Weight Loss
Best Low-Calorie Panera Bread Orders in 2026
The best low-calorie Panera Bread orders in 2026, from chicken noodle soup with a half Green Goddess Cobb to light salads, with official calories.
The short answer
The best low-calorie order at Panera Bread in 2026 is a cup of Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup with a half Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken: about 410 calories and 30 grams of protein, based on Panera's September 2026 nutrition guide. For one item, the whole Asian Sesame Chicken Salad without nuts is 440 calories. Skip the bread bowls and the Bacon Mac & Cheese (1,050).
Panera has a healthy reputation, and some of its menu earns it. A cup of chicken noodle soup is 120 calories, and several half salads come in under 300. But the same menu has 1,330-calorie sandwiches, bread bowls that add 650 calories, and mac and cheese that tops 1,000.
Panera publishes a full nutrition guide for its US bakery-cafes, effective September 2, 2026, so you can compare every soup, salad and sandwich before you order. Here's what to get when you're keeping calories low, from Panera's nutrition guide.
What are the lowest calorie items at Panera?#
The lowest calorie meal items at Panera are the Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup (120 calories a cup, 180 a bowl), the half Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (260, or 220 without nuts) and the half Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken (290). Here's how the lighter items compare, from Panera's official guide:
| Item | Calories | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup (cup) | 120 | 10 g | 1,050 mg |
| Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup (bowl) | 180 | 14 g | 1,570 mg |
| Bistro French Onion Soup (cup) | 200 | 6 g | 1,210 mg |
| Three Cheese Lasagna Soup (cup) | 230 | 12 g | 950 mg |
| Asian Sesame Chicken Salad, half (no nuts) | 220 | 13 g | 950 mg |
| Asian Sesame Chicken Salad, half | 260 | 15 g | 950 mg |
| Mediterranean Veggie on Tomato Basil, half | 260 | 9 g | 630 mg |
| Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken, half | 290 | 20 g | 990 mg |
| Tuna Salad on Country Rustic Sourdough, half | 300 | 12 g | 600 mg |
| Caesar Salad with Chicken, half | 340 | 18 g | 1,310 mg |
| Turkey & Cheddar on Country Rustic Sourdough, half | 420 | 20 g | 1,060 mg |
| Bacon Turkey Bravo, half | 430 | 24 g | 1,210 mg |
| Asian Sesame Chicken Salad, whole (no nuts) | 440 | 26 g | 1,900 mg |
| Green Goddess Chicken Wrap | 460 | 32 g | 1,340 mg |
| Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken, whole | 580 | 40 g | 1,980 mg |
Nutrition from Panera's US nutrition guide effective September 2, 2026. Wraps are grab-and-go items, and Panera says menus vary by bakery-cafe, so check the app for your location.
What is the best low-calorie meal at Panera?#
The best low-calorie meal at Panera is a cup of Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup with a half Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken: about 410 calories and 30 grams of protein. These soup-and-half pairings are added up from Panera's published item values:
| Order | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Cup of Chicken Noodle Soup + half Asian Sesame Chicken Salad | 380 | 25 g |
| Cup of Chicken Noodle Soup + half Green Goddess Cobb with Chicken | 410 | 30 g |
| Cup of Chicken Noodle Soup + half Tuna Salad sandwich | 420 | 22 g |
| Whole Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (no nuts) | 440 | 26 g |
| Bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup + half Green Goddess Cobb with Chicken | 470 | 34 g |
| Cup of Three Cheese Lasagna Soup + half Green Goddess Cobb with Chicken | 520 | 32 g |
| Green Goddess Chicken Wrap + apple | 540 | 32 g |
The chicken noodle and Green Goddess pairing gives you the most protein for the calories. The catch is sodium: that order has about 2,040 mg, close to the FDA's 2,300 mg daily limit. The wrap and apple is the lower-sodium choice, at 1,340 mg.
Are Panera salads low in calories?#
Some are, especially as halves. The half Asian Sesame Chicken Salad is 260 calories and the half Green Goddess Cobb with Chicken is 290, but whole salads run from 440 to 880 calories in Panera's guide.
Dressing is where many salad calories sit. Panera lists its dressings separately: a whole portion of Greek dressing is 440 calories, and the whole Greek Salad is 630. Lighter options from the guide:
- Green Goddess: 80 calories for a half portion, 150 for a whole.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette: 100 half, 200 whole.
- Asian Sesame Vinaigrette: 80 half, 170 whole.
- Caesar: 160 half, 320 whole.
- Farmhouse Ranch: 170 half, 340 whole.
- Greek: 220 half, 440 whole.
Ask for a half portion or dressing on the side so you control how much goes on. Skipping nuts helps too: dropping the pecans takes the whole Fuji Apple Chicken Salad from 710 to 600 calories.
What is the lowest calorie sandwich at Panera?#
The lowest calorie sandwich at Panera is the half Mediterranean Veggie on Tomato Basil, at 260 calories, followed by the half Tuna Salad on Country Rustic Sourdough at 300. A whole Mediterranean Veggie is 520 calories.
