Panera Bread, while known for its bread-centric menu, can be surprisingly accommodating for those following a ketogenic (keto) diet. With a few modifications and a little planning, it's possible to enjoy a satisfying and keto-friendly meal at Panera. This guide will walk you through various options, offering tips and suggestions for navigating the menu and staying on track with your low-carb goals.
Understanding Keto at Panera
The primary challenge at Panera is the abundance of bread. The name "Panera" itself, derived from the Latin "Panis" (bread), signifies its focus on baked goods. However, by strategically omitting high-carb elements like bread, pastries, and certain soups, you can uncover a range of keto-compatible choices.
When starting a keto diet, dining out can be tricky. Travel, in particular, often disrupts regular cooking routines, making restaurant meals a necessity. This guide ensures that being away from home doesn't derail your keto progress, providing a list of low-carb selections available at Panera Bread.
General Tips for Keto Dining at Panera
Before diving into specific menu items, here are some overarching guidelines to keep in mind:
- Skip the Bread: This is the golden rule. Breads, rolls, bagels, and pastries are off-limits. When ordering sandwiches, request them without bread.
- Beware of Soups: Most Panera soups are surprisingly high in carbohydrates, even those not served in bread bowls.
- Salads are Your Friend: Salads can be a great option, but pay close attention to toppings and dressings.
- Watch the Dressings: Many salad dressings are laden with sugar. Opt for low-carb choices and ask for dressing on the side to control the amount you use.
- Embrace Customization: Don't hesitate to ask for modifications. Swapping ingredients or omitting certain items can significantly reduce the carb count.
Keto-Friendly Breakfast Options
Panera offers several breakfast items that can be easily adapted for a keto diet. The key is to focus on the protein and fat components while eliminating the bread or wrap.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Breakfast Sandwiches (Without the Bread)
The simplest way to enjoy a keto breakfast at Panera is to order a breakfast sandwich without the bread. This essentially transforms the sandwich into a breakfast bowl. If you're concerned about satiety, consider adding extra eggs.
- Avocado, Egg White, & Spinach (No Bagel): This light and flavorful option becomes keto-friendly by removing the bagel and tomatoes. Substituting a regular egg for egg whites can also increase the fat content.
- Order: Avocado, Egg White, & Spinach, with no tomatoes and no bagel.
- Approximate Nutrition: 160 calories, 11g fat, 13g protein, 2g net carbs.
- Sausage, Scrambled Egg, & Cheese (No Ciabatta): A hearty and satisfying choice, this breakfast sandwich is packed with fat and protein. Simply remove the ciabatta bread to make it keto-compliant.
- Order: Sausage, Scrambled Egg, & Cheese, with no bread.
- Approximate Nutrition: 340 calories, 27g fat, 23g protein, 3g net carbs.
- Chipotle Chicken, Scrambled Egg, & Avocado Wrap (No Tortilla): This wrap, sans tortilla, offers a flavorful and slightly spicy keto breakfast. The Peppadew peppers and chipotle aioli add a pleasant kick.
- Order: Chipotle Chicken, Scrambled Egg, & Avocado wrap, with no tortilla.
- Approximate Nutrition: 290 calories, 24g fat, 20g protein, 2g net carbs.
- Garden Avo & Egg White Sandwich (No Bagel): Protein-rich scrambled egg meets aged white cheddar cheese, fresh avocado, juicy tomatoes and salt and pepper atop a multigrain bagel flat. Without the carby bread, it's keto-friendly and still filling. If you're feeling ambitious, bring a low-carb bread substitute of your choice to enjoy the dish as a sandwich instead of with a fork.
- Order: Garden Avo & Egg White Sandwich (No Bagel)
- Approximate Nutrition: 340 calories, 14g fat, 36g carbs, 19g protein, 3g sugar, 5g fiber
Other Breakfast Considerations
- Greek Yogurt with Mixed Berries Parfait: Ask for the granola on the side and no honey. Greek yogurt topped with whole-grain oat maple butter pecan granola and fruit offers lean protein, nutrients and energy, plus probiotics. Asking for the carby granola on the side may help you moderate how much of it you actually eat, as opposed to mixing it all into the high-protein vegetarian meal from the start. Add extra pecans for a boost of protein and healthy fat.
- Order: Greek Yogurt with Mixed Berries Parfait (No Granola)
- Approximate Nutrition: 240 calories, 8g fat, 27g carbs, 15g protein, 17g sugar, 2g fiber
Keto-Friendly Lunch and Dinner Options
Extending the "no bread" strategy to lunch and dinner opens up a range of possibilities. Salads, with careful modifications, also become viable options.
