Panera Vegetarian Options: Best High Protein Low Carb Meals

Panera Bread isn't just about soup and bread. You can find other great vegetarian options at Panera as well. This list breaks down best vegetarian choices from breakfast, lunch, and even dessert - plus even a few customizations to make your meal high protein low carb at Panera Bread.

Fun Fact - Did you know that Panera's top selling item - broccoli cheddar soup - is actually not vegetarian? It is actually made with chicken broth!

While it is better to cook your own food at home, sometimes you just can’t avoid the need to eat out. Sometimes it's a craving or you are just traveling. No matter what the reason, Panera Bread has some great vegetarian options (some with low carb) if you need a clean fast food options.

Breakfast Vegetarian Options at Panera

Most popular vegetarian breakfast items are bagels - which are loaded with carbs. If you are on a low on carb diet, avoid bagels, soufflés and muffins - which are also loaded with carbs and high sugar. Instead try these options for breakfast:

• Garden Avocado & Egg White Breakfast Sandwich: Swap out the multi-grain bagel with their sourdough sandwich bread to reduce carbs by 10grams. Nutrition: Approx. 270 cal, 23g net carbs, 16g protein.
• Egg and Cheese on Ciabatta or Brioche: Skip the bread for low carb options as they add about another 20g of carbs to the meal. Nutrition: Approx. 170 cal, 12g net carbs, 15g protein.
• Garden Avocado Open Faced Sandwich: Opt out of the Garlic Aioli for a vegan/egg free option. This is similar to their garden avocado egg white breakfast sandwich, just without eggs. Nutrition: Approx. 210 cal, 28g net carbs, 6g protein.

Salad Vegetarian Options at Panera

Panera used to have quite the extensive menu, but has paired down their offerings in recent times. However, you can still find some great vegetarian friendly options that you can order to satisfy your cravings. Here are some picks to choose from:

• Mediterranean Greens Salad (Whole): Opt out of the rice and grains blend as the hummus provides you a decent amount of carb intake for this meal. You can also add in extra parmesan cheese for a higher protein boost. Nutrition: 520 cal, 14g net carbs, 15g protein.
• Balsamic Greens Salad (Whole): Opt out of the rice and grains blend and substitute balsamic dressing for greek dressing. While this already comes with pumpkin seeds, you can opt for a larger portion for a slightly higher protein boost. Nutrition: 570 cal, 14g net carbs, 11g protein.
• Greek Salad (Whole): Add in some pumpkin seeds for a higher protein boost that also keeps you fuller longer. Nutrition: 480 cal, 13g net carbs, 11g protein.

Soups and Sandwich Vegetarian Options at Panera

There aren't a whole lot of choices tailored for vegetarians unfortunately. The go-to sandwich option at Panera is the mediterranean veggie sandwich - but is loaded with carbs - a whopping 77g of carbs! That is nearly ⅓ of your daily carb intake.

But, if you've got 10 minutes, try making this at home instead because that's how long it takes to make this easy sandwich. Check out our Panera copycat recipe here. Plus you can choose to sub in your version of carb choices like keto bread or a low carb wrap instead to make this a low carb choice of your liking.

Soups are also of limited choice for vegetarians. The classic tomato soup is the one to get if choosing to go for a soup. It's hearty and creamy, but is heavier on the carb side with 19g of carbs and 4g of protein (and this is without croutons, yikes!).

Note that other soups such as broccoli and cheese or french onion soup have chicken stock or chicken base, so they are not vegetarian.

Dessert Options at Panera

If you have the option at your Panera, choose the greek yogurt cup - it's a quick, protein-rich breakfast that's naturally sweet and satisfying. Opt out of the granola if you are looking for a low carb option. Nutrition: Approx. 150 cal, 13g protein, 8g carbs.

While chocolate chip cookie at Panera is delicious and may not have a protein rich profile, they are still relatively low carb if you are craving a chocolatey treat. These cookies have approx. 13g of carbs each and you can get these in mini packs of 12 that are pre-packed typically at the front of the store.

Ordering Tips

• Selecting Sides: Meals generally come with 3 options for sides: Chips, Bread or Apple. While they are all vegetarian, they are all high carb options, even with apple (17g net carbs)
• Dressings and Spreads to Choose: Most dressings and spreads are low in carbs, with the exception of teriyaki sauce (26g of carbs in one serving). Also as a note, be sure to check ingredients if you have allergies. Garlic Aioli for instance, is made with egg; something to note if you are allergic to eggs.
• Ordering Low Carb Sandwiches: Most sandwiches at Panera don't have a low carb or a vegetarian option. But you can be a bit creative and make them vegetarian and low carb if you'd like. Orders are very much customizable at Panera, so you can order your sandwiches without the bread and meat to make them low carb veggie friendly.

Related Recipes

Craving something homemade? You can make these copycat sandwiches that you are craving right at your own home! Check out some of our favorite recipes that is designed hit your cravings!

• Copycat Panera Bread Black Bean Soup Recipe
• Copycat Panera Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich
• 45+ Best Vegetarian and Vegan Copycat Recipes
• Copycat Chili's Black Bean Burger Recipe
• Copycat Chipotle Plant-Based Sofritas

Final Thoughts

Overall, you can find a variety of vegetarian options that can cater to different dietary needs and preferences. Panera offers customizing options that give you great options to choose from. Hope you enjoyed these tips and recommendations! Let us know how you end up ordering at Panera in the comments below!

If you want to find more vegan and vegetarian options at other fast food restaurants, check out our other guides:

• Vegan Options at Chipotle
• Vegan and Vegetarian Options at Chili's

Note: This post is not sponsored or affiliated by Panera Bread in any way.