Panera Bread has become one of the most popular fast-casual restaurant chains for health-conscious diners seeking a quick, delicious meal. Known for its freshly baked artisan bread, sandwiches, soups, and salads, the Panera menu is a treasure trove of options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Since it first launched in 1987 as St. Louis Bread Company, Panera has appealed to those looking for lighter, healthier meals at an affordable price compared to other fast-food chains.
The short answer is yes, Panera can be healthy and fit into your nutrition goals, especially since the chain offers flexibility in customizing orders. However, with such an extensive menu, it’s easy to pick items that could derail your nutrition goals if you’re not careful.
Understanding the Panera Menu
Panera Bread offers a wide variety of dishes as well as some seasonal options, such as:
- Sandwiches
- Salads
- Soups
- Warm bowls (a combination of rice, quinoa, protein, and veggies)
- Flatbread pizzas
- Mac & cheese
Most meals are served with a side of bread, chips, or an apple.
General Nutrition Considerations
Carbohydrates
Many of Panera Bread’s items are high in carbs. Carbs aren’t bad, but eating a large quantity of them can make it harder to lose weight or can cause blood sugar to rise too high for people with diabetes. For comparison, it is often recommended limiting carb intake at a meal to 30-60 grams, so many of the above items far exceed this! The side option that is lowest in carbs is actually the chips, which may surprise some. Because the chips come in a small bag, they only contain 17 grams of carbs.
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Sodium
Unfortunately, most restaurant food is extremely high in sodium. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends a maximum intake of 2,300 mg of sodium per day. Some of Panera Bread’s menu items exceed this 2,300 mg limit, so use caution when ordering. Though most restaurant foods are high in salt, there are some ways to reduce the salt in some of Panera Bread’s items.
Macro-Friendly Panera Bread Meals
Eating healthy on the go doesn't have to be boring or stressful. If you find yourself at Panera Bread, you actually have more options than you think when it comes to macro-friendly meals. Whether you're grabbing breakfast on the way to work, meeting a friend for lunch, or picking up dinner after a long day, there are ways to hit your protein goals and stay under 500 calories. Yes, even with bread involved!
Many items listed have at least 20g of protein and are under 500 calories. Here’s a quick overview of macro-friendly options from Panera that come in under 500 calories and still offer a solid protein punch.
Breakfast Options
Start your day with a protein-packed breakfast from Panera. The key is to choose sandwiches that feature eggs and lean meats on lower-calorie breads.
Garden Avocado & Egg White Sandwich
This tasty Garden Avocado & Egg White Sandwich is an excellent start to any day. It is made with egg whites, aged cheddar cheese, avocado, and tomatoes and is served on a multi-grain bagel flat. Nutritionally, it’s moderate in calories, saturated fat, and sodium, and it has less than a teaspoon of sugar.
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Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries and Pecans
Instead of a buttery croissant, pastry, or bagel from the eatery, order Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries and Pecans. Oats provide beta-glucan, a unique fiber that helps lower lousy LDL cholesterol and has also been shown to help increase satiety to keep you on track all day.
Egg & Cheese Sandwich
For a healthier breakfast sandwich, this Egg & Cheese Sandwich is a crowd-pleaser. It’s made with delicious ingredients, including scrambled eggs and aged white cheddar, and is served on an artisan ciabatta roll.
Ciabatta Ham, Egg & Cheese Sandwich
This protein-packed breakfast sandwich is made with Black Forest ham, scrambled eggs, and aged white cheddar cheese on an artisan ciabatta roll. The combination of ham, eggs, and cheese makes the Ciabatta Ham, Egg & Cheese Sandwich an excellent option for getting high-quality protein into your first meal.
Greek Yogurt Parfait
This is a great breakfast option for all including vegetarians! There’s a good mix of healthy, satisfying fats and a decent amount of protein which will both keep you feeling fuller for longer. While you might be a little apprehensive about the carbs you don’t need to be. Having your carbs with protein and fat allows them to be digested more slowly, keeping your blood sugar levels stable.
This is a great choice for a calorie-controlled yet satisfying breakfast. Even though this parfait has just 250 calories, it packs 16 grams of high-quality protein to keep your blood sugar levels and hunger hormones in check. Moreover, the probiotics in the yogurt can help maintain a healthy gut microbiome with myriad health benefits.
