Panera Bread Adds Calorie-Conscious Menu Items & Holiday Bakery Goods

To help you achieve those New Year health-conscious resolutions,  Panera Bread has added new delicious and nutritious items like creative salads and smoothies to help you stick with your goals as well as some festive treats for when you want to reward yourself for all your hard work.

Thai Chopped Chicken Salad

Panera’s new Thai Chopped Chicken Salad has only 390 calories and 33 grams of protein, which will not only leave you feeling full and satisfied but also transport you a little with each taste. Made with fresh chopped romaine lettuce, wonton strips, and a medley of vegetables including fire-roasted edamame, red bell peppers, and carrots, this salad is topped with strips of seasoned grilled chicken, Thai roasted cashews, fresh cilantro, and finished with a Thai-style peanut drizzle. This salad achieves an authentic Thai flavor through Panera’s Thai Chili Vinaigrette, a low-fat vinaigrette with lemongrass and red chili flecks, toasted sesame oil, kaffir lime and soy sauce.

Dan Kish, Panera’s head chef and former associate dean at the Culinary Institute of America, reveals, “In the test kitchen, we looked at each ingredient and considered how to best bring out the individual flavors. We found that roasting select ingredients intensified the flavors – and as an added bonus – allowed us to maintain a raw food crunch, which contributes to the textural variety and intrigue of the salad.” Kish adds, “It’s a little bit of Bangkok in every bite.”

Wild Berry Smoothie

Also new to the menu is the Low-Fat Wild Berry Smoothie, the fourth addition to Panera’s smoothie line-up. Made with a wild berry fruit base of apple and blueberry purees and blueberry and raspberry juices blended with organic vanilla yogurt from Stonyfield Farm®, you can enjoy this fusion of berry flavors year round. As is true with most of Panera’s smoothies, the new Low-Fat Wild Berry Smoothie has less than 300 calories, contains 100% daily value of vitamins B6 and B12 and does not have any high-fructose corn syrup.

Trail Mix Bagel

Panera’s Trail Mix Bagel makes its return to the menu to kick-start the New Year. The bagel is filled with apples, bananas, cherries, cranberries, peanut butter flavored chips, cinnamon chips, maple bits and raisins, then enhanced even further with a topping of honey-roasted sunflower seeds. This bagel is best enjoyed toasted, because when heated, the peanut butter chips melt to create a truly unique and warming bagel experience.

From new calorie-conscious menu items to freshly-baked, handcrafted artisan breads and pastries, there truly is something for everyone at Panera Bread.

St. Patty’s & Easter Baked Goods

From March 11 – 17, Panera will offer a St. Patrick’s Day favorite, Irish Soda Bread. Panera’s artisan bakers put their own spin on this traditional recipe, adding currants and a hint of caraway. Tom Gumpel, Panera’s head baker and former associate dean at the Culinary Institute of America, brings an inventive twist to Panera’s original Hot Cross Bun recipe with the addition of dried strawberries. The Strawberry Hot Cross Buns are made with soft egg bread, orange zest, and of course dried strawberries, topped with a sweet icing. This Lenten tradition will be available Fridays through Sundays March 11 – April 10 and everyday from April 15 – 24.

About Panera Bread

Panera Bread Company owns and franchises 1,421 bakery-cafes as of September 28, 2010 under the Panera Bread®, Saint Louis Bread Co.®, and Paradise Bakery & Café® names. We feature high quality, reasonably priced food in a warm, inviting, and comfortable environment. With our identity rooted in handcrafted, fresh-baked, artisan bread, we are committed to providing great tasting, quality food that people can trust. Nearly all of our bakery-cafes have a menu highlighted by antibiotic free chicken, whole grain bread, and select organic and all natural ingredients, with zero grams of artificial trans fat per serving, which provide flavorful, wholesome offerings. Our menu includes a wide variety of year-round favorites complemented by new items introduced seasonally with the goal of creating new standards in everyday food choices. In neighborhoods across this country and in Ontario, Canada, our customers enjoy our warm and welcoming environment featuring comfortable gathering areas, relaxing decor, and free internet access. Our bakery-cafes routinely donate bread and baked goods to community organizations in need. Additional information is available at: www.panerabread.com.