If you’re working while pregnant, sometimes you can’t avoid eating out for lunch and Quiznos pops up as a popular choice in the office. But is this something that you can join your co-workers on, or should you pass and just bring a bagged lunch?
Quiznos might not be as popular or readily available as the ubiquitous Subway, but they hold their own in most major markets. They were the company responsible for getting Subway to start toasting their subs, before that all you could get was a cold sub. Quiznos gimmick was to toast the sub for you, so you got a nice warm sandwich with melted cheese.
But is there anything on their menu that you can have, or is it all a bunch of fast food fare that you can safely avoid while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy? As with most places out there, the answer is a little of both. You can safely enter a Quiznos and have a satisfying meal without breaking any pregnancy eating rules.
Can I Eat Quiznos While Pregnant? Some Things, But Not All
Luckily Quiznos has a pretty extensive offering in regards to their menu, so you’re not short on choices. While some of their subs are definite no no’s there are a handful that are delicious, nutritious, and won’t cause you any problems with your unborn child. Going with chicken as your meat choice is your best bet, because almost all of their other choices are deli meat style and will be loaded with sodium and nitrates. The chicken they use for sandwiches like the Honey Mustard Chicken sub or the Mesquite Chicken sandwich are made from chicken breast.
That being said, it is not going to be the high quality chicken breast you can find at places like Whole Foods Market, it’s going to be heavily processed and have a lot of additives that make it somewhat unnatural and not the best choice. That’s why eating at Quiznos should only be done when you can’t avoid it, like a business lunch that you’re forced to attend, or when your only choice is between Burger King and Quiznos.
Concerns with Lunch Meat
When you’re pregnant you’re told to avoid lunch meat and deli meat, the kind Quiznos uses on their Classic and Signature subs like the Classic Italian or the Classic Club. Most pregnancy support sites out there say that you should not be eating deli meat or processed meats while pregnant. Aside from the nitrates and high sodium due to the injection of salt during the curing process, deli meats have been shown to contain listeria which has been known to increase the likelihood of having a miscarriage. If you just can’t resist a deli meat sandwich make sure you have them heat it up both in the microwave and also by toasting it until it is hot and steamy.
Concerns with Fast Food
Even though Quiznos bills itself as a premium sandwich shop, it’s still a major food manufacturer, and therefore you need to carefully consider what you eat from their restaurants. They are trying to make a profit, which is fine, but they do this by buying their food as cheaply as they can and reselling it to you at whatever price the market will bear.
Best Choices You Can Make at Quiznos
Their roast chicken sub is probably the best thing you can order while you’re pregnant. This will allow you to avoid lunch meat and the problems it contains. Make sure you load it up with veggies, and go with your favorite sauce to make it taste good. You could also play it safe and opt out of the meat altogether with their Veggie sub.
Another good choice is a salad, as this will give you at least a full serving of vegetables, and you can get it with chicken to add some protein to the mix, and also get your favorite dressing so it tastes good. It might seem silly to go to a sandwich shop and order a salad, but if you combine that with some Brocolli Cheese or Chicken Noodle soup you’ll have a hearty meal and avoid all of the things they offer that you probably shouldn’t eat while pregnant.
