The Meatless Sub That Just Made It Onto Jersey Mike's Permanent Menu

More and more people are choosing a plant-based diet over one filled with hamburgers and deli meat. To supply this customer base with what they want, Chew boom reports that Jersey Mike's is adding the popular option to its permanent menu after a year's worth of testing. This is likely a smart move on the sandwich chain's part, as an estimated 9.7 million people in the United States alone have adopted a plant-based way of life (via Live Kindly). 

There are a number of reasons for this massive shift in recent decades, one of which is that a plant-based diet is seen as a healthier alternative to those laden with fatty or sodium-filled meats. In fact, a plant-based diet has been shown to reduce cancer risk, lower inflammation, support the immune system, and help people maintain a healthy weight, reports the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Many people are also going plant-based due to concerns about animal cruelty.

So with all this attention on plant-based foods, Jersey Mike's decision to add such a sandwich to the menu may benefit both its customers and its reputation.

Jersey Mikes introduced the Grilled Portabella Mushroom and Swiss Sub back in February of 2021 as a trial. Per Chew boom, the "meatless sub features fresh grilled Portabella mushrooms, green peppers, and onions with melted Swiss cheese." To order, you can just tell the staff you'd like a number 64 on the Jersey Mike's menu board.

It's worth noting that although it is a meatless option, it's not exactly a low-calorie one. Fast Food Nutrition reports that the regular size of this sandwich contains 630 calories, while the giant version is a whopping 1,260. However, it's a leaner option than the popular Chipotle Turkey Sub, the giant version of which weighs in at a staggering 2,030 calories. 

That being said, the new plant-based Jersey Mike's sandwich was named by the 2022 Eat This, Not That! Food Awards as the, "best healthy fast-food sandwich," (per QSR). The popularity of the Grilled Portabella Mushroom and Swiss Sub also inspired Jersey Mike's to add two other newbies to the menu — the Portabella Chicken Cheesesteak and the Portabella Cheesesteak. And fans of local sourcing will be happy to know that all of the mushrooms used at Jersey Mike's are grown in the United States.