Panera Bread looks like the healthy choice — and sometimes it is. But the calories for Panera Bread swing wildly: a bowl of Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup is just 180 calories, while a whole Toasted Italiano sandwich packs 1,330. This guide lists the official calories (and protein) for the sandwiches, salads, soups, bakery items and breakfast dishes people actually order, so you can spot the light picks and the traps before you reach the counter.
Every figure below comes from Panera Bread’s own Nutrition Guide, effective September 2, 2026, read on October 27, 2026. Sizes are exactly as Panera lists them: sandwiches and salads are whole unless a half size is stated, and soups are cups unless stated otherwise. Menus vary by location, and customising an order changes the numbers.
The short version: lightest vs heaviest
The lightest full meals at Panera are soup-based or half portions: a bowl of Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup (180 calories), a cup of Bistro French Onion soup (200) or a half Mediterranean Veggie sandwich (260). Among whole salads, the lighter picks are the Caesar (530 calories) and the Asian Sesame Chicken (530), while the Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken (580) is the best protein-per-calorie salad on the menu at 40 g of protein.
At the other end, the heaviest single items are the whole Toasted Italiano sandwich (1,330 calories), the Ciabatta Cheesesteak (1,160), the Carnitas Elote Market Bowl (1,100) and a bread bowl of Bacon Mac & Cheese (1,170). If you love those, ordering a half — Panera’s You Pick Two style — roughly halves the damage.
Sandwiches (whole size)
Sandwich calories run from 520 to 1,330 for a whole sandwich. Protein is generous across the board, which is why a half sandwich plus a cup of soup is such a good lunch formula. Halves are almost exactly half the whole — for example, the Bacon Turkey Bravo is 860 whole and 430 as a half.
| Sandwich (whole) | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Toasted Italiano on Baguette | 1,330 | 58 g |
| Ciabatta Cheesesteak on Ciabatta | 1,160 | 52 g |
| Chicken Bacon Rancher on Black Pepper Focaccia | 1,010 | 52 g |
| Chipotle Chicken Avo Melt on Black Pepper Focaccia | 1,000 | 43 g |
| Spicy Fiesta Chicken on Ciabatta | 940 | 51 g |
| Grilled Chicken & Avo BLT on Country Rustic Sourdough | 940 | 48 g |
| Bacon Turkey Bravo on Tomato Basil | 860 | 47 g |
| Toasted Frontega Chicken on Black Pepper Focaccia | 860 | 40 g |
| Turkey & Cheddar on Country Rustic Sourdough | 840 | 40 g |
| Smokehouse BBQ Chicken on Artisan Ciabatta | 820 | 45 g |
| Grilled Cheese on Classic White Loaf | 810 | 32 g |
| Tomato Basil BLT on Tomato Basil Miche | 780 | 23 g |
| Toasted Caprese Focaccia | 740 | 30 g |
| Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad on Country Rustic | 690 | 32 g |
| Tuna Salad on Country Rustic Sourdough | 590 | 24 g |
| Mediterranean Veggie on Tomato Basil | 520 | 18 g |
Salads (whole, with the standard dressing)
Panera’s salads are served with dressing included in these figures, which is why even a plain Caesar lands at 530 calories — the whole Caesar dressing portion alone is 320 calories. The Green Goddess Cobb is the standout for protein: 580 calories with 40 g of protein, thanks to the chicken, egg and bacon. Half salads are roughly half these figures: a half Caesar is 270, a half Green Goddess Cobb is 290 and a half Fuji Apple Chicken is 350.
| Salad (whole) | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Caesar Salad | 530 | 14 g |
| Asian Sesame Chicken Salad | 530 | 29 g |
| Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken | 580 | 40 g |
| Greek Salad | 630 | 8 g |
| Caesar Salad with Chicken | 670 | 35 g |
| Fuji Apple Chicken Salad | 710 | 28 g |
| Ranch Parm BLT Salad | 750 | 23 g |
| Greek Salad with Chicken | 760 | 30 g |
| Farmhouse Crunch Salad | 790 | 18 g |
| Ultimate Garden Steak Salad | 800 | 33 g |
| Southwest Chicken Ranch Salad | 810 | 30 g |
| Harvest Medley Chicken Salad | 880 | 34 g |
Soups (cup)
Soup is where Panera is genuinely light — most cups sit between 200 and 280 calories. The exception is Mac & Cheese, which is really a pasta dish in soup clothing at 490 calories a cup. Watch the bread bowl upgrade: it adds roughly 650–670 calories to any soup, so a cup of Broccoli Cheddar at 260 becomes 930 in a bread bowl.
