Updated 2021! Subway is a build-your-own sandwich and salad shop with over 45,000 locations in more than 100 countries. And they have many dairy-free options available. The lists below are from the U.S. allergen chart, but we’ve also included links to the allergen charts for Canada, the U.K., and Ireland toward the end of this post.
Their sandwiches automatically come with cheese, but you can opt for no cheese. Below is a list of the dairy-free breads, wraps, and toppings to help customize your order on the fly.
No Dairy (Milk-Based) Ingredients (see disclaimer below)
All Sandwiches, Salads, and Wraps at Subway automatically come with cheese if you want it. And sometimes, you have to be quick to keep the staff from putting it on! But the sandwiches and other menu items listed below are technically dairy-free as listed (even though some of them are pictured with cheese on them).
Menu Items
- Sandwiches – American Club, B.L.T., Black Forest Ham, Cold Cut Combo, Italian B.M.T., Oven Roasted Chicken, Spicy Italian, Sweet Onion Teriyaki, Tuna, Turkey Breast, Turkey Breast & Black Forest Ham, Turkey Bacon & Guacamole, Veggie Delight
- Wraps – B.L.T., Black Forest Ham, Cold Cut Combo, Italian B.M.T., Oven Roasted Chicken, Spicy Italian, Sweet Onion Teriyaki, Tuna, Turkey Breast, Turkey Breast & Black Forest Ham, Veggie Delite
- Protein Bowls – B.L.T., Black Forest Ham, Cold Cut Combo, Italian B.M.T., Oven Roasted Chicken, Spicy Italian, Sweet Onion Teriyaki, Tuna, Turkey Breast, Turkey Breast & Black Forest Ham, Turkey Bacon & Guac
- Salads – Turkey & Bacon Avocado, Turkey & Bacon Guacamole, Oven Roasted Chicken
- Soups – Beef Chili, Black Bean, Mediterranean Vegetable, Spicy Chicken Tortilla
- Desserts – Apple Slices, Gluten Free Brownie
Components to Customize a Sandwich, Wrap, or Salad
- Breads – Italian, 9-Grain Wheat, 9-Grain Honey Oat, Gluten Free, Harvest, Hearty Italian, Roasted Garlic, Slider Roll, Sourdough
- Wraps – Spinach, Tomato Basil
- Meat, Seafood & Eggs – Bacon Strips, Roasted Chicken Patty, Plain Chicken Strips, Teriyaki Glazed Chicken Strips, Cold Cut Combo Meats, Egg White Patty, Black Forest Ham, Italian BMT Meats, Pepperoni, Roast Beef, Rotisserie-Style Chicken, Spicy Italian Meats, Steak, Tuna, Turkey Breast, BBQ Pulled Pork, BBQ Rib Patty, Chicken Salad, Buffalo Chicken Chicken Strips, Corned Beef, Egg Salad, Falafel, Orchard Chicken Salad, Pastrami, Breakfast Sausage, Seafood Sensation, Vegan Patty (Malibu)
- Condiments & Dressings – Guacamole, Light Mayonnaise, Regular Mayonnaise, Deli Brown Mustard, Yellow Mustard, Mustard Seed Spread, Oil, Subway Herb Garlic Oil, Subway Vinaigrette, Sweet Onion Sauce, Vinegar, Barbeque Sauce, Buffalo Sauce, Creamy Italian, Creamy Srircha, Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce, Giardiniera, Golden Italian, Fat Free Honey Mustard Sauce, Hot Pepper Relish, Ketchup, Signature Horseradish Sauce, Smoky Hickory Sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, Thousand Island
- Fresh Vegetable Toppings – Banana Peppers, Cucumbers, Green Peppers, Jalapenos, Lettuce, Olives, Onions, Pickles, Spinach, Tomatoes, Avocado, Carrots, Green Chiles, House-Made Dill Pickles, Mushrooms, Sweet Peppers
Other Allergen Notes
- Breakfast is tricky at Subway, because their Egg Omelet, Artisan Flatbread, and English Muffins all contain dairy.
- The Veggie Patty sold at every Subway contains milk. The Vegan Patty is dairy-free, but is only sold at select locations.
- Most of the soups that contain dairy are obviously creamy or cheesy, but the Homestyle Chicken Noodle and Tomato Basil also contain dairy.