Whole sandwiches are where Panera gets heavy. Most whole sandwiches in the guide land between 690 and 1,330 calories. Ordering a half and pairing it with a cup of soup or a half salad cuts the sandwich calories in half and still feels like a full lunch. A half Bacon Turkey Bravo (430 calories, 24 grams of protein) is the best half sandwich for protein. Our best high-protein Panera orders rank the whole menu by protein instead.
What is the best low-calorie breakfast at Panera?#
The Broccoli Cheddar Frittata is one of the best low-calorie breakfasts at Panera, at 280 calories with 15 grams of protein. The Five Cheese & Bacon Frittata is 300 calories with 17 grams. Other light options from the guide:
- Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries & Cinnamon Crunch Topping (no pecans): 230 calories, 7 grams of protein.
- Greek Yogurt with Berries: 250 calories, 15 grams.
- Egg & Cheese on Artisan Ciabatta: 430 calories, 20 grams.
- Steak & Wake on Ciabatta: 520 calories, 32 grams, if you want a full sandwich with more protein.
For coffee, an Americano is 5 calories and a 16 oz Caffe Latte is 130 with 8 grams of protein. A 16 oz Pumpkin Spice Latte is 340 calories.
What should you skip at Panera when you're trying to lose weight?#
Skip the bread bowls, the mac and cheese, the whole toasted sandwiches and the big pastries. These add the most calories:
- Toasted Italiano on Baguette (whole): 1,330 calories and 4,110 mg of sodium.
- French Ciabatta Dipper (whole): 1,240 calories.
- Bacon Mac & Cheese (bowl): 1,050 calories.
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup in a bread bowl: 930 calories. The Sourdough Soup Bowl alone is 650.
- Harvest Medley Chicken Salad (whole): 880 calories.
- Orange Scone: 540 calories and 39 grams of sugar.
The bread on the side counts too. Panera lists a side portion of French Baguette at 190 calories. Swapping it for an apple (80) or a fruit cup (60) saves 110 to 130.
Is Panera good for weight loss?#
Panera can fit a weight-loss plan if you order soup and half portions, go light on dressing and skip the bread bowl. A 410-calorie soup-and-salad lunch uses less than a quarter of an 1,800-calorie day; a broccoli cheddar bread bowl with a side baguette comes to about 1,120.
Protein helps here. Higher-protein diets help preserve lean muscle and improve fullness during weight loss, according to a review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. That's why the chicken noodle and Green Goddess pairing, with 30 grams of protein, beats a lower-protein bowl of French onion soup at a similar calorie count. The FDA notes that food prepared away from home generally provides more calories, sodium and saturated fat than meals eaten at home. Our guide to eating out on a calorie deficit shows how to budget the rest of the day, and our list of the best low-calorie fast food meals covers other chains.
At a local cafe or bakery that doesn't post nutrition, Menu Scan AI can help. Snap the menu with your iPhone and it estimates calories, protein, carbs and fat for each item from the menu descriptions, then labels the best matches for a weight-loss goal. Treat the results as estimates, not lab values. The app is free to download; its listing says an annual subscription is required for full access, including menu scanning and AI nutrition analysis.
Frequently asked questions#
What is the lowest calorie meal at Panera?#
A cup of Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup with a half Asian Sesame Chicken Salad is about 380 calories with 25 grams of protein. Swap in a half Green Goddess Cobb with Chicken for about 410 calories and 30 grams.
How many calories are in Panera chicken noodle soup?#
A cup of Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup is 120 calories with 10 grams of protein, and a bowl is 180 calories with 14 grams. In a bread bowl, it's 770 calories.
What is the healthiest salad at Panera?#
For calories and protein, the Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken is a strong pick: 290 calories and 20 grams of protein as a half, 580 and 40 grams as a whole. The whole Asian Sesame Chicken Salad without nuts is lower, at 440 calories with 26 grams.
How many calories is a Panera bread bowl?#
Panera lists the Sourdough Soup Bowl itself at 650 calories. With soup, bread bowls in the guide run from 770 calories for chicken noodle to 940 for Hearty Fireside Chili.
What is the lowest calorie dressing at Panera?#
The half portions of Green Goddess and Asian Sesame Vinaigrette are the lightest salad dressings at 80 calories each. A whole portion of Greek dressing is 440 calories.
Sources#
- Panera Bread: Allergen and Nutrition Information, official page linking the current US nutrition guide
- Panera Bread: Nutrition Guide (PDF, effective 9/2/2026), calories, protein and sodium for soups, salads, dressings, sandwiches, breakfast, sides and drinks
- Leidy et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2015), the role of protein in weight loss and maintenance
- FDA: Calories on the Menu, why meals eaten out tend to carry more calories, sodium and saturated fat
- FDA: Sodium in Your Diet, the 2,300 mg daily sodium limit