The Healthiest And Unhealthiest Things You Can Order At Panera

Of all the fast food chains out there, Panera Bread holds a pretty unique position. While fast food joints are renowned for their greasy, salty offerings (no shade, those offerings are often delicious), Panera Bread is well-known for having a huge number of healthy options. The quality and nutritious nature of its food is something it prides itself in. Touting an emphasis on "clean, wholesome foods" on their website, Panera Bread strives to offer a healthy choice for everyone — plant-based and meat diets.

But life is all about balance, right? And menus are too. While Panera has a bounty of healthful food choices, it also has some options that might make you think twice about ordering in. And the truth is that some of these options might surprise you with their fat, sugar, or salt levels. So which items at Panera should you order if you want to keep it healthy, and which should you avoid? We've got all the answers you need right here.

Steak isn't traditionally associated with being a healthy option. But when eaten in moderate quantities, steak and other red meat can be a great way to load up on protein, minerals, and vitamins. And if you're going to enjoy steak, do it in one of the healthiest fast-food sandwiches in America.

Panera's steak and arugula sandwich combines fresh vegetables, cream cheese, and that all-important steak for a simple, satisfying lunch. In a half portion of this sandwich, there are roughly 360 calories. For that amount, you'll also get 17 grams of protein, and just 4 grams of sugar. While steak can sometimes be high in saturated fat, the steak and arugula sandwich had approximately 3.5 grams. While this isn't minimal, it's still far lower than the amount in some of the other menu items.

It's useful to bear in mind, of course, that if you opt for the full version of the steak and arugula sandwich, these amounts will double. However, for a light lunch, a half sandwich should do the trick, and all of that protein will keep you satisfied for hours afterward.

Don't be fooled by the presence of turkey in this sandwich. While turkey is a low-fat, nutritious meat choice, the Bacon Turkey Bravo from Panera is anything but. This sandwich, which is less healthy than a host of McDonald's menu items, has a pretty high count of 790 calories. Additionally, its fat content isn't exactly low, with 27 grams per portion.

But it's the sodium content that we're particularly concerned with. The Bacon Turkey Bravo delivers almost 3,000 milligrams of sodium in each sandwich. This amount is way higher than the quantity we should be consuming to reduce chronic disease risk. And the chronic diseases that can be caused by excessive salt consumption are pretty dangerous. Cardiovascular diseases like stroke and heart attacks are way more likely to occur if you consume too much sodium regularly. A frequently high amount of salt can also impact your kidneys, bone health, and may also increase your risk of cancer. If you're trying to cut your sodium intake, avoid the Bacon Turkey Bravo and opt for something else on the menu.

While salads are usually a safe choice in a restaurant, some fast food salads can be laden with sugar, salt, and fat. So what's the deal at Panera? Well, the good news is that certain salads, like their BBQ Chicken Salad, are not only popular Panera menu items, but healthy ones too.

A full BBQ Chicken Salad in the restaurant will provide just over 500 calories per portion, a good amount for a single meal. This salad will also deliver an ample amount of protein, a substantial 32 grams of the nutrient, thanks to the chicken included. This protein is essential for maintaining and building your body's cells. Some of its protein also comes from the inclusion of black beans, which are not only excellent plant protein but are packed with healthy fiber. Pleasingly, too, there are only 4 grams of saturated fat in the large portion of the salad — if you opt for a half portion, that amount is, logically, halved.

It's prudent to note that the BBQ Chicken Salad isn't completely innocent. It does still have a fairly high amount of sodium, with 1,380 milligrams in the whole portion. If you'd like to reduce the sodium amount in your dish, though, it could be worth asking for your dressing on the side. This will allow you to control the amount that's going in your salad, and help to reduce the sodium content somewhat.

In the fast food world, the combo of bacon, egg, and cheese is likely not going to be the most healthy choice. Panera's Bacon, Egg, and Cheese on Asiago Bagel, however, might surprise you with just how unhealthy it is. With just one bagel, you'll be consuming approximately 700 calories. That's more than a third of the recommended daily calorie intake for women. And when you consider that this is a breakfast bagel, you may find that your calories are skyrocketing before you've even started your day.

Particularly concerning in this bagel is its fat content. The Bacon, Egg, and Cheese on Asiago Bagel has more than 30 grams of fat. If you're following a regular diet, this is a large proportion of your recommended fat amount per day. And when you consider that bacon and cheese are especially high in saturated fat, you might want to be careful. The high consumption of saturated fats can increase the risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases, and it's advisable to consume them in lower quantities.

