If you’d like to eat at Panera but aren’t sure if it’s safe, I’ll break down their gluten-free menu in this post so you can decide for yourself whether or not Panera is a safe place to eat. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
If you suffer from celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, wheat allergy, or are unable to eat gluten for any other health reason, you may be wondering if it’s safe to eat at Panera Bread.
Panera literally translates to “bread,” and since most people following a gluten-free diet associate “bread” with gluten, a protein present in wheat, barley, rye, and occasionally oats,
I’ll tell you more about Panera’s food preparation process in this post so you can decide whether dining there is safe for you. I will also talk about how to reduce the risk of cross-contamination, Panera’s gluten-free menu items, and the results of the Nima Sensor test on a few dishes.
Using the Nima Sensor, a portable gluten detector, you can check a tiny sample of your food for gluten residue. It’s not a substitute for lazy ordering. More on this gluten-detecting device in a bit.
My response to your message was blocked for potentially violating safety policies I apologize for any inconvenience
How Panera Prepares Products Made with Gluten
Firstly, I want to talk about how Panera makes its food so you can decide for yourself whether or not to eat here if you’re on a strict gluten-free diet.
My spouse used to work at Panera and has provided me with insider knowledge, so I am aware of this information.
Panera has central “fresh dough facilities” located in each of the metro areas where it has cafes. Every morning, bakers at each fresh dough facility prepare and make dough from scratch to be delivered to nearby cafes. When I say morning, I actually mean in the wee hours of the night.
Each restaurant employs a baker who bakes the delivered dough inside each Panera location every morning. If you’ve ever entered a Panera, especially in the morning, you will undoubtedly be able to smell freshly made bread.
This is good and bad news for someone who cannot eat gluten.
The good news is that since the dough is made at a facility that makes fresh dough, there isn’t a lot of dusty flour strewn about each bakery cafe. In contrast to a pizzeria where the dough is made in-house every few minutes, the Panera restaurant does not make its own dough.
However, it’s also unfortunate because every Panera bakery has an abundance of breadcrumbs because so much bread is baked every day. There are gluten-containing items all over the place, especially close to the bread and bagel slicers, and there is a lot of cross-contamination in the kitchen that can make you sick.
Dissecting Panera’s Gluten-Free Menu
Even though there is a significant chance of cross contamination when eating at Panera, you might still feel at ease doing so. No judgement here. I’ve eaten at Panera several times, although it’s far from my first, second or third choice.
As long as you follow the right procedures, you can eat a number of items from Panera’s gluten-free menu.
Naturally, as recipes and menu items at Panera change seasonally, ask your server for the most recent gluten-free menu before placing an order.
My front counter server only mentioned a few menu items that are gluten free when I asked her what they were. However, upon further inquiry, she said several items could be made gluten free with a few modifications.
Ask your server (or better yet, the manager) if something you’re unsure about, like a soup or salad, can be made gluten free with some adjustments, like a salad without croutons.
I also encourage you to review what Panera says about “avoiding gluten” at its restaurants. It publishes this information on its website.
According to the website, it’s critical to understand your menu options before placing your order if you’re on a gluten-free or gluten-conscious diet. We have some fantastic gluten-free menu options at Panera that may be just what you’re looking for, provided you don’t have celiac disease, heightened gluten sensitivity, or a wheat allergy (in which case you should consult with your doctor). ”.
Observe how Panera explicitly states that those with wheat allergies, celiac disease, or a “heightened” gluten sensitivity shouldn’t eat there? This is advice that most of us should heed.
Again, you do have a few options if you decide to eat at Panera even after they told you not to. Remember, new items are added all the time, and this list may not be up-to-date.
Salads:
- Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
- Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken
- Greek Salad
- Greek Salad with Chicken
- Seasonal Greens Salad
- Seasonal Greens with Chicken
- Fuji Apple Salad with Chicken
- Modern Greek Salad with Quinoa
- Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad
- Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken
- Southwest Chile Lime Ranch Salad with Chicken
- Caesar Salad (Customization: Order without croutons)
- Caesar Salad with Chicken (Customization: Order without croutons)
Soups:
- Vegetarian Summer Corn Chowder
- Turkey Chili with Beans
- Baked Potato Soup
- Vegetarian Autumn Squash Soup
- Vegetarian Creamy Tomato Soup (Customization: Order without croutons)
Sides:
- Kettle Chips
- Apple
- Banana
- Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad
Beverages:
- Coffee, Cold Brew, Tea, Lattes, Espresso Drinks & Frozen Drinks
- Signature Hot Chocolate: Order without marshmallows
- Green Passion Smoothie
- Mango Smoothie with Greek Yogurt
- Peach & Blueberry Smoothie with Almond Milk
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie with Greek Yogurt
- Strawberry Smoothie with Greek Yogurt
- Superfruit Smoothie with Greek Yogurt
- Apple Juice & Orange Juice
- Lemonade
- Agave Lemonade
- Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
- Milk
- Soda
Ordering anything that includes oats is not advised because Panera specifically states on their website that they do not use gluten-free oats.
Oats are notoriously contaminated with bits of wheat unless labeled “gluten free. ” You can learn more about the risk of eating oats in my article, Are Oats Gluten Free?.
Because it contains oats, all warm grain bowls, oatmeal for breakfast, Greek yogurt, and berries (granola) are off limits.
Additionally, stay away from Panera’s “gluten conscious” cookies despite how alluring they may seem because they are kept in the same display case and baked on the same surfaces as baked goods containing gluten.
This means you should avoid both the Coconut Macaroon and Triple Chocolate Cookie with Walnuts.