Keto at Panera
Last updated September 8, 2026 · Compiled by the CarbMeNot Team
Yes, you can eat keto at Panera, but it takes a few swaps because the menu is built around bread, pasta, and grain bowls. The winning strategy is simple: order a salad or a low-carb soup, skip every starch they try to add, and pile on protein and fat. Net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) are what matter on keto, and most people aim for 20-50g net carbs per day, so a single sandwich or bread bowl can eat your whole budget in one shot.
Lean on Panera's two safest categories. Broth-based and creamy soups (think chicken-and-wild-rice-free options) can be low in carbs when you avoid the noodle, rice, and bread-bowl versions, and a salad becomes keto the moment you drop the croutons, wontons, and candied nuts. Panera's online nutrition calculator and "MyPanera" customizer let you remove ingredients and see the carb count update live before you ever reach the counter, so build your order there first.
What to order (per item, as modified)
Real menu items with the bun, bread, rice or sweet sauce removed — numbers are per item as ordered, not per 100 g.
| Order | Net carbs | Calories | Protein | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken — HalfHalf size, dressing on the side (skip or use half a cup) | 11g | 290 | 20g | 17g |
| Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken — WholeWhole, dressing on side | 23g | 580 | 40g | 34g |
| Greek Salad with Chicken — HalfGreek dressing is the lowest-carb dressing on the menu | 8g | 380 | 15g | 31g |
| Greek Salad with Chicken — WholeAs served | 17g | 760 | 30g | 62g |
| Greek Salad (no chicken) — HalfSide salad option | 7g | 310 | 4g | 30g |
| Caesar with Chicken Salad — HalfAsk for no croutons (crouton value not published, so count full 14 g) | 12g | 340 | 18g | 23g |
| Frittata — Five Cheese & Bacon (crustless)Breakfast; no bread side | 9g | 300 | 17g | 22g |
| Frittata — Broccoli Cheddar (crustless)Breakfast; no bread side | 10g | 280 | 15g | 19g |
| Scrambled Egg (1 egg, à la carte)Order eggs à la carte; 2–3 eggs + bacon side if available | 1g | 90 | 8g | 7g |
| Cafe Blend Coffee, 16 fl oz (hot) / Iced Coffee 20 fl ozBlack | 0g | 5 | 1g | 0g |
| Tropicana Light Lemonade, 20 fl ozZero-carb sweet-drink option | 0g | 10 | 0g | 0g |
| Avoid: Cinnamon Crunch BagelSkip | 75g | 430 | 13g | 7g |
| Avoid: Broccoli Cheddar Soup in Bread BowlSkip (even the cup alone is 17 g carb / 1 g fiber) | 146g | 930 | 29g | 23g |
| Avoid: Kitchen Sink CookieSkip | 97g | 810 | 7g | 42g |
| Avoid: Caramel Latte, 20 fl ozSkip | 64g | 400 | 11g | 10g |
| Avoid: Fuji Apple Chicken Salad — WholeSkip (apple chips + sweet vinaigrette) | 44g | 710 | 28g | 44g |
Sauces that are fine: Greek dressing (whole: 440 cal, 1 g carb), Caesar dressing (whole: 4 g carb), Creamy Garden Herb (whole: 4 g), Farmhouse Ranch (whole: 5 g), Green Goddess (whole: 7 g / 1 g fiber; half: 4 g), Zesty Smoky Lemon Vinaigrette (whole: 7 g), Drinks: black coffee, iced coffee, Tropicana Light Lemonade, unsweetened tea. Skip: Poppyseed dressing (whole: 13 g, 10 g sugar), White Balsamic with Apple Vinaigrette (whole: 21 g), Sesame Ginger (whole: 13 g), Asian Sesame Vinaigrette (9 g), Drinks: Agave Lemonade 20 oz (52 g), Mocha Latte 20 oz (69 g), Cafe Frozen Java 20 oz (73 g), Chai Latte (42 g), regular Tropicana Lemonade (67 g).
Source: official nutrition data (2026-06-17 (Nutrition Guide C6-26, Edition 1)); modifications computed from published component values where the calculator does not offer them. Menus change — verify in store.
Tips
- Always order salads in a regular bowl, never a bread bowl, and explicitly say 'no croutons, no crispy wontons, no tortilla strips, and no candied or honey-roasted nuts' since these starchy add-ons are baked into many of Panera's signature salads.
- For soup, choose broth-based or creamy varieties and ask for it in a cup or bowl, NOT a bread bowl, and request no added noodles, rice, orzo, or crackers on the side. Creamy soups thickened only with cream are usually lower-carb than ones thickened with flour or starch.
- Add a protein to any salad or soup to make it a real meal and boost fat and satiety: grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, and extra cheese all work. Skip the breaded/crispy chicken, which is dredged in flour.
- Watch the dressings and sauces. Choose oil and vinegar, Caesar, green goddess, or ranch over the sweet ones like Asian sesame, balsamic vinaigrette, or any 'honey,' 'fuji apple,' or fat-free dressing, which carry added sugar. Ask for dressing on the side so you control the amount.
- Beware the drink and bakery traps at the counter: lemonades, fountain sodas, fruit smoothies, and the agave/frozen coffee drinks are loaded with sugar. Stick to water, unsweetened iced tea, or black coffee, and walk past the pastry case entirely.
- Build your order in Panera's online nutrition calculator or app first, removing the bread, croutons, and grains so you can see the exact net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) before ordering, then customize the same way in store.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the most keto-friendly thing to order at Panera?
- A protein-topped salad with no croutons, wontons, or candied nuts, paired with a broth-based or creamy soup (never in a bread bowl), is your best bet. Add grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, and cheese for fat and protein, and use a low-sugar dressing like Caesar, ranch, or oil and vinegar on the side. Check the exact net carbs in Panera's nutrition calculator first, since recipes change.
- Can I eat Panera soup on keto?
- Some soups work and some don't. Broth-based and cream-based soups can be reasonably low in carbs, but anything with noodles, rice, orzo, beans, potatoes, or corn will spike the count, and ordering it in a bread bowl adds a huge load of carbs from the bread itself. Always order soup in a cup or bowl, skip the bread side, and verify the carbs in the nutrition calculator because soups vary widely.
- What should I avoid at Panera on keto?
- Avoid the obvious starches: bread bowls, baguettes, sandwiches, paninis, mac and cheese, pasta, grain bowls, flatbreads, and bagels. Also dodge the hidden carbs, croutons, crispy wontons, tortilla strips, candied nuts, and sweet dressings on salads, plus sugary drinks like lemonade, smoothies, and flavored coffees, and everything in the bakery case.
- How do I know the net carbs of my Panera order?
- Use Panera's online nutrition calculator or the Panera app. Both let you start from a menu item, remove ingredients like bread, croutons, and grains, and see the total carbs and fiber update. Net carbs are total carbs minus fiber, so subtract the fiber yourself, then keep your daily total in the 20-50g range that standard keto targets. Logging it in CarbMeNot afterward keeps your daily count honest.
CarbMeNot provides general nutrition information, not medical advice. Values are estimates — verify before relying on them for any health decision. See our Medical Disclaimer.