Healthiest Food at Panera: Balanced Picks

Discovering the healthiest meals at Panera is less complicated with a dietitian’s steering. Registered dietitian Joanna Gregg chosen orders that present protein, fiber, produce, or sensible customization choices, together with tips about what to look at for, particularly sodium, and how you can make every meal suit your day.

What a Dietitian Seems For Earlier than Ordering

“My first cease on any restaurant menu is protein, fiber, and produce. Then I test sodium to see how the meal matches into the larger image,” Gregg says.

That fast menu scan could make an extended menu really feel simpler to navigate. Protein tends to be extra satiating than carbohydrates or fats, which might help meals really feel extra filling and satisfying. (4) 

Fiber is one other helpful quantity to test. The FDA lists the Every day Worth for fiber as 28 grams per day. (2)

Sodium is all the time value a better look when consuming out. The really helpful Every day Worth is 2,300 milligrams per day, and something at 20% (460mg) or extra per serving is taken into account excessive. . (3)

That doesn’t imply it’s essential to keep away from eating places. Use these ideas and Panera’s diet information as a useful reference level to your every day targets.

If you’re evaluating energy, protein, fiber, or sodium earlier than ordering, logging your typical Panera meals in MyFitnessPal might help you see how they match with the remainder of your day.

5 Dietitian Picks at Panera

Diet numbers beneath come from Panera’s official Diet Information. They’re primarily based on normal menu builds, so your ultimate order could differ by location, preparation, and customization. (1)

1. Inexperienced Goddess Cobb Salad with Hen

Diet snapshot: 580 energy, 34 grams of fats, 30 grams of carbs, 7 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, 40 grams of protein, and 1,980 milligrams of sodium. (1)

That is considered one of Gregg’s high picks as a result of it brings lots of protein to the meal.

“With 40 grams of protein and seven grams of fiber, you’re getting lots of dietary worth,” Gregg says.

It may be a filling lunch or dinner, particularly if you’d like a salad that looks like a full meal.

How you can customise it: Gregg suggests asking for it with out bacon to scale back sodium, fats and energy. You can too select the aspect apple for a lighter aspect.

What to look at: The sodium is excessive. At 1,980 milligrams, the entire salad will get near the FDA Every day Worth of two,300 milligrams per day. (1, 3)

If sodium is a priority, contemplate the half dimension or use much less dressing.

2. Sesame Ginger Hen Market Bowl

Entire bowl diet snapshot: 930 energy, 44 grams of fats, 95 grams of carbs, 11 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sugar, 38 grams of protein, and three,200 milligrams of sodium. (1)

Half bowl diet snapshot: 470 energy, 22 grams of fats, 47 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, 19 grams of protein, and 1,600 milligrams of sodium. (1)

Gregg likes this bowl as a result of it brings collectively greens and protein in a extra substantial meal.

“Filled with greens and protein, this bowl is a well-rounded, Asian-inspired twist on the ability bowl,” Gregg says.

It additionally provides 11 grams of fiber and 38 grams of protein in the entire bowl. (1)

How you can customise it: Ask for the dressing on the aspect. This offers you extra management over how a lot you employ.

What to look at: As all the time, ensure you’re keeping track of sodium consumption to make sure this matches in your every day objectives. (1, 3)

The half bowl could also be a greater match if you’d like the flavour and protein with out it affecting your every day objectives.

3. You Choose 2: Cup of Vegetarian Black Bean Soup + Half Strawberry Poppyseed Hen Salad

Mixed diet snapshot: 300 energy, 8 grams of fats, 50 grams of carbs, 16 grams of fiber, 16 grams of sugar, 18 grams of protein, and 1,490 milligrams of sodium. (1)

That is Gregg’s lighter You Choose 2 advice. The cup of Vegetarian Black Bean Soup has 90 energy, 12 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein. The half Strawberry Poppyseed Hen Salad provides 210 energy, 4 grams of fiber, and 13 grams of protein. (1)

That makes the pairing a robust fiber choice for the menu. It additionally contains fruit, greens, beans, and rooster.

How you can customise it: Gregg recommends selecting your aspect correctly. The apple is the lighter decide, whereas the baguette can work if you’d like one thing heartier.

What to look at: Regardless that this pairing is lighter in energy than many full-size entrées, sodium nonetheless provides up. Collectively, the soup and salad have 1,490 milligrams of sodium. Additionally, the Strawberry Poppyseed Hen Salad is seasonal, so test availability earlier than you propose round it. (1) 

4. Greek Salad Stuffer with Hen

Diet snapshot: 770 energy, 51 grams of fats, 53 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, 23 grams of protein, and 1,960 milligrams of sodium. (1)

This decide is all about practicality.

“Typically it’s important to eat on the go, and a soup or salad simply isn’t sensible,” Gregg says.