In our opinion, strawberries just aren't used enough in salads. So seeing this item on the menu at Panera was enough to garner some serious brownie points. But beyond the deliciousness that strawberries provide in its Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken, they're also a component in a super-healthy option. This salad combines fresh berries with greens, chicken, nuts, and a fat-free poppyseed dressing, explains registered dietitian Cynthia Sass via Health. This delivers a nutritious bowl of food with good fiber content and loads of important protein.

And if you want to boost your fiber and add in some healthy fats, Sass recommends ordering it with some added avocado. A couple of slices of avocado will provide you with a portion of monounsaturated fats, which may be useful in controlling cholesterol levels. To add to this, avocados are loaded with important nutrients like potassium and B vitamins. Strawberries are also nutrient-rich, and have a good level of antioxidants, which may assist in combatting chronic conditions and inflammation. Grab yourself this salad and feel that warm glow of virtuousness.

French onion soup is a stone-cold classic. With its origins lying in Ancient Roman cuisine, today this quintessential soup is on the menu of every French restaurant you care to name. Panera clearly has its eye on how popular this soup is with customers, with its Bistro French Onion Soup a key offering in their soup section. Unfortunately, though, while it's tasty, it's also not very healthy.

The main issue with Panera's Bistro French Onion Soup is its sodium level, with a bowl of it containing 1,680 milligrams. Not only is that an eye-watering amount, but it's so high that Panera's own managers are advising against serving it to older adults, according to a former Panera employee (per My Recipes). While this might sound dramatic, it's grounded in a very real health concern. Aging results in a natural increase in blood pressure, which sodium intake can affect significantly. Higher blood pressure can result in a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. As such, it becomes even more important to watch your salt intake and avoid meals that are loaded with sodium. And that manager was right: The Bistro French Onion Soup is one that you really should stay away from.

Smoothies can be deceptive. Although they're usually made with fresh fruit, they can also have high sugar levels, which can impact blood sugar, weight, and dental health. This sugar content is even higher if you drink a smoothie with added sugar.

Thankfully, though, the Peach & Blueberry Smoothie with Almond Milk is a beverage that's on the right side of Sugar Mountain. This smoothie has the lowest calories of all its smoothie offerings, with just 180 calories per drink, according to registered dietitian Cynthia Sass (via Health). Opting for it with almond milk will help to keep its sugar content relatively low, as the unsweetened milk substitute won't plow any extra sweeteners into it. This drink is also low in fat.

The key to keeping this drink healthy, though, is how and when you consume it. It's vital to consider that this smoothie does still have a fair amount of sugar in it, so it's best not to drink it alongside other carb-heavy foods. What all that sugar will be especially good at is energizing you quickly, so Sass recommends having it as a pre-workout boost.

Okay, so this might seem like a bit of an obvious one. No matter how much you try and dress it up, brownies are decidedly not healthy food. Like all foods, though, brownies can be made slightly more nutritious by adding in certain ingredients, or less so by being loaded with sugar and fat. And Panera's Brownie sits firmly in the latter camp.

Warning signs flash with this dessert due to both its saturated fat and sugar levels. In just one brownie, you'll not only consume 6 grams of saturated fat, but a gigantic 50 grams of sugar. To put that into perspective, 1 teaspoon of sugar is approximately 4 grams' worth, which means that this baked treat contains more than 12 teaspoons of the sweet stuff. And when you remember that men should try to have less than 9 teaspoons per day of added sugar, and women should only be eating a maximum of 6 teaspoons, suddenly this dessert doesn't look so sweet after all — for your health, that is.

What's better than having your five vegetables a day? Having 10, all in one go! Okay, so the Ten Vegetable Soup from Panera probably won't cover your entire vegetable allowance. But it's hard to go wrong with such an abundance of veggies.

This soup is pretty much one of the best things you can order at Panera, according to registered dietitian Samantha Cassetty, thanks to its abundance of fiber-rich vegetables and low saturated fat (via Today). One and a half cups of this soup will deliver just 100 calories, and only 15 of these calories come from fat. You'll get 4 grams of fiber in the same serving size, and a pretty impressive 5 grams of protein — not bad for a soup comprised of vegetables.

And all of those vegetables — and the fiber they deliver — might benefit you in more ways than you think. In addition to being tasty, vegetables can assist in controlling blood sugar, may be beneficial for gastrointestinal health, and could even help keep your vision healthy. Not bad for a simple bowl, huh?

