Most people ordering a Pub Sub get the whole thing. That context matters, because the buffalo chicken tender numbers look very different at full sub scale than the half sub figures that usually show up in nutrition databases.
The short version: a standard whole sub with Italian 5 grain, provolone, and mustard is 1,740 calories and 114g of protein. Skip the bread and use mustard and a whole sub drops to 1,220 calories. All numbers come from Publix's official published nutrition data, the same source used in the Publix calorie calculator.
Half Sub vs. Whole Sub: The Numbers Side by Side
The Pub Sub counter sells halves and wholes. The base (tenders, buffalo sauce, and provolone) is 580 calories and 48g of protein per half before bread or condiments:
| Build | Half Sub | Whole Sub |
|---|---|---|
| Tenders + buffalo sauce only | 510 cal / 43g prot | 1,020 cal / 86g prot |
| + Provolone | 580 cal / 48g prot | 1,160 cal / 96g prot |
| + Italian 5 grain roll | 850 cal / 57g prot | 1,700 cal / 114g prot |
| + Mustard (standard build) | 870 cal / 57g prot | 1,740 cal / 114g prot |
| + Mayo instead of mustard | 1,070 cal / 57g prot | 2,140 cal / 114g prot |
| No bread (lettuce) + ranch | 1,000 cal / 49g prot | 2,000 cal / 98g prot |
The protein stays strong at every build level. 86g of protein from just the tenders and buffalo sauce on a whole sub is unusual for a deli order. The bread is where the calories move most: each half of an Italian 5 grain roll adds 270 calories.
The Standard Whole Sub (1,740 Calories)
Italian 5 grain, provolone, mustard, standard toppings. This is the default build: nothing heavy, no creamy condiments.
Standard Whole Sub
The Standard Half Sub (870 Calories)
Same build, half the sub.
Standard Half Sub
No Bread: Lowest Calorie Build
Asking for it as a salad bowl saves 220 to 270 calories per half depending on the roll. With mustard instead of ranch, a no-bread half sub is 610 calories with 48g of protein, the most calorie-efficient build on the menu.
No Bread Half Sub
If you want something creamy on a no-bread build, ranch adds 410 calories per half and pushes the total to 1,000 calories. Mayo on a no-bread half is 810 calories.
What Moves the Number
The bread is the biggest lever. Every half of a roll adds 220 to 270 calories. Italian 5 grain is 270, white and flatbread are 240, whole wheat is 220 per half. Skipping the bread cuts more calories than any condiment swap.
Mayo is the biggest condiment swing. At 220 calories per half sub, mayo adds 200 calories over mustard (20 cal). On a whole sub that's a 400-calorie difference between a 1,740-calorie standard build and a 2,140-calorie mayo build. Ranch at 410 calories per half is heavier than mayo. The creamy options add up fast.
Cheese is a minor variable. Provolone and Swiss are 70 calories per slice per half. Cheddar, muenster, and American are 80. On a whole sub the difference is 20 calories total. Choose for taste.
Toppings are effectively free. Lettuce, onion, cucumbers, banana peppers, pickles, jalapeños, all zero or near-zero. Tomato is 10 calories per half. Load them up. Avocado adds 30 calories per half, bacon 50 per half if you're adding extras.
For the exact numbers on your specific build, half or whole, any bread, any condiment, run it through the Publix Sub Macro Calculator.