What You Miss As A Gluten
Now, onto the sad part of this review. Panera doesnt offer any gluten-free options for pastas or noodles.
This means that soups containing pasta, mac n cheeses, and other pasta dishes are out of the question for those with celiac disease.
This is a big turnoff for a lot of gluten-free eaters who want to dine at Panera. And, it often becomes a reason for eating elsewhere since the pasta dishes are some of the most popular at Panera Bread.
You also unfortunately miss out on Paneras sandwich line and bread bowls, considering none of their bread is gluten-free.
Again, bread bowls and sandwiches are huge items at Panera, so this ends up being a big downside to eating here if you follow a gluten-free diet.
And of course, you really cant take part in any desserts at Panera, which means pastries, croissants, cookies, brownies, and other delectable treats dont make the cut.
Read also: Are Kirkland Protein Bars Gluten-Free?
Southwest Chile Lime Ranch Salad With Chicken
Nutritional information: 670 calories, 34g fat, 57g carbs, 38g protein, 9g sugar, 17g fiber
Make it gluten-free: No adjustments needed
Dont sweat the tortilla crisps: Theyre made with corn masa flour instead of wheat flour. That means you can chow down to your hearts content on romaine, arugula, black bean and corn salsa and tender chicken tossed in chile lime rojo ranch dressing. The crumbled feta, fresh cilantro and avocado make the salad even more creamy and flavorful.
Caesar Salad With Chicken
A caesar salad is a classic, no matter where you go. I didnt have any expectations with their take, a caesar salad with chicken, but I came away suitably satisfied.
Made with fresh romaine lettuce and antibiotic-free chicken, topped with grated parmesan and black pepper croutons, this salad was a perfect option for my lunch.
To make it totally gluten-free, ask for no croutons or remove them!
However, if youre craving its delicious blend of greens and lean meat, it will do its job for dinner, too.
Recommended Reading: If Your Allergic To Gluten What Are The Symptoms
Enjoy Panera Breads Gluten Free Offerings
Cooking for those that cant eat wheat, rye, oats or barley has come a long way. Years ago, your options were limited to a lettuce and tomato salad, for fear of cross-contamination.
Now, chefs are more aware and understanding of these health issues, and have used their creative culinary skills to help everyone enjoy dining out again, regardless of food restraints.
Can People With Celiac Disease Eat At Panera
Panera Bread recommends checking with your doctor before indulging in their fare if you have celiac disease. While the brand sells a wide range of options made with ingredients that dont contain gluten, cross-contamination is at least somewhat likely, since there are so many items that contain wheat in the bakery and café. So if you have celiac disease , extra caution should be taken.
Also Check: Iron Hill Brewery Gluten Free Menu
Turkey Chili With Beans
Nutritional information: 300 calories, 10g fat, 31g carbs, 21g protein, 8g sugar, 14g fiber
Make it gluten-free: No adjustments needed
An assortment of chickpeas, kidney beans and edamame give this soup a ton of satisfying fiber. And in case that isnt filling enough for you, the dark meat turkey also offers lots of protein to the dish. All the ingredients are slow cooked with tomatillos, tomatoes, carrots, cilantro, cumin and lime in a zesty ancho and pasilla stock.
Nutritional information: 330 calories, 21g fat, 34g carbs, 5g protein, 17g sugar, 1g fiber
Make it gluten-free: Order without croutons
As long as you nix the black pepper focaccia croutons, this crowd-pleaser is free of gluten. It starts with vine-ripened pear tomatoes and fresh cream. Once theyre puréed until silky smooth, red pepper and oregano are added for flavor, along with onions, garlic and butter.
Other soup options: Baked Potato Soup, Vegetarian Summer Corn Chowder
Eating Gluten Free At Panera
Ordering at Panera bread has been quite challenging because of staff inexperience.
These allergies require eating extremely healthfully and having a gluten-free diet, which Panera Breads menu seems to provide. But I have a problem at most Panera Bread locations, where the young staff cannot assist you with your order.
The company would benefit from some training, some easy adjustments, and keeping a space for gluten-free people.
People with allergies will know what they can order if this means only offering a small number of items.
Although according to the Panera website, the following grain bowls are gluten-free:
Mediterranean Chicken Warm Grain Bowls, Mediterranean Warm Grain Bowl, and Baja Warm Grain Bowl.
Its essential to be aware that these menu items contain oats that may contain wheat due to cross-contact that could occur from using shared equipment for product storage, transportation, or handling, as well as from the usual practices for cultivating and harvesting crops.
Due to the possibility of cross-contamination in the bakery-cafe environment, they made the following statement: That their list is not suitable for individuals with Celiac Disease, a heightened gluten sensitivity, or a wheat allergy.
So, when eating gluten-free at Panera, you need to be cautious.
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Vegetarian Creamy Tomato Soup
If you prefer a simpler dish when looking through the Panera Bread gluten-free menu, you cant go wrong with a bowl of vegetarian creamy tomato soup.
From the get-go, I could taste the vine-ripened pear tomatoes bringing out sweet, velvety flavors.
