Keto at Panera: 17 Low-Carb, Keto-Friendly Meals to Order, Vetted by a Nutritionist
Your faves are still on the table
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You used to make a beeline to Panera Bread at lunchtime for a mac and cheese bread bowl. But now that you’re on the keto diet, your order needs some adjusting. Certain produce items (like beans and corn salsa) and condiments (like barbecue sauce) pack a carb-loaded punch, since they contain starches and sugars that translate to higher carbs. The biggest issue will be the bread—whether in sandwich, bowl or crouton form—since it’s too high in carbs to keep you in ketosis.
While the website for this keto-friendly restaurant has all its nutrition information listed, it doesn’t allow you to modify menu items, so you may have to do a bit of guesswork to determine the net carbs of your adjusted meal. Nevertheless, it’s totally possible to eat keto at Panera Bread—with a few helpful tweaks. Here are 17 low-carb, keto-friendly menu items to put on your list, plus tips from an expert on maintaining a keto diet.
(Note: The nutrition info that follows each menu item doesn’t account for modifications. Prices may vary by location and region.)
17 Keto-Friendly, Low-Carb Meals at Panera
Keto Breakfasts at Panera
1. Chipotle Chicken, Egg & Avo Sandwich (No Bread)
- Nutrition Information: 550 calories, 30g fat, 44g carbs, 27g protein, 3g sugar, 4g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for no bread
- Price: $6.59
On keto, you'll need to nix the bread or wrap for every sandwich on the menu. While this is theoretically good for your diet, Stoler reminds us that it potentially creates food waste, and you'll likely still pay full price for less food. Nevertheless, it's doable if you're willing.
This mix of smoked pulled chicken, scrambled egg, aged white cheddar, zesty sweet peppers, avocado, cilantro and chipotle aioli will help you kick the day off with energy and a full belly. You can even add bacon for extra protein and fat.
2. Greek Yogurt with Mixed Berries Parfait
- Nutrition Information: 240 calories, 8g fat, 27g carbs, 15g protein, 17g sugar, 2g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for the granola on the side and no honey
- Price: $5.69
You may have thought the steel-cut oatmeal with strawberries and pecans was a better option for keto eaters, but the sugary-sweet cinnamon crunch topping ups the carbs considerably (and it might taste a tad bland without it). Greek yogurt topped with whole-grain oat maple butter pecan granola and fruit offers lean protein, nutrients and energy, plus probiotics. Asking for the carby granola on the side may help you moderate how much of it you actually eat, as opposed to mixing it all into the high-protein vegetarian meal from the start. Add extra pecans for a boost of protein and healthy fat.
3. Garden Avo & Egg White Sandwich (No Bagel)
- Nutrition Information: 340 calories, 14g fat, 36g carbs, 19g protein, 3g sugar, 5g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for no bagel
- Price: $6.59
Protein-rich scrambled egg meets aged white cheddar cheese, fresh avocado, juicy tomatoes and salt and pepper atop a multigrain bagel flat. Without the carby bread, it's keto-friendly and still filling. If you're feeling ambitious, bring a low-carb bread substitute of your choice to enjoy the dish as a sandwich instead of with a fork.
4. Sausage, Egg & Cheese (No Ciabatta)
- Nutrition Information: 590 calories, 35g fat, 40g carbs, 27g protein, 1g sugar, 2g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for no bread
- Price: $6.59
Egg, cheese, savory sausage and salt and pepper are a timeless combination for a reason. You can still get down with your go-to breakfast sandwich...as long as you skip the carb-loaded bread. Feel free to add avocado to the mix to make it even more filling.
Keto Sandwiches at Panera
5. Grilled Chicken & Avo BLT (No Bread)
- Nutrition Information: 900 calories, 55g fat, 55g carbs, 49g protein, 4g sugar, 6g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for no bread
- Price: $12.39
Chicken, garlic aioli, avocado and bacon make this sandwich just fatty and filling enough to hold a keto eater over—even without the country rustic sourdough bread. Order it with a green side salad or a tomato-basil cucumber salad to make this gluten-free Panera mod more satiating, or try a cup of chicken noodle soup.
6. Toasted Frontega Chicken (No Bread)
- Nutrition Information: 820 calories, 38g fat, 79g carbs, 43g protein, 6g sugar, 4g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for no bread
- Price: $11.59
Smoked pulled chicken is packed with lean protein, while melty mozzarella cheese and mayo-based chipotle sauce boost the filling fat content. If you want to make it even lower in carbs after removing the black pepper focaccia, substitute spinach or lettuce for red onion and sliced tomatoes.
7. Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich (No Bread)
- Nutrition Information: 860 calories, 41g fat, 75g carbs, 50g protein, 10g sugar, 3g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for no bread
- Price: $11.59
Turkey, bacon, Gouda, sliced tomatoes and signature sauce make this sammy a crowd favorite. But it’s just as tasty sans-tomato basil bread, promise. Instead of just eating the sandwich fillings solo, slice and toss them atop a bed of greens for a next-level salad. Add avocado for a filling boost of healthy fats and protein.
8. Tuna Salad Sandwich (No Bread)
- Nutrition Information: 550 calories, 28g fat, 49g carbs, 24g protein, 4g sugar, 4g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for no bread
- Price: $9.59
The tuna salad is rich, satiating and refreshing, thanks to sliced tomatoes and mixed greens. It’s prime for a picnic—even without the sourdough bread. Might I suggest asking for pepperoncini and red onions for a punch of heat and sharpness?
9. Turkey & Cheddar Sandwich (No Bread)
- Nutrition Information: 770 calories, 45g fat, 52g carbs, 41g protein, 4g sugar, 3g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for no bread
- Price: $9.59
It’s the quintessential healthy lunch for a reason. Turkey is lean, versatile and loaded with protein. Here, it’s jazzed up with garlic aioli, red onion, sliced tomatoes, white cheddar cheese and crunchy mixed greens. Lose the bread and add bacon or avocado for extra fat and protein.
10. Chipotle Chicken Avo Melt (No Bread)
- Nutrition information: 920 calories, 49g fat, 76g carbs, 48g protein, 5g sugar, 7g fiber
- Make it keto: Ask for no bread
- Price: $11.59
Sink your teeth into smoky pulled chicken, layered with melty white cheddar cheese, buttery avocado, fresh cilantro, sweet peppers and chipotle drizzle. As much as I love the black pepper focaccia, you'll have to skip it to eat keto at Panera Bread this go around.
11. Ciabatta Cheesesteak (No Bread)
- Nutrition Information: 1,040 calories, 52g fat, 91g carbs, 53g protein, 13g sugar, 5g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for no bread
- Price: $12.39
Tender, succulent steak + provolone cheese + caramelized onions = an epic cheesesteak base. Sweet peppers and a generous swipe of garlic aioli take this stunner over the top. Without the ciabatta, it's a protein-rich, low-carb, keto-friendly home run.
Keto Soups at Panera
12. Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
- Nutrition information: 100 calories, 1g fat, 13g carbs, 9g protein, 4g sugar, 0g fiber
- Make it keto: No modifications necessary
- Price: $7.99
It doesn’t get more comforting than this classic soup, made with tender white meat chicken, chicken bone broth, egg noodles, carrots, celery and herbs. Even with pasta in the mix, this is a keto-friendly soup, although Stoler warns that it's heavy on the noodles. Just be sure to skip the French baguette side in favor of potato chips (which are lower in carbs than the apple option, BTW) or tomato-basil cucumber salad. Either way, this dairy-free food will top even your favorite healthy canned soup.
13. Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Nutrition Information: 360 calories, 24g fat, 25g carbs, 13g protein, 9g sugar, 1g fiber
- Make It Keto: No modifications necessary
- Price: $7.99
Sure, it's not as healthy as the ten-vegetable soup that Panera Bread discontinued (RIP), but it's certainly the most popular. And luckily, it's keto-friendly—as long as you don't overdo it on the carbs throughout the rest of your day. The silky-smooth cheese sauce is the ultimate match for toothsome broccoli and shredded carrot.
Keto Salads at Panera
14. Caesar Salad with Chicken (No Croutons)
- Nutrition Information: 440 calories, 27g fat, 21g carbs, 32g protein, 3g sugar, 4g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for no croutons
- Price: $11.79
In Stoler's opinion, salads are Panera's best option for keto dieters. This classic combo of romaine lettuce, grated Parmesan and creamy Caesar dressing is proof that simplicity can be delicious. Add chicken, and it’s even more satiating. Even if you were to leave the black pepper focaccia croutons on the salad, they aren’t too carby that they’ll kick you out of ketosis (there are 17 net carbs when you subtract the fiber), as long as the rest of your meals that day are high in protein and fat and low in carbs. But feel free to ask for them on the side, if you’d prefer.
