Subway to Launch Vegan Sandwich Line

Subway is rolling out three new vegan sandwich options, in response to increased demand for meals on the go sans animal products. The Malibu Greek, Sweet Riblet, and Italian Black Bean subs are slated to roll out in select Subway locations in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia. Compassion Over Killing, a vegan lobbying group, says it helped convince the chain to offer more vegan menu choices.

Miami's Subways are not currently slated to see any changes, but Lenorris Kittles, manager of the Subway at 1051 NW 14th Street, which caters largely to UM students, describes a customer base that might be ripe for such additions, at least at his location. "A lot of people order healthy wheat bread, veggie patties and Veggie Delites," he says, adding that his store even serves Subway sandwiches atop matzah bread during Jewish holidays.

For vegan and vegan-curious Subway customers in the affected states, the chain's roasted garlic, sourdough, light wheat English muffin, hearty Italian and hearty Italian white breads are all vegan-friendly choices upon which to lay the new sandwich fillings.

via Compassion Over Killing

Subway's vegan Sweet Riblet Sandwich.

At the center of all the new vegan options is the "Totally Veg" patty (the restaurant's other veggie patties contain eggs). What is it made of? Sources say the ingredients are as follows: carrots, red pepper, green pepper, onion, water chestnuts, mushrooms, water, soy protein, wheat gluten, canola oil, sugar, modified cellulose, oats, rice, onion powder, garlic powder, modified corn starch, hydrolyzed corn, soy and wheat gluten protein, dextrose, salt, potassium chloride, spices, jalapeño powder, dehydrated lemon peel, dehydrated cilantro, dehydrated orange peel, flavour, spinach powder, dehydrated parsley.

The added oil, sugar, and gluten may be deterrents for some vegan customers, but the largely vegetable base is a step in the right direction. And the patty certainly sounds more appetizing than the vegan option formerly available in Subway restaurants: a pile of vegetables on a hoagie roll, AKA, the Veggie Delite. Where available, the sandwiches will cost $4.50 for a 6-inch and $7 for a foot-long sub.

So how can we get these new easy vegan meals to pop up on Miami's Subway restaurant menus? Kittles says all that's needed is demand. If a lot of people start asking for the sandwiches, the process could take as little as two weeks, he said. "But we have to get Subway's approval first," he said.

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