For those of you new to the concept of keto, it’s a low carb, high fat diet that’s been all the rage lately among health and fitness gurus. In fact, the diet has been so popular lately that even some of the largest fast food chains have begun selling keto friendly options. If you’re interested in trying it out or just want a quick and easy guide on how to go about eating this way, keep reading.
Recently, there has been a huge surge of interest in the keto diet. In fact, it is predicted that by the end of 2018, 20% of the population will be on the keto diet. While many people are on this diet to lose weight, there are also many who know people with health issues who want to try it out for them. And that’s where Panera comes in. Panera is one of the best keto friendly restaurants that have successfully created a keto friendly menu. And because people are already used to ordering keto friendly food at Panera, they’re great for ordering keto friendly meals when people are on the diet.
You like Panera? Are you eating keto?
There’s nothing keto about the name Panera Bread restaurant, but there are simple ways to adjust the menu to create low-carb, keto-friendly dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With our Panera keto nutrition guide, you can fully follow the keto diet at Panera!
The basis of successful ordering at Panera:
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- Choose salads and sandwiches without bread.
- Avoid bread, rolls, cookies, soups and chips.
- Forget pickled onions, they are not carbohydrate free.
- When in doubt, avoid dressings and toppings.
- Choose water, unsweetened iced tea and light sodas.
- Don’t forget to download the free app to take advantage of promotions and rewards! Download it to your iPhone or Android.
Paneras Keto Breakfast Options
I’ll have an egg and cheese sandwich with bacon and no bread and a coffee to go.
Ah, breakfast! Mornings become easy with these delicious brownies – but without the bread!
At Panera, some breakfast dishes are included in the price, and I was looking for the rest. Taking this into account, the following values were obtained for each of the breakfasts (the values given are for breakfasts without bread):
- Bacon, egg and cheese: 250 calories 18 g fat 2 g carbohydrates 0 g fiber 0 g sugar 17 g protein 2 g net carbs
- Avocado, egg whites and spinach: 170 calories: 12 grams fat: 6 grams carbohydrates: 2 grams fiber: 1 gram sugar: 12 grams protein: 4 grams net carbs
- Egg and cheese: 180 calories 13 grams fat 1 gram carbohydrates 0 grams fiber 0 grams sugar 13 grams protein 1 gram net carbs
- Sausage, egg, and cheese: 330 calories | 25 g fat | 2 g carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 21 g protein | 2 g net carbs
Here are the a la carte breakfasts for a keto diet at Panera. If I didn’t have values, I used MyFitnessPal or similar macros:
- Avocado (1 serving): 80 calories | 9 g fat | 4 g total carbohydrates | 3 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 1 g protein | 1 g net carbs
- Bacon (3-1/2 strips): 120 calories 9 g fat 0 g carbohydrate 0 g fiber 0 g sugar 10 g protein 0 g net carbs
- Pork sausage (1 tortilla): 160 calories 14 g fat 1 g carbs 0 g fiber 0 g sugar 8 g protein 1 g net carbs
- Ham (1 slice): 70 calories | 3 g fat | 1 g total carbohydrate | 0 g fibre | <1 g sugar | 10.5 g protein | 1 g net carbs
- Hard-boiled eggs (1 can): 160 calories | 11 g fat | 1 g total carbohydrate | 0 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 13 g protein | 1 g net carbs
- Scrambled eggs (1): 100 calories | 7 g fat | 1 g carbohydrate | 0 g fibre | 0 g sugar | 8 g protein | 1 g net carbs
- Protein (1 serving): 30 calories 0 g fat 1 g carbohydrate 0 g fiber 0 g sugar 6 g protein 1 g net carbs
- Baked Egg (1): 70 calories | 5 g fat | 1 g carbohydrate | 0 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 6 g protein | 1 g net carbs
- Cucumber skewer (1): 5 calories | 0 g fat | 1 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 0 g protein | 1 g net carbs
- Vermont White Cheddar (1 slice): 80 calories | 7 g fat | 0 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 5 g protein | 0 g net carbs
- Steak (1 serving): 70 calories | 2.5 g fat | <1 g total carbohydrate | 0 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 11 g protein | <1 g net carbs
- Tomatoes (2 slices): 5 calories | 0 g fat | 1 g carbohydrate | 0 g fibre | 1 g sugar | 0 g protein | 1 g net carbs
- Spinach (1 serving): 0 calories | 0 g fat | 0 g carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 0 g protein | 0 g net carbs
If you need extra flavor, try their sauces, which are great for sandwiches any time of day!
- Basil Pesto (1 serving): 30 calories | 3 g fat | 0 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 0 g protein | 0 g net carbs
- Chipotle Aioli (1 serving): 45 calories | 4.5 g fat | 0 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 0 g protein | 0 g net carbs
Paneras Keto lunch and dinner options
I’ll have the Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt, no bread, with lettuce.