We've got to hand it to the person who came up with the bread bowl: They were on to something pretty delicious. Combining two culinary sweethearts into one sole dish, bread bowls get rid of the porcelain, and amp up the carbs, serving the soup directly in a loaf of hollowed-out bread.

Now, while this obviously gives you easy access to bread to dip into your soup — as long as you don't tear into it too soon, and let it leak out onto the table — it's not exactly healthy. At Panera, ordering a bread bowl spikes the calorie content of your meal considerably. On its own, a sourdough bread bowl clocks in at 670 calories, 130 grams of carbs, and well over 1,100 milligrams of sodium.

To put this into perspective, if you're ordering one of its higher-calorie soups, like its Chicken Tikka Masala Soup, getting a bread bowl with it could push your meal to 900 calories or more. It's worth pointing out, of course, that you could treat the bread bowl purely as a vessel and focus mainly on the soup. If that's the case, though, you're far better off just opting for a regular bowl.

It's hard to go wrong with the Turkey Chili from Panera. This warming bowl of turkey, beans, and vegetables is, nutritionally speaking, one of our top choices on their menu. Of particular note is its balance of protein to calories, with 21 grams of protein per 300-calorie serving. This gives it a lot of bang for its buck and ensures that it's a meal that keeps you full after eating it.

The Turkey Chili is also not super-high in sodium, with 690 milligrams per portion. One of the best things about it, though, is the presence of chickpeas and kidney beans. These beans are little nutritional universes, abundant in a wild variety of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Alongside providing precious plant protein and boosting the fiber content of the chili, beans are also a great source of iron, phosphorus, zinc, calcium, and B vitamins. Additionally, they're full of antioxidants which may help to guard against free radical damage.

Odds are you're not far from a slice of pizza at any given moment. And this is particularly true if you have a Panera near you. Although it's known for its healthy offerings, Panera has a few pizzas on its menu, served in flatbread style. As you might expect, however, they're not the most nutritious things available in the restaurant, and its Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza could be the worst of the bunch.

The Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza has more than 1,000 calories in it, which is a pretty large amount if you're enjoying it on your own, potentially amounting to over half of your daily calorie count. To add to this, it also has a whopping 52 grams of fat, with 24 grams of saturated fat. For women, this is well over the amount that you should be consuming daily. And if you can believe it, that's not the worst of it. Just take a look at the sodium level in this flatbread-style pizza, which clocks in at a positively dehydrating 2,580 milligrams. To top it off, the Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza also has 120 milligrams of cholesterol per portion. Don't say we didn't warn you, folks!

In fast food joints, it can be hard to find breakfast options that feel healthy. But somewhere down the line, Panera nailed it with one of their menu items. Its Steel Cut Oatmeal, which comes with a variety of toppings, is one of the best things you can order nutritionally, states registered dietitian Samantha Cassetty, according to NBC News. Basing your breakfast around these heart-healthy grains will help to control your blood sugar levels and amp up your beta-glucan intake, which may lower the amount of cholesterol in your system.

To reinforce the healthiness of these oats, Panera offers a range of add-ons that are similarly good for you. Adding almonds delivers some healthy fats, fiber, and a satisfying crunch. Fresh fruit and berries, meanwhile, both amp up the taste and provide you with vitamins. Just make sure that you're not going overboard on toppings. While a small drizzle of honey or a sprinkle of sugar will boost the sweetness, too much may counteract the blood sugar-controlling effects of the oats.

Look, there's no denying that cinnamon rolls are tasty. And when they have vanilla in them too? You're on to a winner flavor-wise, folks! But where you might be less successful is in the Panera Vanilla Flavored Cinnamon Roll's nutritional value. This pastry is pretty high in calories, with 620 calories per roll, 160 of these calories coming from fat. The roll also has 8 grams of saturated fat in each portion, which if you're eating it for breakfast is pretty hefty.

Where this cinnamon roll is especially unhealthy, though, is in how much sugar it has. There's an astonishing 71 grams of sugar in this pastry, a huge amount that will drastically spike your blood sugar. And when this happens frequently, or when you eat higher amounts of sugar too often, you end up at a higher risk of heart disease, poor skin health, cancer, depression, and type 2 diabetes. Somehow, though, this super-sweet treat manages to sneak in almost 500 milligrams of sodium, too. Do yourself a favor, and go for a healthier option instead.