Subway Restaurants adds bread fortified with calcium, vitamin D to its menu; each 6-inch serving of bread provides 30% of daily recommended value of calcium, 20% RDV of vitamin D

Cindy Allen

MILFORD, Connecticut , July 26, 2011 (PRNewswire) – In addition to its many healthier offerings, the SUBWAY® restaurant chain has now added calcium and vitamin D fortified bread to its menu, announced Mark Christiano, the SUBWAY® brand's Global Baking Specialist.

Now, each 6-inch serving of bread in the 24,000-plus U.S. restaurants provides 30 percent of the daily recommended value of calcium and 20 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin D.

"Now, the calcium included in each 6-inch serving of bread has the nutritional equivalent of one glass of milk," Mark said. "For years, our high-quality, fresh baked bread has been a signature item for the Subway brand. It is the perfect vehicle to complete the great tasting sandwiches that people have grown accustomed to when they visit a Subway restaurant. Now, we have raised the bar in providing healthier options to consumers by fortifying our bread to include calcium and vitamin D."

According to the Centers for Disease Control, on average, men and women in the U.S. consume less than the recommended daily amount of calcium they need. In addition, the Institute of Medicine states that less than 1/3 of older people meet the recommended adequate intake for vitamin D based on total intake, including supplements.

Adequate calcium is essential for children as they grow to insure strong bones. It is also important that women get enough calcium to maintain proper bone density and prevent osteoporosis.

"This is certainly exciting for us to now have our bread fortified with bone-building power houses calcium and vitamin D," said SUBWAY® Corporate Dietician Lanette Kovachi, MS, RD.

"Already, each sandwich made to standard formula provides two full servings of fresh vegetables, essential nutrients vitamin A and iron and are free of artificial trans-fat and are rich in complex carbohydrates. When made on 9-Grain Wheat or Honey Oat bread, each sandwich contains at least 20% daily value of fiber."

Lanette and Nutritional Consultant, Jessie Erwin, RD have co-written a column that can now be found on the Expert Advice section of Subway.com that explains the importance of calcium and vitamin D, as well as how consumers can find the best sources of both.

"Ninety-nine percent of your body's calcium is stored in your bones and teeth. Not getting enough calcium means weak, porous bones and increases your risk of osteoporosis. Consuming adequate calcium is especially important for children and teenagers during their growing years, while they are building bone and storing calcium for the rest of their lives. Getting plenty of calcium when you're older can help minimize calcium loss from your bones. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium and build and maintain strong bones," the pair writes in their column.

They also note, "You may have already known calcium and vitamin D are important for bone health, but did you know that they might also help your heart? Researchers have linked low calcium levels to high blood pressure, and have linked vitamin D deficiency to increased risk of cardiovascular disease."

Fortifying the bread with calcium and vitamin D is only one step in the brand's overall nutrition platform, which includes providing easily accessible nutrition information so consumers can make more informed meal choices. For those watching their calorie and fat intake, the SUBWAY® Fresh Fit menu offers eight delicious 6" sandwiches under 400 calories and 6 grams of fat.

Two SUBWAY® sides – apple slices and low-fat yogurt – add more nutrients to a meal. Fat free sauces and dressing are available to add a variety of flavors to sandwiches and all menu items are completely free of partially hydrogenated oil.

About SUBWAY® Restaurants

Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami and Singapore, the SUBWAY® chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. Their partnership, which continues today, marked the beginning of a remarkable journey — one that has made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own business.

The SUBWAY® restaurant chain has been named the 2011 recipient of the Nation's Restaurant News MenuMasters award for Healthful Innovations. The award recognizes the brand's "Build Your Better Breakfast" selections by offering consumers a fully-customizable line of egg white omelet sandwiches.

In the 2010 Zagat® Fast Food Survey, the SUBWAY® brand was ranked by consumers as "number one" in the "Most Popular," "Top Service" and "Healthy Options" categories for food brands with 5,000 or more locations.

For more information about the SUBWAY® chain, visit www.subway.com

Find us on Facebook: Facebook.com/subway

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/subwayfreshbuzz

SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor's Associates Inc.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.