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Customization Tip: You can swap the ciabatta for the whole grain bagel flat (if available) or remove the cheese to shave off a few calories and grams of fat, while still getting plenty of protein from the egg and bacon. Skip the cheese or use light cheese on the sandwich, saving around 40-50 calories, bringing the sandwich closer to ~360 calories while still delivering over 20g of protein from the ham and egg. You won’t miss the cheese if you amp up the flavor with a dash of black pepper or hot sauce (both add virtually no calories).
Opt for no cheese or sauce (if any) to cut back on fat. The steak and egg provide plenty of flavor and protein on their own. Also, consider adding a cup of coffee or unsweetened tea instead of a sugary latte to keep your breakfast low-calorie and focused on protein. Add extra egg whites for more protein and skip the avocados or use half the amount to reduce fat.
Lunch and Dinner Options
For lunch and dinner at Panera, you have a wealth of high-protein, lower-calorie choices - from crisp entrée salads to satisfying sandwiches and wraps. Focus on lean protein (chicken or turkey), plenty of veggies, and go easy on high-calorie extras like heavy dressings, bread bowls, or large cheese portions.
Salads
Asian Sesame Chicken Salad: Panera’s Asian sesame chicken salad is full of antibiotic-free chicken, romaine, toasted almonds, and topped with a light sesame vinaigrette. For the whole salad these macros and calories are on point! And even the sodium is low. It’s not often that you can get this much protein in a meal from a fast food chain without putting a serious dent in your carbs and fat too.
Customization Tip: Use the dressing on the side and use just half of it - the Asian sesame vinaigrette is flavorful, so a little goes a long way. Using half the dressing and skipping some of the wonton strips will drop the calories well under 400 while still providing over 30g protein (since the chicken is the main protein source). Also, if you want to cut sugar, note that Panera’s vinaigrette is a reduced-sugar dressing sweetened with stevia, so it’s already fairly light.
Green Goddess Cobb Salad: This fresh and delicious Green Goddess Cobb Salad will delight your taste buds, and it’s also great for staying on track with your health goals. It’s big on volume, big on protein, and relatively low in carbs (only ~27g net carbs).
Fuji Apple Chicken Salad: Panera’s Fuji Apple Chicken Salad stands out as one of the healthiest salad options on the menu. It’s made with mixed greens, tomatoes, chicken raised without antibiotics, apples, onions, and feta tossed with a light vinaigrette. The sugar count appears high because of the apple chips, which do contain some added sugars.
Customization Tip: Opt for light dressing or on the side. The fruit and Gorgonzola cheese in this salad provide plenty of flavor, so using half the dressing easily cuts 50+ calories. This way you get all the crisp, sweet, and savory goodness of the Fuji salad without overshooting your macros. With these tweaks, the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad becomes a lean, protein-packed meal that satisfies that sweet-and-savory craving.
Balsamic Greens with Grains salad: This Balsamic Greens with Grains salad features a mouth-watering combination of fresh, crisp mixed greens, farro, cucumbers, avocado, feta, and pumpkin seeds drizzled with Green Goddess dressing.
Southwest Chile Lime Ranch salad: Half a portion of the Southwest Chile Lime Ranch salad with extra chicken is a strong order if you’re looking to enjoy a lot of flavor but keep those calories in check.
Sandwiches and Wraps
Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich: This Mediterranean-style sandwich is made with fresh mozzarella, vine-ripened tomatoes, and vegetables on Ciabatta bread. It is one of the best sandwich options because it is lower in calories, saturated fat, sodium, and carbohydrates.
Turkey & Cheddar Sandwich: This classic Turkey & Cheddar Sandwich is made with oven-roasted turkey breast, aged white cheddar, crisp mixed greens, and vine-ripened tomatoes served on rustic sourdough bread. It’s a winner nutritionally because it has an optimal amount of protein, and the saturated fat is limited to 7 grams. While the sodium is higher than what is recommended for a lunch meal, it is consistent with any type of deli sandwich.
Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt Sandwich: The Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt Sandwich is made with pulled chicken, aged white cheddar cheese, avocado, and peppers on a black pepper focaccia.
Toasted Frontega Chicken sandwich: The Toasted Frontega Chicken sandwich is made with pulled chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, and onions and is served on black pepper focaccia.
Toasted Italiano Sandwich: This Toasted Italiano Sandwich would exceed all our healthy nutrition guidelines as a full sandwich, but if you choose the half order, it’s an acceptable option at Panera. It’s made with ham, provolone, and veggies and is served on a baguette.
Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich: While the whole sandwich is fairly calorically dense, if you just opt for half of the bacon turkey bravo sandwich, you’ll save yourself a lot of calories and be surprised by quite how filling it is.
