Brenda Khan
Panera Bread is a popular bakery and restaurant that offers a variety of menu items. For those on a keto diet, it may seem challenging to find suitable options at first glance, but with some creativity and customization, it is possible to enjoy a keto-friendly meal at Panera. By avoiding bread, certain sauces, and high-carb vegetables, one can stay within the ketogenic diet guidelines while still enjoying the convenience and taste of Panera's offerings. This article will explore the best keto options available at Panera, as well as provide tips for minimizing the carb count when ordering sandwiches, salads, and soups.
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Breadless sandwiches
Eating keto at Panera is possible, but it requires some creativity with custom orders. The biggest issue is the bakery items, so it's best to avoid all bread and muffins. However, many Panera sandwiches can be made keto-friendly by removing the bread and certain fillings.
For breakfast, you can order the Avocado, Egg White, and Spinach without the bagel and tomato. The Sausage, Scrambled Egg, and Cheese can be ordered without the ciabatta bread. You can also get the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese without bread. For lunch or dinner, the Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT can be ordered without bread and tomatoes. The Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt can also be made keto-friendly by removing the bread.
In addition to removing bread, be wary of certain sauces and high-carb veggies. Avoid barbecue sauce and opt for low-carb options like mayo or mustard. Skip high-carb vegetables like tomatoes and onions. You can also ask if your local Panera can turn your sandwich into a lettuce wrap, making it more portable and easier to eat.
If you're looking for a full meal, a sandwich without bread and a full-sized salad should fill you up. You can also add extra cheese or protein to your order for a more filling meal.
- Portobello mushroom caps can be used instead of bread for a gluten-free option.
- Jicama, a crunchy root vegetable, can hold together ham and cheese sandwiches.
- Apple slices with a teaspoon of cinnamon-sugar complement pork sausage for a breakfast-inspired sandwich.
- Large leaves of lettuce can replace the tortilla in a traditional wrap sandwich.
- Fried plantain slices can be used instead of bread in a Puerto Rican sandwich with steak and garlic.
- Eggplant slices can be lightly breaded and stuffed with salami and provolone cheese for a Paleo-friendly option.
- Gluten-free pizza crust can be shaped into bread-sized squares and topped with sandwich fixings for an open-face sandwich.
Wendy's Chicken Nuggets: Keto-Friendly or Not?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Salads
To eat keto at Panera, you'll need to customize your salad order. Order with no croutons, tortilla strips, beans, corn, tomatoes, fruit pieces, wonton strips, or onions. Choose low-carb dressings like Greek, Caesar, or plain olive oil, and keep the dressing on the side.
- Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken (whole): 500 Calories, 30g Fat, 17g Total Carbs, 7g Fiber, 10g Sugar, 42g Protein, and 7g Net Carbs. Nix the pickled onions and dressing.
- Caesar Salad (whole): 220 Calories, 20g Fat, 4g Total Carbs, 2g Fiber, 1g Sugar, 6g Protein, and 2g Net Carbs. Nix the croutons.
- Caesar Salad with Chicken (whole): 380 Calories, 25g Fat, 7g Total Carbs, 2g Fiber, 1g Sugar, 32g Protein, and 5g Net Carbs. Nix the croutons.
- Greek Salad (whole): 400 Calories, 35g Fat, 15g Total Carbs, 6g Fiber, 6g Sugar, 6g Protein, and 9g Net Carbs.
- Greek Salad with tuna: You can also add tuna to the Greek Salad for a refreshing and satiating option.
- Chicken, garlic aioli, avocado, and bacon sandwich: Order it with a green side salad or a tomato-basil cucumber salad to make this gluten-free.
- Tuna Salad: Enjoy sliced tomatoes and mixed greens without the sourdough bread. Ask for pepperoncini and red onions for a punch of heat and sharpness.
You can also add extra fats, pecans, avocado, or a boiled egg to your salad, although this will increase the cost.
Carnitas and Carne Asada: Keto-Friendly Mexican Food
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Soups
Eating keto at Panera Bread requires some creativity and customisation. While the bakery items and sandwiches are not keto-friendly, there are ways to make them suitable for a ketogenic diet.
The only soup offering that is remotely keto-friendly is the veggie soup. Even then, it contains 20 or more grams of net carbs per serving. To make it more keto-compliant, you can add cheese or avocado to boost the fat content and make it a more filling meal.
It is recommended to skip the bread bowl and any crackers, croutons, tortilla strips, or frizzled onions that might come with the soup. Ordering a child's portion can also help reduce the overall carb count.