Sandwiches (Without the Bread)
Many of Panera's sandwiches can be adapted for keto by simply removing the bread. Consider asking for your sandwich to be served as a lettuce wrap for easier handling. Be mindful of sauces and high-carb vegetables like tomatoes and onions.
- Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT (No Bread or Tomatoes): Removing the bread and tomatoes from this sandwich leaves you with a delicious combination of turkey, bacon, avocado, greens, and mayonnaise.
- Order: Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT with no bread and no tomatoes.
- Approximate Nutrition: 450 calories, 34g fat, 34g protein, 2g net carbs.
- Heritage Ham & Swiss (No Bread): A simple yet satisfying sandwich featuring ham, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, and greens. Removing the bread makes it keto-friendly.
- Order: Heritage Ham & Swiss with no bread.
- Approximate Nutrition: 410 calories, 30g fat, 32g protein, 3g net carbs.
- Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt (No Bread): This flavorful melt combines smoked, pulled chicken, Gouda cheese, avocado, cilantro, Peppadew peppers, and chipotle mayo. Remember to order it without the bread.
- Order: Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt, no bread.
- Approximate Nutrition: 490 calories, 37g fat, 29g protein, 7g net carbs.
- Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich (Whole): Nix the bread (get a bed of lettuce instead) and get the signature sauce on the side (just to be safe). In fact, I’d ask for one of their breakfast sauces instead.
- Order: Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich (Whole): No bread
- Steak & White Cheddar Panini (Whole): Nix the bread and ask for your sandwich on a bed of lettuce.
- Order: Steak & White Cheddar Panini (Whole): No bread
- Grilled Chicken & Avo BLT (No Bread): Chicken, garlic aioli, avocado and bacon make this sandwich just fatty and filling enough to hold a keto eater over-even without the country rustic sourdough bread.
- Order: Grilled Chicken & Avo BLT (No Bread)
- Approximate Nutrition: 900 calories, 55g fat, 55g carbs, 49g protein, 4g sugar, 6g fiber
- Toasted Frontega Chicken (No Bread): Smoked pulled chicken is packed with lean protein, while melty mozzarella cheese and mayo-based chipotle sauce boost the filling fat content. If you want to make it even lower in carbs after removing the black pepper focaccia, substitute spinach or lettuce for red onion and sliced tomatoes.
- Order: Toasted Frontega Chicken (No Bread)
- Approximate Nutrition: 820 calories, 38g fat, 79g carbs, 43g protein, 6g sugar, 4g fiber
- Tuna Salad Sandwich (No Bread): The tuna salad is rich, satiating and refreshing, thanks to sliced tomatoes and mixed greens. It’s prime for a picnic-even without the sourdough bread.
- Order: Tuna Salad Sandwich (No Bread)
- Approximate Nutrition: 550 calories, 28g fat, 49g carbs, 24g protein, 4g sugar, 4g fiber
- Turkey & Cheddar Sandwich (No Bread): It’s the quintessential healthy lunch for a reason. Turkey is lean, versatile and loaded with protein. Here, it’s jazzed up with garlic aioli, red onion, sliced tomatoes, white cheddar cheese and crunchy mixed greens. Lose the bread and add bacon or avocado for extra fat and protein.
- Order: Turkey & Cheddar Sandwich (No Bread)
- Approximate Nutrition: 770 calories, 45g fat, 52g carbs, 41g protein, 4g sugar, 3g fiber
- Chipotle Chicken Avo Melt (No Bread): Sink your teeth into smoky pulled chicken, layered with melty white cheddar cheese, buttery avocado, fresh cilantro, sweet peppers and chipotle drizzle. As much as I love the black pepper focaccia, you'll have to skip it to eat keto at Panera Bread this go around.
- Order: Chipotle Chicken Avo Melt (No Bread)
- Approximate Nutrition: 920 calories, 49g fat, 76g carbs, 48g protein, 5g sugar, 7g fiber
- Ciabatta Cheesesteak (No Bread): Tender, succulent steak + provolone cheese + caramelized onions = an epic cheesesteak base. Sweet peppers and a generous swipe of garlic aioli take this stunner over the top. Without the ciabatta, it's a protein-rich, low-carb, keto-friendly home run.
- Order: Ciabatta Cheesesteak (No Bread)
- Approximate Nutrition: 1,040 calories, 52g fat, 91g carbs, 53g protein, 13g sugar, 5g fiber
Salads (With Modifications)
Panera's salads can be surprisingly high in carbs due to croutons, tortilla strips, and sugary dressings. Customization is key to making them keto-friendly.
- Caesar Salad (No Croutons): Removing the croutons makes this a classic keto-friendly option. Adding chicken provides extra protein. The Caesar dressing itself is relatively low in carbs.
- Order: Caesar Salad with chicken, without croutons, dressing on the side.