Customization Tip: Add extra turkey on the half sandwich for more protein (Panera might charge a bit more, but it’s worth it if you need the protein boost). Choose an apple or a side salad as your side instead of the default bread or chips - this keeps the overall meal light. For example, a half Bacon Turkey Bravo with an apple on the side makes a well-rounded lunch under 450 calories in total.
Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt (half): This is another option at ~460 calories and 24g protein- just go easy on the chipotle mayo and cheese to make it more macro-friendly (you could even ask for it open-faced to reduce bread).
Tuna Salad Sandwich (half): If you’re pescatarian or vegetarian it can be tricky to eat enough protein to support optimal body composition, especially if you’re having to rely on foods out and about. This half tuna salad sandwich will give you 14g of protein and 17g of fat which isn’t bad at all. It’s a shame they use so much mayo in their mix but at least there is a fish option.
Steak and Arugula Sandwich: For the meat lovers among you, the steak and arugula on sourdough is a good choice, especially if you’re bored of chicken.
BBQ Chicken Flatbread: This BBQ Chicken Flatbread is basically a pizza! Ingredients include smoked, pulled chicken raised without antibiotics, frizzled onions, mozzarella, smoked gouda, fresh baby spinach and cilantro with BBQ sauce on a freshly baked flatbread.
Customization Tip: Hold the cheese to save ~40 calories and a bit of fat. The BBQ chicken and onions have plenty of flavor on their own. Round out your meal with a side of Greek yogurt or an apple to round out your meal with extra protein or fiber without adding many calories.
Turkey & Cheddar Wrap: This wrap provides about 460 calories and 33g protein. Feel free to pick the flavors you enjoy, knowing they’re all great for your goals.
Customization Tip: Less dressing inside the wrap, or get the dressing on the side to control how much goes in. Caesar dressing can be calorie-dense, so using about half the usual amount can easily shave off 50-100 calories. Also, skip the croutons (if they’re included) to reduce excess carbs; the wrap already has a nice crunch from lettuce. Another idea: add extra grilled chicken to the wrap (Panera will often let you double the meat for an extra charge) - this can boost the protein well above 40g while keeping calories moderate. Ask for the wrap without the signature sauce (which is like a smoky mayo); this saves some calories and fat.
Soups
- Chicken Noodle Soup: Albeit a little on the salty side, this chicken noodle soup is very modest when it comes to calories. If you need some extra carbs, enjoy sopping up your broth with some of Panera’s freshly baked bread. If you want a soup that tastes like it’s homemade, this Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup won’t disappoint. It’s made with white meat chicken, curly egg noodles, carrots, celery, and herbs.
- Soba Noodle Broth Bowl with Chicken: Panera Bread’s Soba Noodle Broth Bowl with Chicken features sliced chicken, soba buckwheat noodles, fresh spinach, napa cabbage blend, roasted mushroom and onion blend, sesame seeds, and cilantro in umami soy-miso broth.
- Turkey Chili: Another amazing soup option for a hearty meal is the turkey chili. One bowl provides 340 calories, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 16 grams of which is fiber. This is great for people looking for slower digesting and low glycemic carbohydrates.
General Soup Tip: Broth-based soups (like Chicken Noodle or Ten Vegetable) are much lower in calories than creamy soups (like Broccoli Cheddar). They also often have a decent amount of protein especially if there’s chicken or turkey in them. For example, a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup is about 180 calories and loaded with protein and veggies, whereas Broccoli Cheddar soup is higher in fat and only offers ~13g protein for 360 calories. Choose accordingly to keep your meal macro-friendly.
You Pick Two® Option
Panera offers a You Pick Two® option, which lets you combine half portions of salads, sandwiches, or soups. This can be an excellent way to create a high-protein, low-calorie combo.
Example Combinations:
- Half Asian Sesame Chicken Salad + half sandwich for a mix of greens and grains, providing 360 calories and 25g protein in total.
The Pick Two menu is very flexible - just be mindful to choose the lighter half options (skip creamy soups and heavy mac & cheese to keep calories in check). By mixing and matching, you won’t get bored and you’ll hit your macros with ease.
Snack Options
Sometimes you’re not looking for a full meal, but just a quick snack or something to hold you over. Panera offers snack-friendly items that are relatively low in calories yet provide some protein - perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up that won’t wreck your diet.
While snacks at Panera typically won’t hit 20g of protein on their own (since they’re smaller portions), you can combine them or choose the highest-protein ones to get close.
