Made an "oops" at Panera

greeneggsam

Aaaah! I love Panera, but I made a BIG mistake there yesterday. I didn't have a chance to look it up before I went, but I was sick and tired of soup, so I got a Frontega Chicken panini without the mayo. When I finally looked it up, it was almost 900 calories!!! Granted, maybe it was 800 without the mayo, but that's not really the type of lunch I was hoping for.

First off, what makes it so bad? There's non-breaded, non-fried chicken, tomatoes, and arugala (I think). But I suppose there is also cheese and that lovely ciabbata bread, right?

Anyone have any healthy faves at Panera except for the soup?

greeneggsam

Aaaah! I love Panera, but I made a BIG mistake there yesterday. I didn't have a chance to look it up before I went, but I was sick and tired of soup, so I got a Frontega Chicken panini without the mayo. When I finally looked it up, it was almost 900 calories!!! Granted, maybe it was 800 without the mayo, but that's not really the type of lunch I was hoping for.

First off, what makes it so bad? There's non-breaded, non-fried chicken, tomatoes, and arugala (I think). But I suppose there is also cheese and that lovely ciabbata bread, right?

Anyone have any healthy faves at Panera except for the soup?

Picky_nikki

You have to remember that they do not use reduced fat cheese. As well, the ciabbata bread would bring it up! Chicken although healthy for you, is calorie dense, but good calories. Most places butter, which would add more calories as well. However look up Mayo, and you will see that you probably only took in around 500 cal, which for eating out, is not bad.

Make a lunch ahead of time? Good luck!

klikittyklak

Ohh man, Panera never fails to be my downfall! Luckily I don't live on the same continent as one anymore! :laugh:

I would always try to look online at the calorie counts before I went. It would usually guilt me into eating in moderation.

Mufasa0331

Everytime I go to Panera I eat the same exact thing, call me bring but lol I know it satisfies me
I get the Pick two combo...

Broccoli cheddar soup and the half turkey sammich. ( not the pannini not the club just the boring plain jane turkey- and tell them no mayo, theyhave "light" mayo packets by the drink section) and i put lots of Guldens Spicy brownmustard...and get an apple instead of chips.

or you can default to a salad....

Good luck!

neverbeenskinny

I love Panera, but I just stay away from that place any more. It's just calorie nightmare. :ohwell:

healthychic

One of my friends used to work at Panera and she said that the bread they use for their sandwiches it where a lot of the calories are. And the sauce they put on the sandwiches. Thats what makes them soooo good though!

-Danielle

liveagain

I worked for Panera a few years ago. I believe the Fontega is made on rosemary onion Foccacia, which is not the healthiest of breads. They do not put butter on them, but I agree with NicoleF that without the mayo you only had about 500 cals. The mayo used at Panera is some of the worst you can get.

Now, as for my favorite food there, I have to go with the Asian sesame salad with grilled chicken. It's gotta be one the best salads I've had (when made right).

annathelu

I usually eat the french onion soup and ask to take off the croutons and cheese. It's less than 100 calories that way, says the nutrition guide. Pair that with a fruit cup or an apple or a salad and it's pretty filling and great for a cold day.

psyknife

I miss the salmon salad

Yeah, I remember looking up nutrition info on lots of various sandwiches from "healthy" places... most rake in 800-1200 calories... crazy!
So, it's best to skip any sauces on them, maybe even cut out the cheese, or when in doubt...eat half, save half for later.

ceedee22ed

I miss the salmon salad

Yeah, I remember looking up nutrition info on lots of various sandwiches from "healthy" places... most rake in 800-1200 calories... crazy!
So, it's best to skip any sauces on them, maybe even cut out the cheese, or when in doubt...eat half, save half for later.

I like the "half" system, its so hard to count calories unless you know exactly what goes into recipe, so to play it safe I eat slow (you tend to feel fuller as you eat rather than wolfing something down) and save the rest for a later meal...so maybe it was not the best choice available but at least it will not add much more damage to my calorie count if I space it out rather than add a whole other meal later on.

mrsyac2

Aaaah! I love Panera, but I made a BIG mistake there yesterday. I didn't have a chance to look it up before I went, but I was sick and tired of soup, so I got a Frontega Chicken panini without the mayo. When I finally looked it up, it was almost 900 calories!!! Granted, maybe it was 800 without the mayo, but that's not really the type of lunch I was hoping for.

First off, what makes it so bad? There's non-breaded, non-fried chicken, tomatoes, and arugala (I think). But I suppose there is also cheese and that lovely ciabbata bread, right?

Anyone have any healthy faves at Panera except for the soup?

