7 Menu Items My Family Avoids at Panera

If you're like me, then you enjoy stopping by Panera every once in a while for soup and a sandwich. They have so many items our family loves – sandwiches, soup, bakery items, and smoothies. Panera has plenty of options for everyone, and the staff is always super friendly. However, if you're looking for a relatively healthy meal, you have to pay close attention when you order at Panera. Just like at many other "fast food" restaurants, not everything is as healthy as it sounds.

For instance, some of the sandwiches are extremely high in calories or carbs. Tasty drinks like the hot chocolate can be bad for your health if you drink them too often. And even some of the salads may be higher in calories than you realize.

Although many of these menu items may be delicious, we think it's best to avoid them because of their nutritional content. In some cases, you can make them healthier by swapping out ingredients or ordering a half portion. Consider this list the next time you go to Panera so you can order with confidence.

This post was updated in June 2025 to reflect the current nutritional value of menu items.

First on the list of items you shouldn't order at Panera is the Toasted Italiano on a baguette. It's one of the newer options on the menu, and unfortunately, it's not any healthier than most of the other items on this list. While it may be delicious, the whole sandwich has 1280 calories, which may be more than half of the daily recommended calorie intake for most adults. What may be even more concerning is the 4200 mg of sodium, which is far higher than the 2,300 mg recommended by the American Heart Association.

When choosing bread for your sandwich, try to avoid choosing a brioche roll. The brioche roll has 6 grams of sugar, 300mg of sodium, 210 calories, and 7 grams of fat. When you add the other ingredients to your sandwich, you'll have a pretty unhealthy meal. If you want to find a low-fat option, choose the white whole-grain loaf instead. It's very tasty, and it only has 130 calories, 1 gram of fat, and two grams of sugar.

Many of the best menu items at Panera are the various soups. However, you should be careful when you place your order. While soup in a bread bowl may be delicious, many of the soups, like the Creamy Tomato Soup or the Broccoli Cheddar Soup, are already high in calories. Serving it in a bread bowl increases the calorie count even more. The Creamy Tomato Soup in a Bread Bowl, for example, contains a whopping 920 calories. If you want to pair your sandwich with a healthy soup, go for a cup (not a bowl) of one of the lower-calorie soups.

Another item you should not order at Panera is the Bacon Mac & Cheese. We know it sounds delicious, and there are a couple of different mac & cheese options. The mac and cheese for kids is okay, but it comes in a smaller serving size. You can get the Bacon Mac & Cheese in a cup, bowl, or bread bowl. The bowl is usually the standard at Panera, and it has 1050 calories and 2,620 mg of sodium.

If you visit Panera Bread on a cold day, you may be tempted to order their Signature Hot Chocolate. However, that's probably not the best idea if you're looking after your health. Without any whipped cream, the hot chocolate will have 7g of saturated fat, 430 calories, 66g of carbohydrate, 200mg of sodium, and 50g of sugar. If you want something warm without as many calories, try a Caffe Latte or a Cappuccino, which are both less than 200 calories. Keep in mind, the Signature Hot Chocolate at Panera is a seasonal item and isn't on the menu year-round.

Panera Bread is known for many of its bakery items, including the bagels. They may be okay to eat every once in a while, but try to avoid eating them regularly. Typically, the bagels will have between 290 and 390 calories, which is a lot, especially if you're pairing your bagel with another breakfast item. One of the highest calorie bagels is the Cinnamon Crunch Bagel, which has 420 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 80 grams of carbs without cream cheese. Don't get me wrong, it's delicious, but it's more of a dessert than a breakfast item.

Finally, on the list of items I avoid at Panera, we have the chocolate brownie. Considering how many delicious bakery items they have, you may want a treat after your meal. You probably aren't ordering a dessert because you're trying to be healthy, but you may not realize just how many calories each dessert has. The brownie alone has 550 calories and 56 grams of sugar. If you want a treat, try splitting one of the desserts with a friend or ordering a dessert that comes in a smaller portion.

While we have some picks for items you shouldn't order, trust us when we say that Panera also has some great options. There are some items you should order, including the Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup. If you want to be healthy, when you order a soup, go for a broth-based option. This soup has only 150 calories, 17 grams of carbs, and it has 14 grams of protein.

One of the healthiest items on the entire Panera menu is the Green Goddess Chicken Cobb Salad. It's great because it's loaded with fresh greens and grilled chicken that will fill you up without making you feel stuffed. There are also hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, and avocados that provide a festival of flavors with every bite. Many of these elements provide the healthy fats that your body needs to thrive.

Finally, you can't go wrong with a good bowl of turkey chili, and the option at Panera is no exception. This chili is made with the finest ingredients, including beans, lean ground turkey, and tomatoes. It's made even more delicious due to a great blend of spices. You could eat this regularly and be in good shape.