Jimmy John's Gluten-free Menu Items

Find out what menu items from Jimmy John’s do not contain gluten and what you need to know about their gluten-free options.

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If you love to have a good sandwich shop as an option of your shortlist of places you choose from when it’s time for a lunch or dinner out, you may have popped into a Jimmy John’s near you.

This popular sandwich chain offers options to create sandwiches and customize your order to get it exactly the way you want it.

Round out your meal with a drink and chips, and you’re set for a quick and easy meal that you didn’t have to lift a finger to make.

If you enjoy Jimmy John’s or are trying to decide if this is a spot you should be visiting at all while following a gluten-free diet, you’re in the right spot.

In this post, we’re going to dive into the Jimmy John’s menu and discuss how this chain restaurant handles gluten-free orders, as well as what you need to know about their different ingredients.

We’ll also go over some basics on gluten, where you’ll find gluten in many different foods, and most importantly where gluten is often hidden in restaurants and other sandwich shops.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in most wheat products, and acts as the “glue” that helps to hold wheat, barley, kamut, spelt, farro, durum, bulgur, rye, and semolina together to maintain their shape.

Gluten is naturally occurring, and therefore is impossible to strip away from the grain. If a grain naturally has gluten in it, there’s no way to make that food gluten-free.

Where can you find gluten in food?

Gluten can be found in the form of wheat and grain products, like bread or flour in the more obvious places.

You can also find gluten as a binding ingredient, an ingredient added for texture like to make a food more crispy, or as a thickening agent.

Where can you find gluten in restaurants?

Depending on the restaurant you’re visiting, you may find gluten in a variety of places.

At fast food restaurants, there will be gluten in hamburger buns, the breading of crispy chicken sandwiches or chicken nuggets, some French fries, salad dressings, croutons on salad, and chili or soup options.

At other restaurants, you’ll find gluten in flour in sauces, in pizza or other pastry dough, pasta, and as a thickener in some soups.

Where gluten is found in the menu items will vary from restaurant to restaurant. That’s why it’s always a good idea to review menus from home, and see if you can find any allergen information before you get to the restaurant itself.

Being able to review nutritional information and allergen statements before visiting a fast food restaurant can be the difference between ordering something that you think is safe for your gluten-free diet and getting sick.

Being knowledgeable about what specific menu items you’ll be able to eat without any worries of later reactions is crucial to sticking with your gluten-free diet.

Jimmy John’s allergen statement

According to the Jimmy John’s website, this is their current allergen statement:

“Jimmy John’s serves from-scratch food made with excellent ingredients, and we are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date allergen and nutrition information from our suppliers.

Please note that because individual foods may come into contact with each other during preparation of your sandwich, and because of shared utensils and equipment, we cannot guarantee that our food is free from any allergens.

If you have any special requests or concerns related to allergies or other dietary restrictions, please inform your cashier when placing your order.”

What you need to know about ordering while gluten-free at Jimmy John’s

While Jimmy John’s does have ingredients that you can order that contain no gluten, it’s important to know that this is not considered a gluten-free restaurant.

They can make a sandwich without the main source of gluten, the bread, and instead make your sandwich in a lettuce wrap. Order an “unwich” to get a lettuce wrapped sandwich.

Jimmy John’s also makes it clear in their allergen statement that the information they list on their website is simply to the best of their knowledge of what ingredients are in the different sandwich toppings and options. These are subject to change at any time, so keep in mind that coming back to reference this information every time you go is important.

What to know about cross contamination at restaurants

Most fast food and carryout restaurants are not considered gluten-free establishments so it’s useful to keep this in mind when making decisions about where to go and what to order.

It’s important to know that even if a fast food restaurant claims that their menu items do not contain gluten, that the possibility and probability of gluten in their products is going to be high if there is even one menu item with gluten available.

Depending on your level of sensitivity to gluten, this can be make or break information for you.

If you are Celiac and are allergic to trace amounts of gluten, you’ll likely want to avoid most fast food restaurants that offer any bread products or French fries that are cooked in a shared fryer with other gluten-containing ingredients.

If you are not sensitive to gluten at the trace level and have adverse reactions to gluten due to a food intolerance, you may decide that these trace amounts of gluten from cross contamination are worth risking for a quick, easy, and convenient food option.

Being aware of how you have reacted to gluten in your diet in the past and how much gluten it takes for your body to react is useful knowledge when it comes to situations like these.

Use your best judgment about what you know about your body, how you react to gluten, and what the risks are for you specifically.

Jimmy John’s Gluten-free Menu Items

Using the Jimmy John’s Allergen Information from their website, these are the ingredients and options you can find at this sandwich spot that contain no gluten-containing ingredients.

Sandwich iIngredients

Unwich (Lettuce Wrap)
Ham
Turkey
Roast Beef
Salami
Capocollo
Bacon
Avocado Spread
Kickin’ Ranch
Hellman’s Mayo
Jimmy Mustard
Grey Poupon
Yellow Mustard
Oil & Vinegar
Oregano – Basil
Lettuce, Tomato, Cucumber, Onion
Jimmy Peppers
Pickles
Regular Jimmy Chips
Thinny Chips
Jalapeno Jimmy Chips

Breakfast Sandwich Ingredients

Egg Patty
Black Pepper
American Cheese
Tangy Thousand Island Sauce
Seasoned Chicken
Creamy Caesar Dressing
Parmesan Cheese
Ranch Seasoning
Jalapeno Ranch
Red Pepper Flakes
Kale Quinoa Salad

If you’ve been wondering if you can visit a Jimmy John’s while on a gluten-free diet, I hope this post has given you some information to help you make a decision that works for you.

Though Jimmy John’s is not a gluten-free restaurant, they do have ingredients that do not contain gluten.

If you can tolerate amounts of gluten at the level of cross contamination, this may be an option for you. If not, find a different place to visit or save yourself the worry and stop by the grocery store for some gluten-free ingredients instead.

Looking for more information on gluten-free restaurants?

Be sure to check out my Gluten-free Restaurants post or get all the information in one place with my Gluten-free Restaurant Guide!

Make dining out easier with the Gluten-free Restaurant Guide

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More Gluten-free Restaurant Menu Items

Gluten-free menu items from popular restaurants

If you’re looking at other popular restaurants and wondering what gluten-free menu items they offer, be sure to check out my Gluten-free Restaurant Guide. I’ve outlined all the gluten-free options from 45+ popular restaurants and fast food chains.

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