- As expected, all of their ranch, Caeasar, and cheesy items also contain dairy. Other dairy items that might surprise, include the Meatballs & Marinara, Chicken Enchilada, and Chipotle Southwest Sauce.
- The gluten-free products are manufactured in a gluten-free facility, but are only available at select locations.
- All dairy-free breads, except for the gluten-free bread, are also egg-free.
- But they all contain Many of the above options are regional, which means they won’t all be available at every location. The lists start with the options available at every Subway, listed alphabetically, and then continue on with the regional options.
- Cross-contamination is common in these types of fast food environment. But on request, many Subway employees have been trained to change their gloves, use a clean knife, and place a fresh wrapper between your sandwich and the work station to help minimize allergen cross contamination.
- Their allergen chart below covers the top 8 allergens in the U.S. plus sesame, sulfites, and nitrates.
More Details from Subway
Allergen Disclaimer from Subway: Individual food items may come in contact with one another during food preparation and is not reflected on this [allergen]chart.
Restaurant Website: www.subway.com
- Allergen Information for the United States: www.subway.com/Nutrition/Files/US_Allergen_chart.pdf
- Product Ingredient Information for the United States: www.subway.com/~/media/usa/documents/nutrition/usprodingredients.pdf
- Allergen Information for Canada: www.subway.com/~/media/canada/documents/nutrition/allergenchartcan.pdf
- Allergen Information for the United Kingdom: subapps1.subway.com/nutrition/allergens/allergens_EN_GB.PDF
- Allergen Information for Ireland: www.subway.com/en-IE/MenuNutrition/Nutrition
Last Updated: February 10, 2021
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Great article, you can avoid milk at Subway easily!
Thanks for this article, it is very accurate and there’s nothing worse than getting very sick from a small ingredient with milk. If you don’t get your subs toasted, you can always take out the cheese afterwards too because it won’t be melted in. The condiments and dressings part of this post are really good, it’s the sauces that always gets me.
17 Comments
There is dairy in the eggs. 2% dry milk.
Hi Hayley, yes there is in the regular egg omelet. That isn’t on our list above. The Egg White Patty and the Egg Salad are both milk free and the only two egg items on our list above. I hope that helps!
These look amazing! I love that they are from scratch! I am with you on winning over my heart. I need something good like these Subway Sauces for instance. Delicious! Pinned!
Subway’s Creamy Italian dressing has no dairy? really?? Are you sure about that?
I’m never 100% sure about what restaurants report! I just report it 🙂 According to their allergen chart it doesn’t contain milk/dairy.
Subway is also amazing! They don’t fuss a bit when I tell them my dairy allergy. They get new gloves and a clean knife and one place even sanitized!
I have a gluten and dairy allergy. Does the gluten free bread at Subway have dairy in it?
I believe it does not (check at the location though, as I couldn’t confirm), however, it isn’t widely available.
Is the guacamole dairy free
I thought the italian meats and bologna contained dried milk powder, sodium lactylate, lactic acid, or other dairy derived “natural” flavors and coloring? Does the roast beef contain carmel color?
Aside from the dried milk powder, the ingredients you have named are rarely derived from dairy. See this post for information on dairy ingredients – http://www.godairyfree.org/dairy-free-grocery-shopping-guide/dairy-ingredient-list-2.
I believe we have a link on this post to Subway for verification of their allergens.
Soybeans and eggs for mayo-just checked, GOD I LOVE SUBWAY
How is the tuna dairy free? It’s pre-made with Mayo
Mayo is not made with any dairy (milk) products. Although, it is still not vegan because the mayo has eggs in it.
Hi Chris, thank you for the link to the UK subway information. Our information is for the US subway in particular. It sounds as if processes are different in the UK as most deli meat does not contain milk/dairy in the US. Many contain lactylates, but they are rarely, if ever, dairy-derived in the US.
At Subway we also always ask them to wash the knife and we watch them wash it..and to use the same knife – keeping it on the paper as they make the complete sandwich (then make others) This goes against the way they typically make a sandwich but I am always polite and tell them it is less confusing if they make the dairy free first – completely, then come back and make the others. If it is crowded I will even buy separate and not make others wait while I special order.
Great tips, thanks for sharing Sue!