- Approximate Nutrition: 400 calories, 26g fat, 32g protein, 7g net carbs.
- Greek Salad (No Tomatoes or Onions): By eliminating the tomatoes and red onions, the Greek Salad becomes a great keto choice. Adding chicken provides a protein boost.
- Order: Greek Salad with chicken, no tomatoes, no onions, dressing on the side.
- Approximate Nutrition: 510 calories, 39g fat, 32g protein, 7g net carbs.
- Green Goddess Cobb Salad (No Onions or Tomatoes, Caesar Dressing): This Cobb salad is packed with keto-friendly ingredients like chicken, avocado, hard-boiled egg, and bacon. Skip the tomatoes and pickled red onions, and substitute Caesar dressing for the Green Goddess dressing (which is high in carbs).
- Order: Green Goddess Cobb Salad, no pickled red onions and no tomatoes, with Caesar dressing on the side (no Green Goddess dressing).
- Approximate Nutrition: 570 calories, 41g fat, 40g protein, 10g net carbs.
- Greek Salad: You don’t need to skip anything with this menu item. Make sure you order the regular Greek salad instead of the modern Greek salad. The latter has quinoa, which is obviously not a part of the keto diet. It contains romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, feta, red onions, kalamata olives, keto friendly Greek dressing, salt and pepper.
- Order: Greek Salad
- Approximate Nutrition: 390 calories, 35g fat, 16g carbs, 9g protein, 6g sugar, 7g fiber
- Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (No Wonton Strips): All it takes to put this zingy salad in keto territory is nixing the carby wonton strips, since the rest is romaine lettuce, almonds, grilled chicken, cilantro and sesame vinaigrette. The sesame seeds can stay, since they’re low in carbs and high in fat, making them a great crunchy addition for keto dieters.
- Order: Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (No Wonton Strips)
- Approximate Nutrition: 410 calories, 21g fat, 28g carbs, 30g protein, 7g sugar, 6g fiber
Soups (Limited Options)
Most of Panera's soups are not keto-friendly, with the exception of one:
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
- Ten Vegetable Soup: While relatively high in net carbs compared to other keto options, this veggie soup is the only reasonable choice at Panera. Adding cheese or avocado can boost the fat content.
- Order: Ten Vegetable Soup in a regular bowl.
- Approximate Nutrition: 100 calories, 2g fat, 5g protein, 12g net carbs.
- Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup: Even with pasta in the mix, this is a keto-friendly soup. Just be sure to skip the French baguette side in favor of potato chips (which are lower in carbs than the apple option, BTW) or tomato-basil cucumber salad.
- Order: Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
- Approximate Nutrition: 100 calories, 1g fat, 13g carbs, 9g protein, 4g sugar, 0g fiber
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup: And luckily, it's keto-friendly-as long as you don't overdo it on the carbs throughout the rest of your day. The silky-smooth cheese sauce is the ultimate match for toothsome broccoli and shredded carrot.
- Order: Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Approximate Nutrition: 360 calories, 24g fat, 25g carbs, 13g protein, 9g sugar, 1g fiber
Keto-Friendly Sauces and Dressings
Panera offers several sauces and dressings that can be incorporated into a keto diet. Always check the nutrition information to ensure they fit within your carb limits.
- Low-Carb Panera Sauce Options:
- Keto-Friendly Salad Dressings at Panera:
- Asian Sesame Vinaigrette (90 calories, 8g fat, 4g carbs, 0g protein, 4g sugar, 0g fiber)
- Caesar (180 calories, 18g fat, 2g carbs, 1g protein, 2g sugar, 0g fiber)
- Greek Dressing (230 calories, 25g fat, 1g carbs, 0g protein, 0g sugar, 0g fiber)
- Green Goddess Dressing (80 calories, 7g fat, 4g carbs, 2g protein, 3g sugar, 0g fiber)
- Lemon Tahini Dressing (70 calories, 7g fat, 2g carbs, 1g protein, 0g sugar, 1g fiber)
- White Balsamic Vinaigrette Flavored with Apple (160 calories, 13g fat, 11g carbs, 0g protein, 10g sugar, 0g fiber)
Ordering Strategies for Keto Success
- Be Specific: Clearly communicate your modifications when ordering. For example, "I'd like the Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT, no bread, no tomatoes, and dressing on the side."
- Ask About Ingredients: If you're unsure about the carb content of a particular sauce or topping, don't hesitate to ask an employee.
- Utilize the App: Download the Panera app for potential promotions and rewards.
- Consider a Bed of Lettuce: Ask for your sandwich fillings to be served on a bed of lettuce instead of bread.
- Check Nutrition Information: If Panera Bread does have a list, but it doesn’t give you macros for ingredients separately.
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