There’s no denying that Panera has become a name that’s synonymous with tasty bread and meals. With its wide selection of hot items and pastries, it’s easy to see why it continues to grow until today.
But as popular as it is, some vegans are hesitant to dine at this quaint café because it might not have vegan options available. Fortunately, that’s not the case at all.
If you’re vegan and wondering if they have vegan options at Panera, you came to the right place. Here, we’ll enumerate all of the plant-based dishes you can enjoy while visiting this popular café chain.
What is Panera?
Before we list down all the vegan options at Panera, we want to give you a brief introduction to this company.
What started as a humble cookie business in Boston in the 1980s has now expanded into a massive chain of bakery-cafes across North America. And with over 2,000 locations in the United States and Canada, it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
The Panera Bread Company draws its name from the Italian words pane and era, which translates to bread and time respectively. That gives us an idea of what the brand is committed to delivering to its loyal clientele.
The success behind this company lies in how it aims to keep up with our changing times. It was among the first to roll out free wireless internet access in their locations and continues to ensure that they deliver the best food quality in the market. It began to use antibiotic-free chicken for its meals and made them healthier by getting rid of trans fat.
They have also made their menu more inclusive to people with different lifestyles by adding a calorie count per item and by introducing vegan-friendly items on the menu. Because of this continuous shift towards embracing change, we’re sure that Panera is bound to last for a long time.
Vegan Options at Panera
Now, let’s proceed to enumerate the vegan options at Panera Bread that you should try.
From the Bakery
- Panera vegan bagels. Panera is known for its assortment of bread, and a popular breakfast favorite for on-the-go professionals is its bagels. Lucky for you, the company has several vegan bagel options to choose from.
Vegan-friendly options include the plain bagel, poppyseed bagel, blueberry bagel, cranberry walnut bagel, salt bagel, sesame bagel, everything bagel, and the sprouted grain bagel flat.
> Read more: are bagels vegan?
- Panera sourdough. Since the company acquired the St. Louis Bread Company in 1993, it has also been associated with mouthwatering sourdough bread options. Fortunately, the classic sourdough loaf, whole grain sourdough loaf, sourdough bread bowl, and country rustic sourdough XL loaf are all vegan friendly.
- Other bread. Other vegan options at the Panera bakery include its black pepper focaccia, artisan ciabatta, French baguette, tomato basil Miche, white whole grain loaf, and whole-grain lahvash wrap.
> Read more: is bread vegan?
Snacks
- Fresh fruit cup. For healthy and delicious snacking, you can’t go wrong with Panera’s fresh fruit cup.
- Steel-cut oatmeal. Fortunately, Panera’s steel-cut oatmeal is also vegan-friendly. And with toppings like strawberries, pecans, and cinnamon crunch, you’re bound to be satisfied with each bite.
Refreshments
- Smoothies. Panera also offers vegan-friendly smoothies for you to enjoy. That includes its green passion smoothie and its peach and blueberry smoothie. Just make sure to ask for non-dairy milk.
Meals
- Vegan Bowls. If you prefer heavier meal items for lunch or dinner, you can choose between the Baja Bowl and the Mediterranean Grain Bowls. But, make sure to ask for vegan alternatives to feta or Greek yogurt.
- Salads. Panera also offers a variety of salads that you can order or customize to make them vegan-friendly. This includes its Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad, Greek salad minus the feta, Seasonal Greens Salad, Asian Sesame Salad without the chicken, and Strawberry Poppyseed Salad without the chicken.
- Panera vegan soups. The company’s popular ten vegetable soup – both the classic and the one that comes in a bread bowl – are vegan-friendly.
- Sandwich. The Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich, when ordered without feta and customized with any of the bakery bread above, is vegan-friendly.