The fireworks didnt end there, though! Sure, its not intended to be an elaborate bowl, but the subtle seasoning delighted the buds with oregano, celery seed, and red, white, and black pepper.
Since this soup doesnt contain any meat, its a go-to order for vegetarians. However, I recommend not ordering the soup by itself.
The soups black pepper croutons contain gluten, so it would be wise to ask your server to put them on the side.
A Complete List Of What Is Gluten
Panera Bread has become the beacon of hope for those who love fresh ingredients, quick service, and a casual environment. Theyre also one of the few restaurants with menus tailored for vegan, vegetarians, and gluten-free people. Heres a complete list of items at Panera if youre off gluten, separated by breakfast, lunch, and dinner items and which foods you should stay away from.
Also Check: Sam’s Club Gluten Free Bread
Panera Bread Gluten Free Menu And The Hidden Menu
Panera Bread is one of my favorite fast-food/casual sit down restaurants around.
This is mostly because I am in love with their salads.
Now being a predominately sandwich shop, there happens to be a large risk of cross contamination at Panera Bread.
So just watch out for that and be sure to let your server/cashier know that you have a gluten free allergy.
From there, they should know what precautions they need to take to avoid cross contamination.
Now in terms of the Panera Break gluten free menu, you have quite a bit of choices, especially for salads. Just gotta make sure to specify no croutons whatsoever.
Plus you can get a couple soups as well as their famous chips.
So overall, the Panera Bread gluten free menu is actually pretty good in terms of selections as well as food quality.
Enjoy!
Green Goddess Cobb Salad With Chicken
Another protein-packed dish that will spice up your gluten-free lifestyle if youre dining out Panera Breads Green Goddess Cobb salad with chicken.
It has 37 grams of protein, provided by the avocados, chicken, and hard-boiled egg. Im a big fan of colorful dishes, so this was a visual pleasure to look at.
If youre trying to cut back your calories, you can ask for their signature Green Goddess dressing on the side.
Beyond its lovely splash of color, this salad has a hint of crunchiness thanks to pickled red onions and chopped bacon bits.
Bear in mind that it does come with a French baguette. So, if you want to avoid gluten, consider staying away from it.
Read Also: Is Gluten Free Good For Diabetics
What Is Panera Bread
If youre from the US, youll likely already be familiar with Panera Bread. Its a casual dining restaurant, more like a café, thats predominantly based in the US. However, there are some locations in Canada too. In fact, they have over 2,000 locations around the US and Canada, and have been around for over a quarter of a century.
Panera offers two options: dine-in or takeout. It offers foods such as pizzas, grain bowls, pastas, sandwiches and soups. Theres also a selection of drinks too including fruit smoothies, iced drinks, lattes and hot chocolate.
Does Panera Bread Offer Gluten
Despite bread being the main ingredient of many of their infamous dishes, Panera Bread does not currently offer any gluten-free bread. This is quite disappointing considering how easy it is nowadays to source gluten-free bread. However, they do have a few dishes that do not contain any gluten ingredients, and are considered safe to consume on a gluten-free diet.
Also Check: Gluten Free Pizza Dough Publix
Greek Yogurt With Mixed Berries
Nutritional information: 240 calories, 8g fat, 27g carbs, 15g protein, 17g sugar, 2g fiber
Make it gluten-free: No adjustments needed
Greek yogurt topped with whole-grain oat maple butter pecan granola and fresh fruit offers nutrients, protein and plenty of gut-healthy probiotics. The only caveat: This menu item, like the oatmeal, contains ingredients that carry a may contain wheat allergy advisory due to potential cross-contact.
Vegetarian Autumn Squash Soup
Nutritional information: 330 calories, 16g fat, 41g carbs, 8g protein, 33g sugar, 5g fiber
Make it gluten-free: No adjustments needed
Yum, tastes like sweater season. Picture a rich blend of butternut squash, pumpkin and vegetable broth spiked with fall faves like apple juice, cinnamon and honey. A hint of curry offers a layer of warm spice, while a splash of cream makes the soup just a touch more decadent. Nosh away on the roasted pumpkin seed topper too.
Also Check: Best Place To Buy Gluten Free Food
Panera Gluten Free Salads
If youre craving something fresh, light and crispy then these salads might be just right! These are all salads at Panera that contain no gluten-containing ingredients. As mentioned above, though, there is always a chance of cross contamination, as Panera does sell a lot of bread and other types of food with wheat and gluten in it.