15. Greek Salad
- Nutrition Information: 390 calories, 35g fat, 16g carbs, 9g protein, 6g sugar, 7g fiber
- Make It Keto: No modifications necessary
- Price: $8.49
Kalamata olives, feta cheese, pepperoncini, citrus-herb Greek dressing—yup, the gang's all here. Luckily, you don’t need to make a single change to this salad for it to fit into your meal plan. However, you can ask for light red onions and tomatoes to shave off a few extra carbs if you’d like, or add grilled chicken to make it even more satisfying. The salad bowl is your oyster.
16. Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (No Wonton Strips)
- Nutrition Information: 410 calories, 21g fat, 28g carbs, 30g protein, 7g sugar, 6g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for no wonton strips
- Price: $11.79
All it takes to put this zingy salad in keto territory is nixing the carby wonton strips, since the rest is romaine lettuce, almonds, grilled chicken, cilantro and sesame vinaigrette. The sesame seeds can stay, since they’re low in carbs and high in fat, making them a great crunchy addition for keto dieters.
17. Green Goddess Cobb Salad (No Onions or Tomatoes, Change Dressing)
- Nutrition Information: 510 calories, 29g fat, 23g carbs, 42g protein, 11g sugar, 7g fiber
- Make It Keto: Ask for no onions or tomatoes, and change the dressing (or order it on the side)
- Price: $12.99
This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink salad boasts chicken, mixed greens, romaine, tomatoes, avocado, pickled red onions, hard-boiled egg, chopped bacon and green goddess dressing. If you're being strict, you can nix the onions and tomatoes and replace the dressing...but if you keep your carbs low for the rest of the day, the salad can be enjoyed as is.
Keto-Friendly Salad Dressings at Panera
- Asian Sesame Vinaigrette (90 calories, 8g fat, 4g carbs, 0g protein, 4g sugar, 0g fiber)
- Caesar (180 calories, 18g fat, 2g carbs, 1g protein, 2g sugar, 0g fiber)
- Greek Dressing (230 calories, 25g fat, 1g carbs, 0g protein, 0g sugar, 0g fiber)
- Green Goddess Dressing (80 calories, 7g fat, 4g carbs, 2g protein, 3g sugar, 0g fiber)
- Lemon Tahini Dressing (70 calories, 7g fat, 2g carbs, 1g protein, 0g sugar, 1g fiber)
- White Balsamic Vinaigrette Flavored with Apple (160 calories, 13g fat, 11g carbs, 0g protein, 10g sugar, 0g fiber)
Ordering Tips for Eating Keto at Panera
"The keto diet is effective for helping people lose weight, but it's not effective as a lifetime lifestyle diet," Stoler explains. While there are no studies that examine the long-term effects of going keto for decades, it's a fact that high dietary fat intake (especially with low fiber intake) puts a person at risk for heart disease, cancer and digestive issues. "[Keto] is certainly not the healthiest, and let's acknowledge that in all of the longevity regions of the world, the centenarians' diets include the same starchy carbs that are no-nos for keto," she says.
Nevertheless, if you're someone with a large amount of weight to lose, keto could be an effective way to kick things off. While Stoler stresses that all foods can fit in a healthy diet, here are her tips for trying it out:
- Order menu items with no bread (like baguette, ciabatta, wraps and bagels), croutons, tortilla strips, wonton strips and other carby ingredients.
- Order salads with low-carb dressings, such as Greek vinaigrette and Caesar. (FYI, the only Panera Bread dressing that's moderately high in carbs is the sugary White Balsamic Vinaigrette Flavored with Apple.) Alternatively, you can order half portions of dressing or ask for your dressing on the side to easily consume it in moderation.
- Order soups without bread bowls, crackers or croutons. Also avoid starchy, carby ingredients, like potatoes and beans. You can order a cup of soup instead of a full-size bowl to further cut carbs as well.
- Add avocado, bacon, cheese, nuts and eggs to sandwiches and salads to up the fat and protein content of your Panera meal without too many additional carbs, and keep your protein consumption low to moderate. "Focus on nuts, seeds, full-fat cheese and yogurt and oils," suggests Stoler, instead of leaning too heavily on meat. Supplement your diet with lots of fiber to stay full.
Beyond that, here are some other suggestions to consider:
- Be consistent and patient. "It takes two to three weeks for the body to adapt and rely on ketosis for fuel," Stoler explains.
- Avoid alcohol and drink plenty of water. This will help keep you satisfied throughout the day, and keep you from breaking ketosis.
- Don't go on keto if you're an endurance athlete. "The brain works better on carbs...getting hangry is not ideal!"
The TLDR Summary: How to Eat Keto at Panera
As long as you steer clear of all breads, as well as carb-heavy items like potatoes, rice and beans, you can eat keto at Panera Bread.
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