Panera Bread is all the rage. With more than 700 locations and another 155 on the way in 2005, this impressive chain is quickly gaining popularity. But what's all the fuss about? Hungry Girl is here with some of her favorite food finds from Panera.
"Two" Good to Be True
The best thing Panera offers is their "Pick Any Two" option. That basically means you mix and match any two half-sandwiches, half salads, soups or a fruit cup to create your own meal. Here are some of my favorites, and for the purposes of this review, all of the nutritional info is for the "pick any two" sizes.
Salads/Fruit:
Asian Chicken Salad
Half Size, No Dressing: 160 calories, 5.5 grams fat, 14.5 grams carbs, 2 grams protein, 1 gram fiber
This salad is a mix of romaine lettuce, chicken breast, sesame seeds, thinly sliced roasted almonds and crispy noodles. It's excellent. The chicken is awesome, the lettuce is fresh, and the almonds aren't salted (an added bonus). I love this salad, but I recommend ditching the crispy noodles (you don't really need them). The dressing that comes with this salad (like most of Panera's dressings) is very high in fat and calories. At 100 calories and 4 grams of fat per ounce, I say avoid it, and go for the sugar-free poppyseed dressing (sweet, Asian-inspired), which is a great swap!