Is the ‘Picklewich’ Really More healthy Than a Sandwich?

A part of my function as SELF’s health and diet author is to strive recipes and meals merchandise that spark buzz on-line and IRL. Fluffy yogurt? Test. Protein Food plan Coke? Test. However a pickle sandwich? Effectively, that was new territory even for me.

Later this month, the sandwich chain Jimmy John’s might be serving precisely that for a restricted time. And by “pickle sandwich,” I’m not speaking a few sandwich that accommodates pickles, to be clear. Relatively, I’m referring to the Picklewich, a bread-free spinoff that substitutes Jimmy John’s commonplace French roll for hollowed-out dill pickles. When the Picklewich first debuted in 2024, it proved such a viral sensation that the model determined to convey it again for a consecutive yr. From October 27 via November 23 (or whereas provides final), the Picklewich might be accessible at Jimmy John’s areas throughout the nation with six filling choices: ham, tuna, turkey, veggie, roast beef, and Italian (the Italian ’wich is formally termed the Vito.).

To select up a couple of of those briny boys for taste-testing, I headed to midtown Manhattan on October 22 for the official Picklewich launch occasion (appropriately dubbed “PickleCon”). Surrounded by pickle-themed decor and bathed in pickle-green mild as pop songs blasted, I snagged a couple of Picklewich halves from waiters handing out samples and busied myself with reporting (a.ok.a. consuming). Except for the veggie Picklewich, I attempted each different filling.

Courtesy of Caroline Tien

My overview of the Picklewich

Early on, I seen my Picklewiches introduced a couple of sensible difficulties. To begin with, they’re…drippy (as you may count on of sandwiches constituted of cucumbers which have been marinated in liquid for an prolonged time period), so the brine tends to leak onto your arms and garments. My recommendation: Be sure to have some napkins helpful.

Second, pickles are clearly extra robust and agency than bread, so the Picklewich requires extra drive to chunk into. Whereas this isn’t essentially a problem in and of itself, it causes the innards (the meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and every thing else) to shift towards the opposite finish to the purpose that they ultimately begin protruding from the again—a critical annoyance. Although this could afflict common sandwiches as effectively, my Picklewiches positively suffered from it extra.