Paneras Gluten Free Menu
**Note: Although we do our very best to meet your special requirements, we cannot rule out the possibility of cross contact between these items and gluten-containing foods in our bakery-cafe.**
**Note: Gorgonzola and bleu cheeses are commonly made with mold incubated on wheat. Some may choose to avoid these cheeses for this reason and you may substitute another cheese if you prefer. Items containing these ingredients are indicated below with or .**
Salads including the Salad Dressing :
- Greek Salad Fandango Salad
- Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
- Mediterranean Salmon Salad
- Salmon Caesar Salad
- Asian Sesame Chicken Salad
- Classic Cafe Salad
- Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken
- Fuji Apple Chicken Salad
- California Mission Chicken Salad
- Orchard Harvest Chicken Salad
- Chopped Chicken Cobb Salad
- BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad
- Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean
- Cuban Black Bean and Lentil
- Vegetarian Roasted Red Pepper & Lentil
- Vegetarian Butternut Squash
- Roasted Garlic & Meyers Lemon Vinaigrette
- Juice, both apple and orange
- Tea, regular and Chai Tea
- All lattes & Frozen beverages
Don’t Miss: Whole Foods Gluten Free Pasta
Make Your Own Copy Cat Panera Baja Bowl Recipe With Chicken
I really enjoyed the warm grain bowls from Panera, but I was ready to make my own. I hope you are too! Check out this hot recipe!
Its really not that tough and you simply need to take a good look at the ingredients and make it your way at home! I think their key secret is the mix of brown rice and quinoa. A 50/50 mix works best in my opinion!
I went cheese free, but you can add some feta cheese or shredded cheese to spice it up!
Here is our attempt at a Panera Bread Baja Bowl Recipe. It turned out amazing!
More Information About Panera Bread
Looking for additional information about Panera Bread, their foods, and nutritional/ingredients facts? Here are some resources weve found:
- Official Panera Bread website:
- Official Panera Bread Gluten Sensitive page:
Read Also: Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
How To Order Gluten Free At Panera
When ordering, tell your server you have a gluten allergy and ask them to walk you through the restaurants gluten-free options.
If your server isnt trained on gluten allergies, ask to speak with the manager or someone who is.
Order your food, and ask them if a single person can prepare it using clean hands and gloves, and fresh ingredients.
Ask them to be careful not to touch any gluten products or crumbs as they prepare your meal. If you order a salad, order it without croutons. If you order a soup, order it without the baguette. Tell the server you will send your order back if any bread products are on your tray.
The beauty of eating at Panera is you can watch the person make your food, and you should.
When I ate at Panera a few years ago , the person who took my order explained to the cook what I had to told her, and then the cook prepared my meal for me. This made me feel good knowing that extra step of caution was taken in making my meal safe.
Summary Of Gluten Free Menu Options At Panera Bread
Pro tips and a quick summary of everything gluten free at Panera Bread
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Putting Panera To The Nima Sensor Test
The Nima Sensor is a gadget you can use to test a small portion of your food for hidden gluten. You simply put a small amount of the food inside the single-use Nima test capsule and in about two minutes, Nima will tell you if the food contains gluten or not.
Please note that Nima is only testing a tiny portion of your food for hidden gluten. It can tell you if the recipe is gluten free, which the soup and salad recipes are at Panera, but it cant detect gluten from cross contamination beyond the small piece of food tested. Cross contamination is your biggest risk at Panera.
When I first published this article in 2018, I tested the vegetarian creamy tomato soup and the turkey chili .
You can watch me test my food with my Nima Sensor in the following video:
And below are the final results of my tests. Please note a smiley face means no gluten found while a wheat symbol means gluten found.
Turkey Chili with Beans: No gluten found
Vegetarian Creamy Tomato Soup: No gluten found.
Baja Bowl With Chicken
Im a big fan of Mexican cuisine. While I certainly dont think of Panera Bread when I want some, I was happily surprised by their Baja bowl with chicken.
It contains 740 calories, the highest amount on this list, but has plenty of healthy ingredients, like avocados, red grape tomatoes, and a quinoa and brown rice blend that enriches it with the best nutrients and vitamins.
But, what instantly appealed to me was the salsa verde and bean corn salsa that vividly showcased the Mexican inspiration.
Read Also: Is Hidden Valley Ranch Mix Gluten Free
Gluten Free Food At Panera: What To Eat
Today, were going to be taking a look at the gluten-free food at Panera Bread and what you can eat when following a gluten-free diet. Casual dining can become quite difficult following a gluten-free diagnosis. However, were here to make that easier for you. Panera Bread is a relatively popular casual dining outlet, which serves a range of foods but is there any gluten-free food at Panera? Lets take a closer look.
Panera Bread Gluten Menu
Its critical to understand your menu selections before ordering a Panera Bread gluten free or gluten conscious meal whether youre on a gluten-free or gluten-conscious diet. As long as you dont have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or a wheat allergy , we have some terrific Panera Bread Gluten menu selections created with gluten-free ingredients that could be exactly what youre searching for.
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Panera Bread Gluten Free Stance
You wont see a dedicated Panera Bread gluten free menu. That is because they use different terminology. Panera Bread uses the words gluten sensitive menu, gluten conscious and without gluten. Im not sure what I think about it to be honest.
I kind of feel like its a way for them to not take responsibility and avoid the effort customers with celiac disease need to enjoy a delicious meal.
Keep that in mind. Panera Bread has items that do not have gluten but if you are concerned about cross contamination then maybe think twice. At the end of the day, do what is best for you. Panera Bread does have good food, I just wish they would make an effort for the entire gluten free community.
