How Many Calories Are in a Jimmy John’s Roast Beef Sandwich? A Detailed Look

Jimmy John’s is a popular sandwich chain known for its simple menu and speedy service. One of their most popular offerings is the roast beef sandwich. But how many calories are actually in one of these sandwiches? In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the nutrition facts for Jimmy John’s roast beef sandwiches.

Understanding Calories

First, let’s make sure we understand what a calorie is. A calorie is a unit of energy. Consuming calories gives our bodies the energy it needs to function and move.

The number of calories we need each day varies based on factors like age, gender, activity level, etc. The recommended daily calorie intake for adults ranges from 1,600-2,400 calories. Eating too many calories can lead to weight gain over time. Eating too few calories can leave you feeling tired and sluggish.

When looking at the calorie content of foods, it’s important to be aware of portion sizes. A food may be high in calories but contain several servings. Pay attention to the serving size listed on nutrition labels.

Jimmy John’s Roast Beef Nutrition Facts

Now let’s take a look at the nutrition facts for Jimmy John’s roast beef sandwiches. Jimmy John’s offers their roast beef sandwiches in 3 sizes:

• 8” sandwich
• 16” sandwich
• Slim sandwich (a thinner version of the 8”)

They also offer an “Unwich” version of the 8” sandwich which replaces the bread with lettuce wrap

Here are the calories and serving sizes for each

• 8” Roast Beef Sandwich – 390 calories (1 sandwich)
• 16” Roast Beef Sandwich – 790 calories (1 sandwich)
• Slim Roast Beef Sandwich – 280 calories (1 sandwich)
• 8” Roast Beef Unwich – 190 calories (1 sandwich)

As you can see, the number of calories ranges quite a bit based on the size of the sandwich. The 16” roast beef packs nearly 800 calories while the Slim only has 280.

Jimmy John’s also allows customers to customize their sandwiches with extra meat and cheese. Adding more of these higher-calorie ingredients will increase the total calorie count.

Calories from Fat vs Carbs

Looking further at the nutrition label, we see the roast beef sandwich gets a good portion of its calories from fat.

For example, the 8” roast beef sandwich breaks down as:

• Total Calories: 390
• Calories from Fat: 110
• Calories from Carbs: 190

So about 28% of the calories come from fat while 49% come from carbohydrates.

The protein in the roast beef contributes the rest of the calories.

For comparison, here is the breakdown for the 16” roast beef:

• Total Calories: 790
• Calories from Fat: 220
• Calories from Carbs: 380

So around 28% calories from fat and 48% calories from carbs, similar to the smaller sandwich.

Saturated Fat and Sodium

Two other nutrition facts to pay attention to are saturated fat and sodium.

The 8” roast beef sandwich contains around 2.5g of saturated fat. The daily recommended limit for saturated fat is around 13g so one roast beef sandwich is not too high.

However, the sodium content is quite high. There are 450mg of sodium in an 8” sandwich. The daily recommended limit for sodium is around 2,300mg.

The 16” sandwich doubles the amount of saturated fat to 5g and sodium to 900mg.

So these large roast beef sandwiches can quickly add up and exceed sodium recommendations if eating more than one per day.

How Roast Beef Compares to Other Options

Jimmy John’s offers around 15 different sandwich options. How does the roast beef sandwich compare calorie-wise to some of the other menu items?

Here’s a quick look at some of the other Jimmy John’s sandwiches and their calorie content:

• 8” Turkey Breast Sandwich – 240 calories
• 8” Ham & Cheese Sandwich – 310 calories
• 8” Italian Night Club – 580 calories
• 8” Veggie Sandwich – 220 calories

We can see the roast beef is moderate in calories compared to the other meat-based sandwiches. It packs more calories than the turkey or ham but less than the loaded Italian club.

For customers looking for a lower calorie option, the veggie sandwich or Unwich lettuce wraps are good alternatives.

Tips for Reducing Calories

If you want to lighten up your roast beef sandwich order, here are some easy ways to reduce the calories:

• Order a Slim sandwich instead of a regular 8”
• Opt for an Unwich lettuce wrap
• Skip the cheese
• Order a side salad instead of chips
• Ask for light mayo instead of regular
• Order a half sandwich or Jr. sandwich

Just asking them to go light on the mayo can save you around 50 calories.

Making a few simple swaps like these can help cut 100+ calories from your meal.

The Bottom Line

• An 8” roast beef sandwich has 390 calories
• A 16” roast beef sandwich has 790 calories
• The Slim version has 280 calories
• An 8” Unwich lettuce wrap has 190 calories

Compared to other menu items, the roast beef is moderately high in calories. Customizing your order with lower calorie options can reduce the total calorie count.

Pay attention to portion sizes as the 16” packs nearly double the calories. Also watch your sodium intake as the roast beef sandwiches are high in salt.

By being mindful of serving sizes and making small customizations, you can still enjoy Jimmy John’s roast beef sandwiches while maintaining a balanced diet.