Sandwiches are a quick and easy way to get all your nutrients. Jimmy John’s serves a variety of sandwiches using French and wheat bread. What makes these sandwiches so delicious is the use of fresh meat and vegetables.
But can you still eat Jimmy John’s on a gluten-free diet?
Fortunately, you can. Substitute the bread with a lettuce-wrapped “Unwich”. Same great taste but without the bread. And avoid those ingredients in your sandwich that are not listed as gluten-free.
Try Jimmy John’s Gargantuan Unwich, a sandwich that can satiate the hungriest person. It has five types of meat and multiple veggies and sauces as toppings.
Here are some more tips and gluten-free options to order from Jimmy John’s.
Jimmy John’s Gluten-Free Options
A Jimmy John’s sandwich is quick, delicious, and satisfying. No wonder it is a popular lunch for many busy corporates. Jimmy John’s bread is made freshly in-store every day.
Their french bread is no longer than four hours old. However, their bread is not gluten-free. But unlike other sandwich chains, Jimmy John’s also offers sandwiches wrapped in lettuce leaves called Unwich.
Having your sandwiches in the form of an Unwich not only removes gluten but also reduces the number of calories you consume. In a traditional sandwich, the bun contributes the majority of the calories.
Whereas, a lettuce wrap has zero calories. This is an ideal choice for those who are on a weight loss journey as well as those who are on a low-carb diet.
Jimmy John’s sandwiches come in three sizes- 16” french bread, 8” french bread, and little john- slightly smaller than 8”. Jimmy John’s has five types of sandwiches-
- Favorites– The Favorite sandwiches are loaded with fillings. Mostly they have two types of meat products, veggies, and two types of sauces.
- Original– The Original sandwiches are made with minimal ingredients. Mostly they have one meat product along with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
- Slim– The Slim sandwiches are the plainest in this category. Mostly they have just one ingredient like Ham and bread. That’s it. However, you can customize it with your choice of add-ons.
- Little John– The Little John sandwiches are even smaller than their 8” sandwiches and have tomato, lettuce, and mayo as common ingredients.
- Gargantuan– The Gargantuan is the most loaded sandwich Jimmy John’s offers. It has five kinds of sliced meats and a lot of veggies and sauces. If you are starving, order a Jimmy John’s gargantuan sandwich and you will be more than satisfied.
All of the meats and veggies at Jimmy John’s are gluten-free. So you can customize your sandwich carefreely. Here are some gluten-free sandwiches you can order at Jimmy John’s:
Favorites
#7 SPICY EAST COAST ITALIAN
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 57 g
- Carbs: 11 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Calories: 740 kcal
It is a tasty Italian sandwich made with a double serving of hand-sliced salami, Capocollo, provolone cheese, mayo, hot Jimmy Peppers, house-made oil & vinegar, oregano-basil, and fresh-sliced lettuce, tomato, and onion.
Remove the provolone cheese to make it gluten-free.
#8 BILLY CLUB
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 31 g
- Carbs: 7 g
- Protein: 37 g
- Calories: 460 kcal
This sandwich is made with hand-sliced roast beef, smoked ham, and provolone cheese, topped with mayo, Dijon mustard, fresh-sliced lettuce, and tomato. Remove the Provolone cheese.
ALSO READ: What’s Gluten-free at Popeyes?
#9 ITALIAN NIGHTCLUB
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 44 g
- Carbs: 11 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Calories: 480 kcal
This sandwich is made with hand-sliced salami, Capocollo, and smoked ham, topped with mayo, fresh-sliced lettuce, onions, oil & vinegar, and oregano basil.
#10 HUNTER’S CLUB
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 32 g
- Carbs: 5 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Calories: 480 kcal
This sandwich is made with a double portion of hand-sliced roast beef and provolone cheese, topped with mayo, fresh-sliced lettuce, and tomato. Take out the provolone cheese.
#11 COUNTRY CLUB
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 28 g
- Carbs: 8 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Calories: 430 kcal
The Country Club comes with hand-sliced turkey breast, smoked ham, and provolone cheese. The Country Club comes topped with mayo, fresh-sliced lettuce, and tomato. Be sure to remove the provolone.
#12 BEACH CLUB
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 38 g
- Carbs: 9 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Calories: 510 kcal
The Beach Club sandwich has hand-sliced turkey breast, provolone cheese, and avocado spread. The Beach Club comes topped with mayo and fresh-sliced lettuce, cucumber, and tomato.
#13 BOOTLEGGER CLUB
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 20 g
- Carbs: 5 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Calories: 330 kcal
The Bootlegger Club is made with hand-sliced roast beef & turkey breast, topped with mayo and fresh-sliced lettuce & tomato.
FIND MORE: Gluten-Free Options at Donatos
Original
#1. THE PEPE
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 28 g
- Carbs: 7 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Calories: 370 kcal
The Pepe is made with hand-sliced smoked ham and provolone cheese, topped with mayo and fresh-sliced lettuce and tomato.
#2. BIG JOHN
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 20 g
- Carbs: 4 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Calories: 270 kcal
The Big John is made with hand-sliced roast beef and topped with mayo, fresh-sliced lettuce, and tomato.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: Gluten-free options at Baja Fresh
#3. TURKEY TOM
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 17 g
- Carbs: 9 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Calories: 350 kcal
The Turkey Tom is made with hand-sliced turkey breast and topped with mayo, fresh-sliced lettuce, and tomato.
#4. VITO
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 25 g
- Carbs: 9 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Calories: 350 kcal
The Vito is a tasty Italian sandwich, made with hand-sliced salami, Capocollo, & provolone cheese. The Vito comes topped with fresh-sliced lettuce, tomato, onion, oil & vinegar, and oregano basil.
