What To Eat at Fast Food Places...Panera Bread/STL Bread Co.

In 2009  Health magazine named Panera Bread.(for those in the St. Louis area STL Bread Co) the healthiest restaurant chain in America. 

They do have some very yummy healthy things for sure. They are one of my top picks to eat on the weekends. However the pick two, bagels and desserts are all high in calories, high in fat, and not very nutritious, therefore not good picks. So you need to choose wisely.

BREADS:  Choose the Specialty breads they have fewer than 200 calories, about 4 g of fat, with around 350 mg of sodium, and some fiber. Most servings are about 2 oz.

BAGELS: Bagels have the calories of one meal in them, with 300-400 calories in each bagel, around 500 mg of sodium, and only 2 g of fiber.  Stay away form the bagels unless it is treat times.

Then choose the whole-grain bagel and split it in half. Stay away from topping. For only 2 oz of the reduced-fat cream cheese it is 140 calories with 12g of fat.   

Plain(290 calories, 1.5 g fat, 450 mg sodium, 2 g fiber), Whole Grain(350 calories, 3 g fat, 410 mg sodium, 5 g fiber), Blueberry (330 calories, 1.5 g fat, 490 mg sodium, 2 g fiber), Sesame (310 calories, 3 g fat, 450 mg sodium, 2 g fiber). I

SOUPS: The soups are good choices; that is if you stay way form the Sourdough bread bowl. That 8-ounce bowl without soup in it is 550 calories by it's self!  Get a broth-based or vegetarian soup with whole-grain bread on the side and you don’t eat it with a pick two.

The lowest-calorie soup options (for 12-oz, not the cup): 

Low-Fat Vegetarian Moroccan Tomato Lentil Soup (120 calories,1.5 g fat, 730 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, 7 g protein)

Low Fat Chicken Noodle Soup (160 calories, 3 g fat, 1,670 mg sodium), 

Low Fat Chicken Tortilla Soup with out Tortilla Strips (220 calories, 2.5 g fat, 1,130 mg sodium; save 50 calories), 

Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup (250 calories, 2 g fat, 1,490 mg sodium per), 

Low Fat Vegetarian Garden Vegetable Soup (150 calories, 1.5 g fat, 1,690 mg sodium per). 

TREATS: Unless it is treat time skip the pastries, brownies, cookies, cakes, muffins, scones and rolls.

SANDWICHES:

Grilled Breakfast Sandwiches are pretty high in fat and calories. The best choice:

Egg and Cheese Grilled Breakfast Sandwich (380 calories, 14 g fat and 620 mg of sodium.)

For the Sandwiches choose 1/2 sizes portions. The best choice:

The half-size Smoked Turkey Breast on Sourdough (240 calories, 9 g fat, 840 mg sodium)  

SALADS:

On most salads Choose half-size portions for salads.  

Fandango Salad: mixed greens with walnuts, gorgonzola, orange slices, and fat-free raspberry (390 calories,27 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 530 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, 12 g protein)

Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (210 calories, 10 g fat, 450 mg sodium)

Classic Cafe Salad (90 calories, 5 g fat, 135 mg sodium).

Fat-Free Raspberry (30 calories),

 Fat Free Reduced Sugar Poppyseed (15 calories),

Reduced Sugar Asian Sesame Vinaigrette (90 calories, 8 g fat

Reduced Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette (130 calories, 10 g fat). 

Panera Bread provides nutrition info on its website.

Let's Get Healthy,

Coach TIA