| Soup (cup) | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Bistro French Onion | 200 | 6 g |
| Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice | 200 | 6 g |
| Vegetarian Autumn Squash | 220 | 5 g |
| Three Cheese Lasagna | 230 | 12 g |
| Vegetarian Creamy Tomato (with croissant croutons) | 240 | 3 g |
| Broccoli Cheddar | 260 | 8 g |
| Hearty Fireside Chili | 270 | 13 g |
| Rustic Baked Potato | 280 | 9 g |
| Mac & Cheese | 490 | 16 g |
For reference, a bowl of Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup is 180 calories with 14 g of protein, and a bowl of Broccoli Cheddar is 420 calories. Panera’s current guide does not list a Ten Vegetable Soup, so it is not included here.
Bakery & sweets
Panera is a bakery first, and the bakery case is where a light lunch quietly becomes a heavy one. A plain bagel (280 calories) is reasonable; a Cinnamon Crunch bagel (430) is a dessert. And the cookies are full-size: the Kitchen Sink cookie alone is 810 calories — more than most of the whole salads above.
| Bakery item | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Multigrain Bagel Flat (1 bagel) | 190 | 6 g |
| Plain Bagel (1 bagel) | 280 | 7 g |
| Blueberry Bagel (1 bagel) | 290 | 10 g |
| Everything Bagel (1 bagel) | 300 | 8 g |
| Sesame Bagel (1 bagel) | 310 | 8 g |
| Chocolate Chip Bagel (1 bagel) | 330 | 10 g |
| Asiago Cheese Bagel (1 bagel) | 350 | 14 g |
| Asiago Everything Bagel (1 bagel) | 370 | 15 g |
| Cinnamon Crunch Bagel (1 bagel) | 430 | 13 g |
| Petite Chocolate Chipper Cookie | 100 | 1 g |
| Coconut Macaroon | 180 | 3 g |
| Chocolate Coconut Macaroon | 190 | 3 g |
| Asiago Croissant Twists (2-pack) | 210 | 7 g |
| Dubai Style Chocolate Pistachio Cookie | 220 | 4 g |
| Oatmeal Raisin with Berries Cookie | 340 | 4 g |
| Chocolate Chip Muffin | 340 | 5 g |
| Chocolate Chipper Cookie | 390 | 4 g |
| Candy Cookie | 410 | 4 g |
| Chocolate Croissant | 410 | 7 g |
| Caramel Pumpkin Slice | 420 | 7 g |
| Pecan Braid | 450 | 7 g |
| Pumpkin Shaped Shortbread Cookie | 460 | 4 g |
| Almond Pastry | 470 | 10 g |
| Brownie | 520 | 7 g |
| Blueberry Muffin | 530 | 7 g |
| Orange Scone | 540 | 8 g |
| Cinnamon Roll | 580 | 7 g |
| Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll | 650 | 8 g |
| Kitchen Sink Cookie | 810 | 7 g |
Breakfast
Breakfast sandwiches at Panera run from 430 to 810 calories. The egg-and-cheese basics are the lightest; the bagel-stack and croissant versions with sausage climb fast. The steel cut oatmeal is the sleeper pick: 230 calories without pecans, 330 with strawberries, pecans and cinnamon crunch topping.
| Breakfast item (1 sandwich unless stated) | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Egg & Cheese on Artisan Ciabatta | 430 | 20 g |
| Egg & Cheese on Croissant | 440 | 19 g |
| Ham, Egg & Cheese on Ciabatta | 460 | 25 g |
| Bacon, Egg & Cheese on Artisan Ciabatta | 470 | 23 g |
| Four Cheese Souffle | 470 | 14 g |
| Bacon, Egg & Cheese on Croissant | 480 | 22 g |
| Steak & Wake on Ciabatta | 520 | 32 g |
| Spinach & Bacon Souffle | 550 | 19 g |
| Chipotle Chicken, Egg & Avo on Artisan Ciabatta | 600 | 26 g |
| Sausage, Egg & Cheese on Artisan Ciabatta | 610 | 28 g |
| Sausage, Egg & Cheese on Croissant | 620 | 26 g |
| Asiago Bagel Stack — Sausage & Egg | 810 | 33 g |
| Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries & Cinnamon Crunch (no pecans, 1 bowl) | 230 | 7 g |
| Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries, Pecans & Cinnamon Crunch (1 bowl) | 330 | 8 g |
The 5 lightest sensible meals
- Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup, bowl — 180 calories, 14 g protein
- Bistro French Onion soup, cup — 200 calories, 6 g protein
- Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice soup, cup — 200 calories, 6 g protein
- Mediterranean Veggie sandwich, half — 260 calories, 9 g protein
- Caesar Salad, half — 270 calories, 7 g protein
Calorie traps
- Toasted Italiano, whole — 1,330 calories. The single heaviest sandwich on the menu.
