Subway—with a big selection of bread, vegetables, meats, and cheeses—would seem to be one of the healthier options when it comes to fast food. But according to a ruling by Ireland’s Supreme Court in a tax dispute, Subway bread does not meet the legal definition for the food.
The reason: bread as a staple food is limited to 2 percent sugar, while Subway’s bread tips the scale at 10 percent.
Many types of bread and other foods are highly processed and contain added sugar, even those advertised as healthy. The NOVA food classification system, as explained in our Understanding Carbohydrates guidebooks, illustrates how foods can be processed with sugar, fats and other additives, or even constituted from industrial ingredients into “food-like substances” that are convenient, attractive and profitable but a far cry from natural foods.
What does that mean for the people who eat those “food-like substances?” Refined grains and foods with added sugar and other ingredients spike blood sugar, and are detrimental to health. About half of Americans today have diabetes or problems with blood sugar management which are likely to lead to diabetes if allowed to progress.
Food choices are very important to health, and labels can be deceiving. For straight information on blood sugar and foods, read our free guidebooks on Blood Sugar and Carbohydrates.