While there are limited keto-friendly soup options at Panera Bread, it is possible to make other customisations to your order to ensure it aligns with your dietary needs.
Salad Dressing on Keto: What You Need to Know
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Breakfast options
Eating keto at Panera is possible, but it may require some adjustments to your order. Here are some breakfast options to consider:
Bacon, Egg, and Cheese
This classic combination is a good choice for a keto breakfast at Panera. Skip the bread and enjoy the filling combination of bacon, egg, and cheese. This option provides 250 calories, 18g of fat, 2g of total carbs, 0g of fiber, 0g of sugar, 17g of protein, and 2g of net carbs. Pair it with black coffee or unsweetened iced tea for a complete breakfast.
Avocado, Egg White, and Spinach
For a healthier option, consider this sandwich with avocado, egg white, and spinach. Again, skip the bread to keep it keto-friendly. This sandwich provides 170 calories, 12g of fat, 6g of total carbs, 2g of fiber, 1g of sugar, 12g of protein, and 4g of net carbs. You can also add avocado to boost the healthy fats.
Chipotle Chicken, Scrambled Egg, and Avocado Wrap
If you're looking for a breakfast with a kick, try this wrap without the tortilla. It features chipotle chicken, scrambled egg, avocado, and Peppadew peppers with chipotle aioli. This option is a great keto-friendly choice when you remove the tortilla, providing a filling and flavourful breakfast.
Roasted Turkey and Avocado BLT
Order this sandwich without the bread and ask for it to be served on a bed of lettuce instead. This option is full of keto-friendly ingredients like turkey, bacon, avocado, greens, and mayo. Be sure to skip the tomatoes to keep the carb count low.
Ham and Swiss Sandwich
Like the previous option, this sandwich can be made keto-friendly by removing the bread and serving it on a bed of lettuce. It features ham, Swiss cheese, mayo, mustard, and greens. Remember to watch out for high-carb veggies like tomatoes and onions.
Remember that you can also ask for half portions at Panera or save part of your meal for later to reduce your carb intake. Customizing your order by removing bread, tortillas, or certain sauces and ingredients is key to making your Panera breakfast keto-friendly.
How to Eat Weenies on Keto
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Custom orders
Eating keto at Panera is possible, but it requires some creativity and custom orders. The biggest issue is the bread, so the simplest solution is to order sandwiches without the bread. You can ask for your sandwich to be wrapped in lettuce instead, which makes it more portable and easier to eat.
Some examples of keto-friendly sandwiches at Panera include the Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT and the Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt. Simply ask for these sandwiches without the bread and tomatoes. You should also replace sugary sauces like barbecue sauce with low-carb options like mayo or mustard.
For breakfast, you can order the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese sandwich without the bread, or the Sausage, Scrambled Egg, and Cheese without the ciabatta. Another option is the Chipotle Chicken, Scrambled Egg, and Avocado Wrap, which can be ordered without the tortilla or with a romaine lettuce wrap instead.
If you're ordering a salad, opt for keto-friendly dressings like Greek or Caesar, and avoid high-carb toppings such as croutons, tortilla strips, beans, corn, tomatoes, fruit pieces, wonton strips, and onions. You can also add extra cheese or protein to your salad to make it more filling.
Soups can be a bit tricky, as most options have higher carb counts than expected. The only keto-friendly soup on the main menu is the Chicken Soup with Kale, but you should skip the French baguette side.
Remember, when ordering keto at Panera, the key is to be mindful of bread, high-carb vegetables, and sugary sauces. With some adjustments, you can definitely enjoy a keto-friendly meal at this popular chain restaurant.
Chicken Fingers on Keto: What You Need to Know
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Yes, it is possible to eat keto at Panera. However, you will need to be careful with your ordering.
For breakfast, you could try the Avocado, Egg White, and Spinach without the bagel and tomato, or the Sausage, Scrambled Egg, and Cheese without the ciabatta bread. You could also order the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese without bread, or the Chipotle Chicken, Scrambled Egg, and Avocado Wrap without the tortilla.
For lunch or dinner, your safest options are salads and breadless sandwiches. You could try the Greek Salad or the Caesar Salad with chicken, but hold the croutons. For a sandwich, try the Roasted Turkey and Avocado BLT without bread and tomatoes.
Yes, Panera's chicken soup is keto-friendly, although it contains noodles. Be sure to skip the French baguette side in favor of potato chips. However, it's important to note that soups generally have higher carbs than you might think.
You can order black coffee, unsweetened iced tea, or water. Avoid fruity teas filled with sugars.