- Ciabatta Cheesesteak, whole — 1,160 calories, before any side.
- Bacon Mac & Cheese in a bread bowl — 1,170 calories; even the cup is 490.
- Carnitas Elote Market Bowl, whole — 1,100 calories with 44 g of protein, so it is filling, but it is not a light lunch.
- Kitchen Sink Cookie — 810 calories, more than a whole Mediterranean Veggie sandwich plus a cup of soup.
- Cinnamon Roll — 580 calories, and the Pumpkin Spice version is 650. A pastry is not a side dish.
A sample 600-calorie Panera meal
Order a half Tomato Basil BLT sandwich (390 calories) with a cup of Bistro French Onion soup (200 calories). That adds up to 390 + 200 = 590 calories — about 600 — with 12 g of protein from the sandwich half and 6 g from the soup, plus a proper, filling lunch. Swap the soup for a cup of Broccoli Cheddar (260) and the same half sandwich lands at 650 calories; swap the sandwich half for a half Mediterranean Veggie (260) with the French Onion cup (200) and you are at 460.
How to order lighter at Panera
- Go half-and-half: a half sandwich plus a cup of soup is the best value on the menu for calories and fullness.
- Skip the bread bowl. It adds roughly 650 calories to any soup — a cup of Broccoli Cheddar jumps from 260 to 930.
- Watch the dressing. The whole Green Goddess dressing portion is 150 calories, the Caesar is 320 and the Greek is 440 — dressing choice alone can swing a salad by nearly 300 calories.
- Drink water or unsweetened iced tea (0–5 calories). A 20 fl oz Strawberry Smoothie with Greek Yogurt is 260 calories, and a frozen coffee drink can pass 400.
- Treat the bakery case as dessert, not a side. A Petite Chocolate Chipper at 100 calories scratches the itch for a fraction of the Kitchen Sink cookie.
Panera sits in the middle of the fast-casual pack: lighter than the heaviest restaurant menus — compare our Cheesecake Factory calories guide and our KFC calories guide — but not automatically light. And if you are tracking a daily target, our guide to how many calories you should eat to lose weight will help you fit a Panera lunch into your day.
How many calories are in a Panera Bread sandwich?
A whole Panera sandwich runs from 520 calories for the Mediterranean Veggie to 1,330 calories for the Toasted Italiano on Baguette. Most whole sandwiches sit between 700 and 1,000 calories — for example, the Bacon Turkey Bravo is 860 and the Chipotle Chicken Avo Melt is 1,000. Ordering a half roughly halves the calories.
What is the lowest-calorie meal at Panera Bread?
The lightest sensible meals are a bowl of Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup at 180 calories, a cup of Bistro French Onion soup at 200 calories, or a half Mediterranean Veggie sandwich at 260 calories. A half Caesar Salad at 270 calories is another light choice.
How many calories are in Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup?
A cup of Panera Broccoli Cheddar soup is 260 calories with 8 g of protein. A bowl is 420 calories, and a bread bowl of Broccoli Cheddar is 930 calories, because the sourdough bread bowl alone adds about 670 calories.
Are Panera Bread salads low calorie?
Not automatically. Whole Panera salads range from 530 calories for the Caesar and the Asian Sesame Chicken to 880 calories for the Harvest Medley Chicken Salad. The Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken is a strong pick at 580 calories with 40 g of protein. Dressing matters: a whole Caesar dressing portion is 320 calories, while Green Goddess dressing is 150.
How many calories are in a Panera bagel?
A plain Panera bagel is 280 calories, an Everything bagel is 300, a Sesame bagel is 310, an Asiago Cheese bagel is 350 and a Cinnamon Crunch bagel is 430. The lightest bagel option is the Multigrain Bagel Flat at 190 calories. Adding a 1.5 oz container of plain cream cheese spread adds 110 calories.
