: 120 g (Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 18 g)
Protein: 80 g
The Classic Italian Sub from Jersey Mike’s is even worse than the Quiznos version in terms of calories and nutrition. With 1,730 calories, 103 grams of fat, 4,470 milligrams of sodium, and 120 grams of carbs, this is one of the worst sandwiches you can order. On top of all of that, this sandwich also contains a gram of trans fat, which is a type of fat linked to clogged arteries, heart disease, and heart attacks, and one that the World Health Organization recommends avoiding as much as possible.
Jimmy John’s Italian Night Club
Nutrition (Per 16-inch sub):
Calories: 1,860
Fat: 91 g (Saturated Fat: 27 g)
Sodium: 5,700 mg
Carbs: 153 g (Fiber: 12 g, Sugar: 10 g)
Protein: 96 g
The Jimmy John’s Italian Night Club isn’t terrible when you order it as an Unwich (580 calories), and it isn’t as caloric as some other menu options when you order it on their 8-inch bread (930 calories), but on their 16-inch bread, this sub comes in at 1,860 calories and close to 6,000 milligrams of sodium.
Jimmy John’s Gargantuan Sandwich
Nutrition (Per 16-inch sub):
Calories: 2,160
Fat: 98 g (Saturated Fat: 30 g, Trans Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 7,850 mg
Carbs: 156 g (Fiber: 13 g, Sugar: 11 g)
Protein: 156 g
This sub from Jimmy John’s is called The Gargantuan—need we say more? If you order the extra-large size, you’re looking at a sandwich with over 2,160 calories, a number that is higher than a day’s worth of calories for a lot of people. Plus, the shockingly high sodium count of 7,850 milligrams is almost 3.5 times the recommended daily limit.
Firehouse Large Italian Sub
Nutrition (Per large sub):
Calories: 2,600
Fat: 135 g (Saturated Fat: 33.5 g)
Sodium: 7,050 mg
Carbs: 215 g (Fiber: 11 g, Sugar: 56 g)
Protein: 132 g
The final three subs are all from Firehouse, and they’re all over 2,500 calories each. The Large Italian sub at Firehouse may not seem that bad at first. It has the toppings you’d expect from an Italian sub: salami, pepperoni, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and Italian dressing, but the large size goes overboard with 2,600 calories and over 7,000 milligrams of sodium. Plus, this sub has 215 grams of carbohydrates and 56 grams of sugar, a combination that can definitely spike your blood sugar.
Firehouse Large Meatball Sub
Nutrition (Per large sub):
Calories: 2,635
Fat: 158 g (Saturated Fat: 61.5 g)
Sodium: 6,335 mg
Carbs: 194 g (Fiber: 12 g, Sugar: 29 g)
Protein: 117 g
A classic Meatball Sub with melted cheese on top, the large size of this Firehouse sandwich has 2,635 calories and almost three times the amount of saturated fat that’s recommended to have in an entire day. If it’s a meatball sub you’re craving, order a small size for 890 calories. This is still fairly high, but it’s better than having a day’s worth of calories in one sitting!
Firehouse Large Pepperoni Pizza Meatball Sub
Nutrition (Per large sub):
Calories: 4,075
Fat: 128 g (Saturated Fat: 61.5 g)
Sodium: 6,335 mg
Carbs: 194 g (Fiber: 12 g, Sugar: 29 g)
Protein: 117 g
Last but absolutely not least, the highest-calorie fast-food sub on our list is the Large Pepperoni Pizza Meatball Sub from Firehouse. This sandwich is similar to their classic Meatball Sub but is topped with extra provolone cheese and pepperoni slices. At twice the amount of calories that most people aim to have in an entire day, this sub is not good news for your health and is better off avoided at all costs.