I look at panera bread like the devil- all there foods are sooooooo high calories- i had a half a sandwhich from there and it was soooo many calories-- Never again will i eat there-

wildkitty505

The Frontega calories definitely come from the bread. Check out this "Survival Guide" for eating at Panera (compliments of Hungry Girl) http://www.hungry-girl.com/week/weeklydetails.php?isid=1573

charliesgold

I love Panera, I always go on my hard workout days and i'll eat the Orchard Harvest salad (no chicken added) and chicken noodle soup with a roll or on occasion i'll have half a chicken salad sandwich on wheat instead of the soup

katiechakos

The Harvest salad is to DIE FOR! It's so good... and it only has 210 calories. Sometimes I add chicken to it. They always put a piece of bread on the side, which is the best tasting bread on the planet, so I will allow myself a bite or two of it, but then I toss it so I can't be tempted by it.

renae5

Well, frankly we don't have Panera around where I live and I am really glad because that sandwich sounds heavenly despite the 900 calories!!

cupcakes8kr

Sorry I know this is a looong post ,I couldn't copy & past the web link for some reason. Losts of good info


Being known for bread, bread, and more bread, it's no surprise that a meal at Panera can rack up calories pretty fast. We're here to get you through the wild (and delicious) world of Panera!

Rules To Chew By...

* Half-orders are a good thing. And Panera offers them for salads and sandwiches. Nice!

* Ask to swap Ciabatta or Foccacia bread for, you know, just about anything else, and it will be lower in fat. We suggest something with "Whole Grain" in the name.

* "You Pick Two" is probably the BEST thing Panera has going on. Pick two items -- a half-sandwich, half-salad, and/or a bowl of soup -- and you'll be eating in well-rounded style!

* When it comes to sandwiches, why not ditch the top half of the bread, and enjoy the thing open-faced? You'll save a lot of calories that way, and you'll never miss that bread.

* Always custom-order your salad by selecting your salad dressing! Some dressings have INSANE amounts of calor ies and fat, and that can ruin an otherwise perfectly good salad. We handpicked the best dressings below.



A School of Salads

If we were giving the peeps at Panera a report card, their salads would get a "Needs Improvement". They've got the right idea, but we've got tips to help them fulfill their potential. Here's the 411 on our favorites...

Add Chicken to Almost Any Salad!
For Full Salad: 110 - 120 calories, 1g fat, 24g protein -- POINTS® value 2*
For Half Salad: 50 - 60 calories, 0g fat, 12g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

The chicken here is lean, boneless, and skinless, so go for it. And if you're feeling crazy, get extra chicken in place of those fatty extras, like nuts and cheese. (It may cost a little more, but it's so worth it!) Swapping protein for fatty stuff is one of our little salad secrets.

Classic Salad (without dressing)
Full: 40 calories, 1g fat, 10g carbs, 4g fiber, 3g protein -- POINTS® value 0*
Half: 30 calories, 0g fat, 5g carbs, 2g fiber, 1g protein -- POINTS® value 0*

You can't go wrong with this veggie-loaded basic. Tomatoes, cukes, and red onions on top of mixed field greens and romaine. A perfect candidate for topping with chicken!

Fandango Salad (without dressing)
Full: 340 calories, 27g fat, 15g carbs, 5g fiber, 13g protein -- POINTS® value 8*
Half: 175 calories, 14g fat, 8g carbs, 2g fiber, 6g protein -- POINTS® value 4*

If you lose the cheese and nuts (or just go easy on 'em), you'll save loads of fat and calories, and you'll still have a salad full of field greens, romaine, and mandarin oranges. Yum!

Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (without dressing)
Full: 320 calories, 11g fat, 25g carbs, 5g fiber, 32g protein -- POINTS® value 7*
Half: 165 calories, 6g fat, 13g carbs, 2g fiber, 16g protein -- POINTS® value 3*

Not too bad. Nix the crispy wonton strips and you'll save a slew of calories and fat grams. This sassy salad'll still be stocked with citrus-herb chicken, cilantro, almonds, sesame seeds, and lotsa romaine lettuce.

Greek Salad (without dressing)
Full: 220 calories, 15g fat, 14g carbs, 6g fiber, 10g protein -- POINTS® value 5*
Half: 110 calories, 8g fat, 6g carbs, 3g fiber, 5g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

Go Greek with vine-ripened tomatoes, feta cheese, peperoncini, red onions, and Kalamata olives, all on top of romaine. You can shave some fat and calories off this one by eating on ly half the feta and olives.



Dressing Appropriately...

