MILFORD, Conn. - Egg and cheese sandwiches will debut on Subway menus nationally next month, Nation??s Restaurant News reports. The sandwich chain is trying to seize a piece of the breakfast pie with its new breakfast menu.

Subway introduced its new breakfast sandwiches earlier this month in Canada, with the U.S. launch scheduled for April 5. Customers can choose omelet sandwiches with eggs or egg whites and choices include black forest ham, egg and cheese; double bacon, egg and cheese; steak, egg and cheese; and western egg and cheese on flatbread, light whole-wheat English muffins or any of Subway??s hoagie breads.

Breakfast sandwiches can include any veggies or condiments, said spokesman Kevin Kane. "Choice is involved because we wanted to be consistent with what we offer for lunch," he said.

The chain has attempted to design healthful breakfast offerings with a "low-fat emphasis." Cage-free eggs will be used on its breakfast menu.

Sandwich chain rival Quiznos already has breakfast items on the menu. A recent Mintel report found that restaurants put an additional 460 breakfast items last year on their menus. But consumer spending on breakfast has declined.

Mintel predicts breakfast spending will start to grow again next year, with sales in the morning daypart expected to jump 13 percent between 2009 and 2014.