Here’s How to Eat Vegan at Panera

If you're following a vegan diet (go you!), you know that eating out can be, well...a headache. Give us a fast-casual restaurant and we'll give you a salad with secret anchovies in the dressing. That's why we've done the homework for you, and figured out a few tricks to navigating the menu and finding your way to an animal-free meal at Panera. Bookmark this for your next lunch break.

According to Panera's website, its plain, blueberry, cranberry walnut and sesame bagels are completely vegan. For breakfast, the steel cut oatmeal with strawberries and pecans fits the bill, and so do the peach blueberry smoothie (order it with almond milk) and green passion smoothie. (And, of course, there are fruit cups—always fruit cups.)

Panera says its black pepper focaccia, sea salt focaccia, country rustic, farm-style and sourdough breads are all animal-product-free. Unfortunately, the vegan sandwich offerings are slim pickings, but if you modify the mediterranean veggie sammie with one of those aforementioned bread options and hold the feta cheese, you'll be in the clear.

The ten vegetable soup is the only vegan soup available, but there are also broth bowls (vegan lentil quinoa and soba noodle with edamame). If you're in the mood for a salad, get the seasonal greens. The restaurant suggests ordering it with avocado and quinoa to make it more filling. And if you're willing to make a few modifications, there are a ton of salad options that can be made vegan: strawberry poppyseed with chicken (order it without chicken); fuji apple with chicken (order it without chicken and Gorgonzola); Greek and modern Greek (skip the feta); and Asian sesame with chicken and spicy Thai with chicken (minus the chicken and wontons).