The Salad Stuffer format offers you the texture of a salad in a extra transportable order, which might be useful between errands, conferences, or journey.

How you can customise it: Gregg suggests asking for gentle dressing or dressing on the aspect to scale back the fats content material. You can too scale back the sodium and fats by skipping the cheese and olives. 

What to look at: As written, this stuffer has 51 grams of fats and 1,960 milligrams of sodium. (1)

That doesn’t make it off-limits. It simply means it’s value customizing by asking for dressing, cheese and/or olives on the aspect or omitting them utterly if you’d like a lighter model.

5. Backyard Avo & Egg White on Multigrain Bagel Flat

Diet snapshot: 350 energy, 14 grams of fats, 40 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, 18 grams of protein, and 680 milligrams of sodium. (1)

That is Gregg’s breakfast decide. It’s decrease in energy than a number of different Panera breakfast sandwiches and nonetheless delivers 18 grams of protein. (1) The egg whites hold the fats decrease than an entire egg, whereas avocado provides wholesome fats and endurance. 

How you can customise it: Gregg suggests omitting the cheese for a lighter choice.

What to look at: This can be a breakfast merchandise, so test your native Panera’s breakfast hours earlier than you go. Additionally, fiber is modest at 2 grams. If you’d like extra fiber, pair it with fruit or goal for a higher-fiber meal later within the day. 

Easy Methods To Make Your Panera Order Work Higher

Select fruit when your fundamental is salty

Restaurant meals might be larger in sodium, so a fruit aspect generally is a easy approach so as to add quantity and fiber with out including extra sodium.

The aspect apple has 80 energy, 5 grams of fiber, and 0 milligrams of sodium. The banana has 90 energy, 3 grams of fiber, and 0 milligrams of sodium. (1)

Put dressing or sauce on the aspect

This is among the best Panera customizations.

It helps you management how a lot dressing or sauce you employ. Small quantities can add vital energy, fats, and sodium particularly in salads, bowls, and stuffers.

Use half parts when out there

A half salad, half bowl, or cup of soup might help match extra gadgets into your day. 

That is particularly useful with higher-sodium gadgets. The half Sesame Ginger Hen Market Bowl has 1,600 milligrams of sodium, whereas the entire bowl has 3,200 milligrams. (1)

Take into consideration the complete combo

A You Choose 2 generally is a good order. However sodium can climb shortly once you pair soup, bread, cheese, dressing, or a salty sandwich.

A fast scan earlier than you order might help. MyFitnessPal also can make it easier to examine your typical Panera meals and see which swaps make the most important distinction.

Steadily Requested Questions (FAQs)

• What’s the healthiest factor to eat at Panera?

There’s no single healthiest order at Panera. It depends upon your objectives and what sounds satisfying.

Gregg’s high picks embody the Inexperienced Goddess Cobb Salad with Hen, Sesame Ginger Hen Market Bowl, You Choose 2 with Vegetarian Black Bean Soup and half Strawberry Poppyseed Hen Salad, Greek Salad Stuffer with Hen, and Backyard Avo & Egg White on Multigrain Bagel Flat. 

• What’s a high-protein Panera order?

The Inexperienced Goddess Cobb Salad with Hen has 40 grams of protein, and the entire Sesame Ginger Hen Market Bowl has 38 grams of protein. (1)

For breakfast, the Backyard Avo & Egg White on Multigrain Bagel Flat has 18 grams of protein. (1)

• Is the Sesame Ginger Hen Market Bowl a wholesome alternative?

It may be a balanced alternative for some individuals as a result of it has protein, fiber, and greens. That stated, the entire bowl can be larger in energy and sodium, with 930 energy and three,200 milligrams of sodium. (1)

If that looks like an excessive amount of to your day, attempt the half bowl or ask for dressing on the aspect.

• How can I decrease sodium at Panera?

You’ll be able to decrease sodium at Panera by checking the diet information earlier than you order and on the lookout for gadgets which are decrease in sodium. As a basic rule, 20% of the Every day Worth or extra is taken into account excessive for sodium.(3)

Small swaps also can make a distinction. Select fruit as a substitute of chips or a bread bowl, ask for dressing on the aspect, contemplate half parts, and be aware with You Choose 2 combos, particularly if each gadgets are higher-sodium selections.

Backside Line

Panera has loads of choices that may match right into a balanced day, particularly when what to search for. Gregg’s picks spotlight orders with useful vitamins like protein, fiber, and produce, together with easy methods to customise primarily based in your wants.

From there, one of the best order is the one which tastes good, matches your objectives, and is sensible for the remainder of your day.

And once you want recent concepts, the MyFitnessPal Community generally is a useful place to see how different members construct real-life meals round real-life menus.

Initially revealed December 12, 2017; Up to date June 2026