Here's What You Get If You Order An Unwich At Jimmy John's

Jimmy John's has some pretty popular sandwiches, and it has some other ingenious menu items. The sandwich chain designed one of its most popular — the Unwich — to cater to customers with gluten allergies or those living a low-carb lifestyle. But it turns out lettuce is a refreshingly delicious vehicle for sandwich toppings, regardless of your dietary restrictions (or lack thereof). Plus, it's an excellent way to take control of your micronutrients if that's what you're into. However, it may or may not turn what you're eating into one of the healthiest menu items at Jimmy John's.

The Unwich isn't a specific sandwich with its own ingredients. Instead, it's a style of sandwich (seemingly somewhat of a hand salad) that substitutes iceberg lettuce for the sandwich bread. It's available on virtually JJ's entire menu; you can even order Jimmy John's wraps Unwich-style.

According to Jimmy John's website, it reduces the calorie count by 230-350 calories per sandwich. The calorie savings aren't as good with the wraps, though, as the tortillas it uses have significantly fewer calories than its bread. Whatever you order, getting one is easy.

If you order online, focus first on what fillings you like. After you add the sandwich or wrap to your cart, you can find a selection box for Unwich in the section where you choose your bread. You can seemingly order anything, including many secret Jimmy John's menu items, Unwich-style online.

Just note that ordering something Unwich-style doesn't necessarily remove the carbs or even the gluten from your order entirely. If any other ingredients have carbs or gluten, such as salad dressing, crispy jalapeños, or mini croutons, you have to remove those separately.

If you're keen to try an Unwich, you can order your regular sandwich as an Unwich or try something completely different. An Unwich works best with varying textures, but stuffing in too much, especially sauces or juicy ingredients, can make it unwieldy. In fact, even eating it wrong can cause problems. Jimmy John's wraps the ingredients in a stack of lettuce leaves, which provides a satisfying crunch but not necessarily the consistent (or dry) surface area of sliced bread or a tortilla. The best way to eat an Unwich is by leaving the wrapper intact and peeling it down as you go. That keeps it from falling apart as you eat, leading to maximum Unwich gratification.