How to Eat Healthier at Panera

We hope that you enjoy and find value in the products we recommend! We thoroughly research our picks before sharing them with our loyal readers like you. Just so you know, if you click through a link we post or purchase a product that we recommend, we collect a small share of that sale or other compensation from the links on this page. If you have any further questions, you can reach out to us on our "Contact" page.

97 Shares

Share7

Pin90

Why does Panera always sound so good? It is a very simple concept. Soup. Salad. Sandwiches. Not real difficult. Yet it always tastes better when someone else makes it. Always! Especially when you can eat your meal outside at a picnic table and not have to do dishes afterwards. Score!

But just like almost every other restaurant out there, Panera can be a disaster to your waistline if you don’t make good choices. Between bread, mayo, cheeses, and more bread, your pants might not fit so great the next day. Oh and don’t forget about the bagels, cookies and croissants that you just have to take home.

Anyways, since we refuse to give up Panera for life, we found a few super Simple Ways to Eat Healthier at Panera that work perfect for us and wanted to share them with you!

1. Eat half a sandwich with your salad

I used to just get a large salad and would leave Panera feeling completely unsatisfied and grumpy. Not eating bread at Panera is just ridiculous. So instead, I started getting half a sandwich (see number 3 below) and a smaller salad for a more balanced + satisfying meal.

2. Order Flatbread instead of regular bread

We are bread girls. Avo toast. Pizza Bread. Garlic Bread. You name it! But whenever we would eat too much bread at Panera (i.e. full sandwich and baguette), it leaves us feeling tired and bloated and grumpy. Wamp wamp! So we recently made the switch to flatbread and love it! It still gives you the texture and flavor of bread without the extra calories and heaviness. Win!

3. Load up with veggies and hummus instead of mayo and cheese

This one goes for life in general. Swap out mayo and cheese for things like hummus, avocados and veggies and your body will thank you a million times over. You would not believe the difference this little change will make in terms of calories, increased energy, and it’s also much much better for your skin!

Simple Ways to Eat Healthier at Panera 2

Simple Ways to Eat Healthier at Panera 7

In conclusion (wow, that sounds way too professional!) you can go run around your house in joy knowing it is possible to be healthy and fit without giving up Panera for life. As you know, we are not big into counting calories or obsessing, but sometimes being aware of the numbers helps us make better choices.

So go ahead. Run around in joy knowing you can always enjoy Panera Flatbed Sandwiches and Salads!