Fat-Free Raspberry Dressing
For Full Salad: 30 calories, 0g fat, 8g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g protein -- POINTS® value 1*
For Half Salad: 15 calories, 0g fat, 4g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g protein -- POINTS® value 0*

Fat-Free Reduced-Sugar Poppyseed Dressing
For Full Salad: 15 calories, 0g fat, 4g carbs, 1g fiber, 0g protein -- POINTS® value 0*
For Half Salad: 5 calories, 0g fat, 2g carbs, 1g fiber, 0g protein -- POINTS® value 0*

Light Buttermilk Ranch
For Full Salad: 80 calories, 4g fat, 9g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g protein - - POINTS® value 2*
For Half Salad: 40 calories, 2g fat, 4g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
For Full Salad: 60 calories, 2g fat, 9g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g protein -- POINTS® value 1*
For Half Salad: 30 calories, 1g fat, 5g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

Reduced-Sugar Asian Sesame Vinaigrette
For Full Salad: 90 calories, 8g fat, 6g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g protein -- POINTS® value 2*
For Half Salad: 45 calories, 4g fat, 3g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

Dressing Disasters!
Avoid the Balsamic, White Balsamic Apple, Caesar, Greek, and Cherry Balsamic dressings. Those each contain 60 - 110 calories and 5 - 12g fat (POINTS® value 2 - 3*) for a half-salad serving, and they've got 130 - 220 calories and 10 - 24g fat (POINTS® value 3 - 6*) for a full-salad serving!



Sandwiches Worth Saving

Many of the full-sized sandwiches have 700 - 1,000+ calories, SO ALWAYS stick with the half. These particular sandwiches have their hearts in the right place, but they need a little HG guidance. Check out our picks and tips...

Smoked Turkey Breast Sandwich on Sourdough Bread
Half: 240 calories, 9g fat, 25g carbs, 1g fiber, 15g protein -- POINTS® value 5*

This doesn't need much tweaking at all, and we love that the turkey is 99% fat-free. Just swap the mayo for extra mustard, and those fat grams will whittle down to practically nothin'!

Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich on Tomato Basil Bread
Half: 310 calories, 7g fat, 51g carbs, 5g fiber, 11g protein -- POINTS® value 6*

This one sounds straight-up GOOD as is. Zesty peppers, feta cheese, cucumbers, cilantro hummus, and more. It's one of the lightest options straight off the board. Yum!

Smoked Ham & Swiss on Stone-Milled Rye Bread
Half: 390 calories, 16g fat, 38g carbs, 3g fiber, 22g protein -- POINTS® value 9*

Okay, we know the stats look high, but hear us out. This thing features 96% fat-free smoked ham, a total deli score. So skip the mayo (and maybe even the Swiss), and you'll have a great sandwich on your hands!

Chicken Salad Sandwich on Whole Grain Bread
Half: 290 calories, 13g fat, 35g carbs, 8g fiber, 15g protein -- POINTS® value 6*

Not the best, but not too bad -- especially for a deli salad sandwich. This one's made with all white meat, red onions, mayo, and spicy mustard. If you're craving creamy deli salad, it's certainly better than the tuna, which packs 23g fat into a half-serving!



Souper Dooper!

Plenty of good stuff to spoon here...

Low-Fat Vegetarian Garden Vegetable
90 calories, 1g fat, 17g carbs, 3g fiber, 4g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

Low-Fat Vegetarian Black Bean
150 calories, 1g fat, 28g carbs, 6g fiber, 8g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

Low-Fat Chicken Noodle
100 calories, 2g fat, 16g carbs, 1g fiber, 6g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

French Onion (without cheese and croutons)
90 calories, 3g fat, 13g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

Soup Shock!
Do NOT slurp the Baked Potato, Broccoli Cheddar, Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice, Vegetarian Creamy Tomato Soup with or without croutons, French Onion WITH cheese & croutons, New England Clam Chowder, or Vegetarian Summer Corn Chowder. Those each contain 200 - 320 calories and 10 - 28g fat (POINTS® value 4 - 9*) per serving. Eeeks!



Side Show

All salads, sandwiches, and "You Pick Two" orders come with a choice of side. The baked chips and apple are both awesome options, but skip the baguettes. And for a little extra, you can get a small fruit cup off the salad menu.

Fresh Fruit Cup
Small: 70 calories, 0g fat, 19g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g protein -- POINTS® value 1*
Large: 150 calories, 0g fat, 37g carbs, 2g fiber, 2g protein -- POINTS® value 3*





The Skinny on Breakfast

Hmmm, how do we say this? There are really no great breakfast options at Panera, the one exception being that large fruit cup (we like that!). The pastries are crazy-high in calories. The egg soufflés are... well, egg soufflés, with around 30g fat each. Even if you got a plain bagel and topped it with reduced-fat veggie cream cheese (the lightest option they have), it would still run you 370 calories and 6.5g fat. Not worth it for a boring breakfast. Just say no!

Marla64

who can afford Panera?