#5. THE VEGGIE
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 38 g
- Carbs: 7 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Calories: 440 kcal
It’s a yummy Veggie sandwich, made with hand-sliced provolone cheese & tasty avocado spread, topped with mayo, fresh-sliced lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.
Gargantuan
#1. THE J.J. GARGANTUAN
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 47 g
- Carbs: 12 g
- Protein: 65 g
- Calories: 730 kcal
The Gargantuan contains hand-sliced salami, Capocollo, turkey, roast beef, ham & provolone cheese then topped with onion, lettuce, tomato, mayo, oil & vinegar, and oregano-basil.
#2. Little John 3
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 11 g
- Carbs: 24 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Calories: 250 kcal
The little John 3 has roast beef, lettuce, tomato & mayo.
#3. LITTLE JOHN 5
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 13 g
- Carbs: 26 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Calories: 290 kcal
The Little John 5 has salami, Capocollo, provolone, onion, lettuce, tomato, oil & vinegar, and oregano-basil.
#4. LITTLE JOHN B.L.T.
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 16 g
- Carbs: 24 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Calories: 300 kcal
It is made with applewood smoked bacon, and cheese, and topped with mayo, lettuce, and tomato.
#5. LITTLE JOHN 1
Nutritional Information
- Fat: 15 g
- Carbs: 25 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Calories: 300 kcal
The Little John 1 has ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
Gluten-free Sides at Jimmy John’s:
- Thinny Jimmy chips
- Regular Jimmy chips
- Jalapeno Jimmy chips
- Jumbo Kosher Dill Pickle
Gluten-free proteins at Jimmy John’s:
- Bacon
- Turkey
- Salami
- Capacollo
- Ham, and
- Roast beef
Gluten-free spreads and toppings at Jimmy John’s:
- Avocado spread
- Jimmy Mustard
- Grey Poupon
- Yellow mustard
- Oil and vinegar
- Oregano basil
- Lettuce, Tomato, Cucumber, Onion
- Jimmy Peppers
These are just a few of the gluten-free options at Jimmy John’s. Several other sandwiches can be made gluten-free by following the tips I’ve shared below:
Tips for a Gluten-Free Meal at Jimmy John’s
Ask for an Unwich- lettuce wrapped sandwich.
Everything you get inside a regular jimmy john’s sandwich, you can get all wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves. Order an Original #5 Vito Unwich without provolone cheese and mayo.
Avoid provolone cheese.
Most of the Jimmy John’s sandwiches have provolone cheese. However, according to their allergen guidelines, Provolone cheese is not gluten-free. They use gluten in their cheese to prevent them from sticking.
Opt out of the provolone cheese and you can order avocado spread instead.
Avoid ranch and mayo.
If you are allergic to soy, then avoid Kickin’ Ranch and Hellmann’s Mayo inside your sandwich. Also, the mayo can be cross-contaminated since they use the same knife and mayo for bread sandwiches.
Avoid the following items at Jimmy John’s:
- Tuna salad
- Cookies – Chocolate Chip & Oatmeal Raisin
- Salt & Vinegar Jimmy Chips, and
- BBQ Jimmy Chips
Inform your cashier about your gluten sensitivity.
The cross-contamination measures at Jimm John’s are pretty good. The staff will clean the preparation area, change gloves, and put extra wrapping paper around your Unwich. So always inform the cashier about your concern.
Avoid ordering during rush hours.
Jimmy John’s tends to be busy during lunchtime. Sometimes, the line in the store goes out of the gate. In this chaos, the staff may not take extra precautions while preparing your sandwich. So, avoid this time when you have special requests.
Cross Contamination Risk
Individual items used for your sandwich may come in contact with allergic ingredients during preparation.
In addition, Jimmy John’s uses shared equipment and utensils to prepare their sandwiches, so they cannot ensure that their food is allergen-free.
If you are highly sensitive to gluten or have celiac, inform your cashier when placing your order. Also, check out their allergen guideline each time you order since it keeps changing.
What People Are Saying
This is what people with high gluten sensitivity and celiac have said about Jimmy John’s sandwiches and their ordering experience.
This data has been collected from around the net to facilitate your gluten-free ordering experience at Jimmy John’s.
Many people have said that “the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. They cleaned the entire preparation area before preparing the Unwich to prevent cross-contamination”.
Some also said that “the staff changed their gloves and put down the extra paper as a safety measure”.
The food also comes marked as gluten-free and tastes good. Some reported that they didn’t get sick after eating there. However, the location of the store also played a role.
Some people said, “the price wasn’t worth it and they saw their sandwiches being cross-contaminated.” They also said, “the staff was unaware of gluten sensitivity”.
It all comes down to communication. Inform your cashier that nothing can be cross-contaminated and avoid adding items that have gluten. You’ll find success that way.
Gluten-Free Alternatives to Jimmy John’s
1. Urban Plates
Urban Plates is a casual-dining restaurant where they use only organic ingredients to prepare their dishes. Urban Plates provide a gluten-free menu that has several great options. Some gluten-free dishes you could try there are Grilled Wild Ahi Nicoise, Curry Tofu & Vegetable Braise, and Chicken Cobb, among others.
2. Pancheros Maxican Grill
Pancheros is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant where, unlike other Mexican-style restaurants, each item is made in-house from scratch every day. Its menu is small but enough. You can order a gluten-free salad and burrito bowl.
Just avoid anything with tortillas or even corn. You can also request the server to change their gloves when preparing your food.