Pick a category, then choose your Panera item and size to see calories, protein, carbs, fat and sodium. Based on Panera's published nutrition values, which vary by location and seasonal menu changes.
Estimates based on published Panera values. Portions and ingredients vary by location and season.
Panera positions itself as a cleaner fast-casual option, and for many menu items that reputation holds up. But the range is wide. A cup of vegetable soup and a half salad can clock in at 350 calories, while a whole mac and cheese or a full sandwich with a side can push past 1,200. The category you order from matters almost as much as the specific item.
Sandwiches are the most calorie-variable category. A half Fuji Apple Chicken Salad sandwich runs around 290 calories, while a full Smokehouse BBQ Chicken lands closer to 810. Bread type, portion size and sauces account for most of that difference. The half portion is a legitimate way to cut a sandwich order down to 300 to 450 calories.
Soups are often the leanest option per dollar. The Low-Fat Garden Vegetable sits at about 90 calories per cup. Broccoli Cheddar is the most popular Panera soup but also the richest, around 260 calories per cup and 15 grams of fat. A bowl is about 1.5 times a cup. Paired with a half sandwich, you can build a full lunch in the 500 to 700 calorie range.
Bakery is where the numbers spike fast. A Cinnamon Crunch Bagel with hazelnut cream cheese can clear 700 calories before coffee. Muffins run 430 to 520 calories each. If you are watching intake, a plain bagel with plain cream cheese (about 420 calories for the combo) is the most controlled bakery pick. Or treat the pastry as a dessert and budget accordingly.
Check a Subway sub, a Chipotle bowl or a Starbucks drink the same way.
Panera publishes complete nutrition data on its website and app. This calculator surfaces those published values so you can look up any sandwich, soup, salad or bakery item without clicking through the full Panera menu. Select a category and item above. Note: values here are estimates and may not reflect the most current Panera formulations.
The Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken stands out: roughly 340 calories, 30 grams of protein, and a moderate fat load. The Low-Fat Garden Vegetable Soup is the lightest soup at about 90 calories per cup. For sandwiches, a half order of the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad Sandwich at around 285 calories is one of the better picks. Pairing a cup of broth-based soup with a half salad is a reliable way to keep lunch under 500 calories.
The Low-Fat Garden Vegetable Soup with Pesto is around 90 calories per cup, making it the lightest item on the regular menu. A plain bagel is about 290 calories. Among salads, the Strawberry Poppyseed with Chicken is the lightest whole-order option at 340 calories. Half portions of most sandwiches run 280 to 400 calories.
The Pecan Roll tops the bakery at 750 calories and 36 grams of fat in a single pastry. The Chicken Frontega Panini hits 850 calories and 1,800 mg of sodium for a whole sandwich. Large mac and cheese bowls are similarly dense. The Broccoli Cheddar Bread Bowl, which combines the soup and bread, can clear 1,000 calories in one sitting.
Jessica Martinez writes about food, menus and the gap between what a meal looks like and what it actually adds up to. She reads nutrition labels for fun and has a working theory that the Broccoli Cheddar is the most underestimated soup in fast casual.