If you follow the popular Mediterranean diet – inspired by the food groups consumed by those living in Mediterranean countries like France, Spain, and Italy – you know that it can be pretty tricky to eat a meal out just about anywhere.
So you may be surprised that somewhere like Panera Bread, even though it’s a quick-service restaurant and bakery chain, does still have options that you can enjoy without straying too far from your diet lifestyle (and that goes for those on a gluten-free, keto, or vegan diet too)! You just have to know which items to go for and how to best modify them to fit your needs.
We’ve compiled every item on the menu that you can customize and order to fit in with a Mediterranean diet. Here are all of the better-for-you options available at the popular Panera Bread.
Mediterranean diet-friendly food available on the Panera menu
While there are really no strict guidelines or rules when it comes to the Mediterranean diet, there are certain categories to be avoided or limited – such as refined grains and sugar, processed food, and red meat. Meanwhile, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean meats and fish, and healthy fats are emphasized to provide a balanced, heart-healthy diet.
So what does that mean at Panera? Like any restaurant or chain, the trick will be avoiding foods that are considered more processed or that contain unnatural ingredients, like certain meats or sauces. Since refined grains are generally limited, most of the bread is to be avoided at Panera, and since refined sugar is also a no-go, that means all pastries and desserts are unfortunately off the table as well.
But luckily, Panera offers a wide menu, with lots of lean protein and vegetable options – so it’s possible to enjoy a meal here that falls in line with a Mediterranean diet. Since the diet itself is loose with certain categories, it will be ultimately up to you whether you choose to consume certain ingredients and how much you need to modify. For example, you may choose to include certain dairy products in your diet, or opt for the occasional less-refined bread option like a sourdough or multigrain bread.
As far as dressings and sauces, some of them are better choices than others at Panera. It’s recommended to stay away from these in general on a Mediterranean diet, since they almost always include sugar, additives, or preservatives, but we’ve picked out a select few that are made with cleaner ingredients and are a bit more in line with the diet.
For the purposes of this list, we’re sticking to lean meats and protein, fruits, vegetables, and less-processed dairy (if you choose to include in your diet). We’re avoiding things like refined grains, red or processed meat, sugar, and unnatural ingredients or additives.
Below is the complete list of items on Panera’s current menu that you can feel good about ordering on a Mediterranean diet, along with any notes about modifications to make.
| Diet-Friendly Breakfast | Necessary Modifications |
| Avocado, Egg White, Spinach & Cheese* | No bagel |
| Scrambled Egg & Cheese* | No brioche / ciabatta |
| Chipotle Chicken, Scrambled Egg & Avocado | No ciabatta, no chipotle sauce |
| Greek Yogurt with Mixed Berries Parfait* | No granola |
| Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries & Pecans | No cinnamon sugar topping |
| Diet-Friendly Sandwiches | Necessary Modifications |
| Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT | No bread, no bacon, no mayo |
| Toasted Frontega Chicken* | No bread, no chipotle sauce |
| Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt* | No bread, no peppers, no chipotle sauce |
| Deli Turkey | No bread, no mustard |
| Mediterranean Veggie* | No bread, no peppers |
| Chicken Green Goddess Caprese Melt* | No bread, peppers, no dressing or garlic aioli |
| Green Goddess Caprese Melt* | No bread, no peppers, no dressing or garlic aioli |
| Diet-Friendly Soups | Necessary Modifications |
| Turkey Chili | |
| Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice* | |
| Diet-Friendly Salads | Necessary Modifications |
| Southwest Caesar Salad* (with or without chicken | No tortilla strips, no aioli, sub for diet-friendly dressing |
| Asian Sesame Salad | No wonton strips, sub for diet-friendly dressing |
| Green Goddess Cobb Salad* (with or without chicken | No bacon, no pickled onions, sub for diet-friendly dressing |
| Greek Salad* (with or without chicken | |
| Fuji Apple Salad* (with or without chicken | No apple chips, sub for diet-friendly dressing |
| Diet-Friendly Warm Bowls | Necessary Modifications |
| Baja Bowl* (with or without chicken) | No pickled onions |
| Mediterranean Bowl* (with or without chicken) | |
| Diet-Friendly Sides & Spreads | |
| Apple | |
| Banana | |
| Seasonal Fruit Cup | |
| Pickle Spear | |
| Hard Boiled Eggs | |
| Diet-Friendly Sauces & Dressings | |
| Greek Dressing | |
| Lemon Tahini Dressing | |
| Salsa Verde | |
| Hummus |
Mediterranean diet-friendly drinks available on the Panera menu
There are plenty of hot and cold drinks available at Panera Bread, and several you can order while on the Mediterranean diet. The trick is to stay away from anything with hidden or added sugar.
That means that beverages like sweetened lattes, lemonades, smoothies, and Panera’s Charged Sips are to be avoided, due to their sugar content. But lots of coffee and tea drinks are allowable on the diet (and even some with milk, if you include dairy) as long as they don’t contain added ingredients like sugar-based syrup or toppings.
Below is the list of Mediterranean diet-friendly beverages that you can enjoy at Panera Bread.
| Diet-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 |
| Caffe Latte* |
| Cappuccino* |
| Hot Tea |
| Iced Tea |
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.
One of Panera’s healthiest menu items, and the only item that you don’t need to modify on a Mediterranean diet, is the Mediterranean Bowl. This is made with a brown rice and quinoa blend, cucumber, tomato, olives, lettuce, feta cheese, hummus, greek yogurt, and a lemon tahini dressing. You have the option to include chicken, and can choose whether to remove the feta based on your specific diet guidelines.
The healthiest bagel currently available at Panera Bread is the multigrain bagel flat, which includes whole wheat, rye, flax seeds and chia seeds, and oats.
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