As a 19-year-old back in 1983, Jimmy John Liautaud set out to create the world's greatest gourmet sandwich. He created and tested his sandwich ideas on family and friends and eventually opened his first Jimmy John's. This young entrepreneur with a focus on low prices, great food and delivery that started out as a hit with college students has grown to become a gourmet sandwich shop with over 1000 stores today.

JJ's seems to have a market on the sandwich shop triple threat – Fresh, Fast and Fair-priced. Jimmy John's bakes their bread in-house daily as well as slicing and preparing meat and vegetable ingredients in-house too. They also focus on wholesome ingredients such as meats without fillers and real mayonnaise and olive oil. So with all this focus on wholesome ingredients, how does it measure up nutritionally.

Portion and ingredient control will be the key to your success when enjoying sandwiches at Jimmy John's. Be sure to visit their website and use their terrific nutrition calculator that allows you easy access to accurate nutrition information as you customize your sandwich to meet your needs. Here are a few keys that will help you find success when eating at Jimmy John's.

• Low sodium is not a focus for this chain, so caution is necessary especially when low sodium is required.
  
  
• Sub sandwiches are the specialty and how Jimmy John made his name and are your wise nutrition choice too since club sandwiches include bacon that increases calories and saturated fat which makes club sandwiches less than ideal.
  
  
• Selecting the 7-grain bread as a substitute for the enriched white French bread can increase your fiber intake by 5 grams. However, it will also provide 20 additional grams of carbohydrate, 5 additional grams of fat, and 100 calories to the sandwich as well. If increasing fiber is your focus, it may be a good substitution but if fat and calories is of most importance, stick with the French bread.
  
  
• If you want to limit carbohydrates, turn your selection into a JJ Unwich. You can get the same meats and veggies in a lettuce wrap for a fresh take on a wrapped sandwich.
  
  
• Loading up on the veggies is a great way to increase fiber and fullness with the lowest calorie, fat and sodium impact. Take advantage of the freebies like onions, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, and cucumber and ask for doubles of your favorites.

Here are some of the better sandwich choices.

#4 Turkey Tom - An 8 inch sub sandwich with turkey breast, alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, and tomato without mayonnaise on French bread
Calories – 321
Fat - .83 grams
Sodium – 920 mg
Carbohydrate – 50 grams
Fiber – 1 gram
Protein – 24 grams

#8 Vegetarian - Provolone cheese, avocado spread, cucumber, sprouts, lettuce and tomato without mayonnaise on French bread
Calories – 385
Fat – 9 grams
Sodium – 699 mg
Carbohydrate – 52 grams
Fiber – 2 grams
Protein – 19 grams

Hunter's Club Unwich - Roast Beef, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato without mayonnaise in a lettuce wrap instead of bread
Calories – 277
Fat – 13 grams
Sodium – 1022 grams
Carbohydrate – 4 grams
Fiber – 2 grams
Protein – 37 grams

Turkey Unwich - Smoked turkey with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers and onions in a lettuce wrap
Calories – 87
Fat - .9 gram
Sodium – 497 mg
Carbohydrate – 7 grams
Fiber – 2 grams
Protein – 14 grams

Ham Unwich - Smoked ham, Capicola, onions, tomato, cucumber in a lettuce wrap
Calories – 140
Fat – 6 grams
Sodium – 671 mg
Carbohydrate – 7 grams
Fiber – 2 grams
Protein – 16 grams

Is Jimmy John's a sandwich option you have tried? If so what did you think? Do you think the Unwich provides a great option when eating away from home?