Somewhere with “bread” in its name may not be the first place you run to for a quick meal if you’re on a ketogenic diet, but Panera Bread actually has some keto-friendly options to choose from (as long as you remove some ingredients like, well, the bread).
Eating on the keto diet is all about limiting your carbohydrates, which may be tricky at a bakery chain – but there are customizations you can make that will allow for a keto-friendly breakfast, lunch, or dinner at this popular quick-service restaurant.
So what are all of your options if you’re looking for food and drink at Panera that will fall in line with a keto diet? Let’s break down everything on the menu you can order and modify.
Keto-friendly food available on the Panera menu
With plenty of menu offerings, there are definitely ways to keep your meal low-carb and keto-friendly at Panera. While pretty much all of the bakery items are no-gos on the keto diet, there are some salads and sides that make for great low-carb options, and you can always remove the bread from most of the sandwiches.
What you’ll want to avoid, aside from the obvious breads, wraps, and pastries, are other grains like rice or quinoa, and items that are high in sugar (and thus high in carbs) – like fruit and pickled onions. Many of Panera’s current soups are either thickened with flour or cornstarch or contain too much sugar to be keto-friendly, so be wary of that category as well (although there are a couple of soups that are lower-carb choices)!
That said, there are modifications you can make to your Panera order to craft your own low-carb meal there, like removing bread and certain sauces or dressings. And remember, Panera offers a lot of their menu items in half-portions or kid’s sizes, so ordering anything in a smaller quantity will help cut down on the total carb count.
Since the keto diet generally allows for around or under 50 net carbs per day, we’re considering anything below 15 grams of net carbs as a low-carb option, considering that this would account for one meal of your day. For sauces and sides, we’re sticking to 2 net carbs or below since those are always included within a larger order.
Here’s everything on the menu that you can order, along with any necessary modifications, that will make for a keto-friendly meal or snack at Panera Bread.
| Keto-Friendly Breakfast | Necessary Modifications |
| Avocado, Egg White, Spinach & Cheese | No bagel |
| Scrambled Egg & Cheese | No brioche / ciabatta |
| Bacon, Scrambled Egg & Cheese | No brioche / ciabatta |
| Sausage, Scrambled Egg & Cheese | No brioche / bagel / ciabatta |
| Ham, Egg & Cheese | No bagel |
| Chipotle Chicken, Scrambled Egg & Avocado | No ciabatta |
| Keto-Friendly Sandwiches | Necessary Modifications |
| Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT | No bread |
| Toasted Frontega Chicken | No bread |
| Toasted Steak & White Cheddar | No bread, no pickled onions |
| Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt | No bread |
| Bacon Turkey Bravo | No bread, sub signature sauce for keto-friendly option |
| Napa Almond Chicken Salad | No bread |
| Tuna Salad | No bread |
| Deli Ham | No bread |
| Deli Turkey | No bread |
| Mediterranean Veggie | No bread, no hummus |
| Chicken & Pepperoni Mozzarella Melt | No bread |
| Chicken Green Goddess Caprese Melt | No bread, sub dressing for keto-friendly option |
| Chicken Cordon Bleu Melt | No bread |
| Black Forest Ham & Gouda Melt | No bread |
| Smoky Buffalo Chicken Melt | No bread |
| Pepperoni Mozzarella Melt | No bread |
| Green Goddess Caprese Melt | No bread, sub dressing for keto-friendly option |
| Keto-Friendly Soups | Necessary Modifications |
| Homestyle Chicken Noodle | |
| Broccoli Cheddar | Cup size |
| Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice | Cup size |
| Keto-Friendly Salads | Necessary Modifications |
| Southwest Caesar Salad with Chicken | No tortilla strips |
| Caesar Salad with Chicken | No croutons |
| Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken | Sub dressing for keto-friendly option |
| Greek Salad with Chicken | |
| Keto-Friendly Sides & Spreads | |
| Pickle Spear | |
| Hard Boiled Eggs | |
| Chive & Onion Cream Cheese | |
| Keto-Friendly Sauces & Dressings | |
| Garlic Aioli | |
| Chipotle Aioli / Sauce | |
| Caesar Dressing | |
| Greek Dressing | |
| Lemon Tahini Dressing | |
| Mayonnaise | |
| Horseradish Sauce | |
| Country Mustard | |
| Salsa Verde | |
| Buffalo Sauce |
Keto-friendly drinks available on the Panera menu
When it comes to the plethora of beverages available at Panera Bread, the key to staying keto will be avoiding anything with hidden or added sugar. That leaves out beverages like smoothies, lemonades, and Panera’s signature Charged Sips due to sugar or carb content.
However, lots of coffee and tea drinks are fair game as long as you avoid additions like sugary syrups and any carb-heavy milk products. Whenever possible, look for drinks that are unsweetened, and avoid those with milk or syrup included, like lattes and cappuccinos.
Here’s the list of keto-friendly beverages available to order at Panera Bread.
| Keto-Friendly Drinks |
| Coffee / Decaf Coffee |
| Cafe Blend Dark Roast Coffee (Hot or Iced) |
| Cafe Blend Light Roast Coffee (Hot or Iced) |
| Hazelnut Coffee |
| Espresso |
| Americano |
| Cold Brew |
| Hot Tea |
| Iced Tea |
According to Panera’s nutrition guide, the bread option currently available with the lowest amount of carbs is Panera’s Asiago Cheese Focaccia bread. This option contains 24 grams of total carbs (23 grams of net carbs) per two-ounce serving, which is about a 4-inch slice of bread.
Panera does not offer a lettuce wrap option on their menu; however you can order any of their sandwiches without the bread. If you ask your local Panera to wrap the sandwich with lettuce instead, most locations will be able to accommodate the request.
Panera did offer a vegan and low-carb soup item called Ten Vegetable Soup, but it was discontinued in recent years and is no longer available at most Panera locations.
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