Since you’re not eating bread, the only carbs (minus fiber if you’re counting net carbs) come from the avocado, bell pepper, and chipotle aioli.
430 calories: 36 grams fat: 8 grams carbohydrates: 4 grams fiber: 4 grams sugar: 33 grams protein: 4 grams net carbs.
You don’t like chipotle chicken sammies? You have many options for sandwiches without bread:
- Roasted turkey and avocado BLT (whole): Forget the bread and ask for your sandwich to be placed on a lettuce leaf.
430 calories | 35 g fat | 2 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 38 g protein | 2 g net carbs - Bacon wrapped turkey Bravo Sandwich (whole): Skip the bread (use lettuce instead) and add the signature sauce on the side (just in case). I would even ask for one of their breakfast sauces. Aioli and pesto have 0 carbohydrates per serving!
450 calories | 29 g fat | 9 g carbohydrates | 1 g fiber | 6 g sugar | 39 g protein | 8 g net carbs - Ham and Swiss roll (whole wheat) : Forget the bread and ask for your sandwich to be placed on a lettuce leaf.
290 calories | 16 g fat | 9 g carbohydrate | 1 g fiber | 5 g sugar | 30 g protein | 8 g net carbs - Steak and white cheddar panini (whole) : Forget the bread and ask for your sandwich to be placed on a lettuce leaf. If you want to use fewer carbs, avoid pickled onions, which are delicious but high in calories.
470 calories | 27 g fat | 14 g total carbohydrates | 1 g fiber | 2 g sugar | 35 g protein | 13 g total carbohydrates
There is also a wide choice of salads. To reduce the carbohydrates in the following salads, omit the foods in parentheses (for example, croutons and pearl onions):
- Cobb Green Goddess Salad with Chicken (whole): 500 calories | 30 g fat | 17 g total carbohydrates | 7 g fiber | 10 g sugar | 42 g protein | 7 g net carbs (not including pickled onions)
- Caesar Salad (whole): 220 calories | 20 g fat | 4 g total carbohydrates | 2 g fiber | 1 g sugar | 6 g protein | 2 g net carbs (without croutons)
- Caesar Salad with Chicken (whole chicken): 380 calories | 25 g fat | 7 g total carbohydrates | 2 g fiber | 1 g sugar | 32 g protein | 5 g net carbs (without croutons)
- Greek salad (whole): 400 calories | 35 g fat | 15 g carbs total | 6 g fiber | 6 g sugar | 6 g protein | 9 g net carbs (perfect as it is!)
And what would a salad be without a sauce! Here are some low-carb salad dressings you can order to garnish and drizzle to your taste:
- Asian Sesame Dressing (half – 1.5 tablespoons): 45 calories | 4 g fat | 2 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 2 g sugar | 0 g protein | 2 g net carbs
- Asian Sesame Dressing (whole – 3 tbsp): 90 calories | 8 g fat | 4 g carbohydrates total | 0 g fiber | 4 g sugar | 0 g protein | 4 g net carbs
- Caesar (half – 1.5 tablespoons): 90 calories | 9 g fat | 1 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 0 g protein | 1 g net carbs
- Caesar (whole – 3 tablespoons): 180 calories | 18 g fat | 2 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 0 g sugar | 0 g protein | 2 g net carbs
- Rancho Chili Lime Rojo (½ – 1.5 tablespoons): 45 calories | 4 g fat | 2 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 1 g sugar | 1 g protein | 2 g net carbs
- Rancho Chili Lime Rojo (whole – 3 tbsp): 90 calories | 8 g fat | 4 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 2 g sugar | 2 g protein | 4 g net carbs
- Green Goddess (half – 1.5 tbsp): 40 calories | 3.5 g fat | 2 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 1 g sugar | 1 g protein | 2 g net carbs
- Green Goddess (whole – 3 tbsp): 80 calories | 7 g fat | 4 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 2 g sugar | 2 g protein | 4 g net carbs
- Greek (half to 1.5 tablespoons): 110 calories | 12 g fat | 0 g total carbohydrates | 0 g fiber | 1 g sugar | 1 g protein | 0 g net carbs
- Greek (whole – 3 tbsp.): 220 calories | 24 g fat | 1 g total carbohydrate | 0 g fiber | 2 g sugar | 2 g protein | 1 g net carbs
Keto eating in a panera is not as scary as it sounds!
As you can see, with a little diligence and our Panera Keto nutrition guide, you can enjoy the keto diet on the go, wherever your adventures take you! Enjoy your next visit to Panera!
Check out our other tips for choosing a keto restaurant!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a typical keto lunch?
A typical keto lunch might include a hard-boiled egg, avocado, and some type of meat.
What is sugar free at Panera?
Sugar free at Panera is a diet menu option that offers a selection of low-calorie, low-fat and low-sodium options.
What is good for lunch on keto diet?
A good lunch on keto diet is a salad with some grilled chicken or steak.