Examples:
- Greek Yogurt Parfait: Consider ordering without the granola/honey if you want to cut down on added sugar and calories - or have them put the crunchy topping on the side and use just a little. This snack pairs well with a black coffee or unsweetened iced tea for a mid-day boost.
- Hard-Boiled Eggs: Sprinkle a little salt and pepper (available at the condiment station) on the eggs, or even ask for a packet of mustard, to add flavor with no extra calories. You could also pair the eggs with an apple or banana (both available as sides for around 80-90 calories each) - together, a couple of eggs and a piece of fruit make a balanced snack under 250 calories with ~13g protein and some fiber.
- Skinny Latte: Beverages count too - a Skinny latte (made with skim milk) from Panera can provide ~8-10g protein for ~100 calories, which isn’t bad as a drinkable snack. And of course, water, unsweet tea, or black coffee have zero calories and can help fill you up if you just need something to sip on.
General Tips for Healthier Choices at Panera
- Plan Ahead: Approach your order with a plan. Look up the calories and macros of menu items before you order (or use the Panera app). Knowing the protein, carb, and fat content ahead of time lets you make an informed decision and avoid any “hidden” calorie bombs. For example, you might discover that adding avocado or extra dressing racks up calories - info that helps you customize smarter.
- Choose You Pick Two for Portion Control: As mentioned, the You Pick Two option lets you have smaller portions of entrees. This is perfect for controlling calories because a whole sandwich or salad might be too much for your needs. Combine two protein-rich halves (like soup + half sandwich, or half salad + half sandwich) to create a satisfying meal that’s still calorie-conscious.
- Load Up on Lean Protein: Make protein the star of your meal. Ask for extra protein if available. Panera staff can often add an extra chicken breast to salads or additional turkey to sandwiches. It might cost a little more, but it can easily add 10-15g extra protein for relatively few calories. This is a great way to make any meal more macro-friendly.
- Be Mindful of Dressings and Sauces: Panera’s dressings (like ranch, Caesar, or poppyseed) and sandwich spreads (like mayo-based sauces) are flavorful but can be high in calories. Order dressings on the side so you control the amount used. Often, using half the packet of dressing is enough taste without all the calories. Similarly, you can request sandwiches without mayo/sauce, or ask for mustard (virtually zero calories) as a replacement. Lighter options like the Asian Sesame dressing are better choices than creamier ones (e.g., BBQ ranch).
- Swap the Sides: By default, Panera serves a side with most meals - usually a baguette, chips, or an apple. Choose the apple or request a banana instead of bread or chips to save a lot of calories. The baguette side, while delicious, is ~180 extra calories with only ~7g protein (not the best macro ratio). An apple is only ~80 calories, adds fiber, and zero fat. It’s a simple swap that keeps your meal lighter.
- Customize Your Order: Don’t hesitate to customize - Panera is used to it! You can ask for things like “no croutons on my salad,” “extra spinach please,” or “can I have whole grain bread instead of white?” These tweaks can make a good item even better for you. For instance, swapping to whole grain bread can add a bit more fiber and protein. Removing croutons or tortilla strips eliminates empty carbs.
- Choose Wisely: Pay attention to your beverage choice. Panera’s Charged Lemonades and flavored smoothies sound enticing but can pack 300-400+ calories of mostly sugar. Stick with unsweetened iced tea (0 cal) and add a lemon slice for flavor, or get coffee with skim milk. This way, your calories are saved for food that will actually keep you full.
- Mind the Bakery Temptations: Walking into Panera, you’re greeted with a display of bagels, cookies, and pastries. While an occasional treat is fine, try not to impulse-add a pastry if your goal is a macro-balanced meal. A chocolate chip cookie is ~390 calories with only 5g protein). If you really want something sweet, consider the Petite Chocolate Chipper cookie (100 calories) or even a cup of fruit.
- Enjoy Mindfully: Lastly, enjoy your meal slowly and mindfully. Panera’s environment is great for sitting and savoring. When you eat slowly, you give your body time to register fullness, which helps prevent overeating. Savor the flavors of the high-protein foods you chose, knowing that you’re nourishing your body and staying on track!
Special Dietary Needs
It’s easy to find something at Panera Bread even if you have a food allergy or intolerance. The one caveat would be if you have Celiac disease or a severe gluten allergy because of the large amount of flour present in the restaurant. Most people with Celiac disease cannot consume even the smallest amount of gluten without experiencing symptoms; ordering a salad that is gluten-free, for example, could still contain small amounts of gluten particles.