Panera Bread is one of my favorite fast-food/casual sit down restaurants around.
This is mostly because I am in love with their salads.
Now being a predominately sandwich shop, there happens to be a large risk of cross contamination at Panera Bread.
So just watch out for that and be sure to let your server/cashier know that you have a gluten free allergy.
From there, they should know what precautions they need to take to avoid cross contamination.
Now in terms of the Panera Break gluten free menu, you have quite a bit of choices, especially for salads. Just gotta make sure to specify no croutons whatsoever.
Plus you can get a couple soups as well as their famous chips.
So overall, the Panera Bread gluten free menu is actually pretty good in terms of selections as well as food quality.
Enjoy!
Panera Bread Hidden Menu (all gluten-free)
Breakfast
- Power Breakfast Egg White Bowl with Roasted Turkey
- Power Breakfast Egg Bowl with Steak
Lunch and Dinner
- Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad
- Power Mediterranean Roasted Turkey Salad
- Power Chicken Hummus Bowl
- Power Steak Lettuce Wraps
Panera Bread Gluten Free Menu
Salads
- Greek Salad Caesar Salad (without croutons)
- Grilled Chicken
- Caesar Salad (without croutons)
- Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (without Won Ton noodles)
- Classic Cafe Salad
- Fuji Apple Chicken Salad (G)
- Chopped Chicken Cobb Salad (G)
- Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken Salad
- Tomato and Mozzarella Salad (without croutons)
- BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad
- Fruit Cup – Watermelon
- Seasonal Mixed Fruit Cup
Salad Dressings
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Caesar
- Greek
- Poppyseed Dressing
- Asian Sesame Vinaigrette
- White Balsamic Vinaigrette
- BBQ Ranch
- Light Buttermilk Ranch
Soups
- Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean
- Creamy Tomato (without croutons)
Beverages
- Coffee
- Juice, both apple and orange
- Lemonade
- Milk
- Soda, fountain and bottled
- Tea, regular and Chai Tea
- All lattes & Frozen beverages
- Low-fat Strawberry Smoothie
- Low-Fat Black Cherry Smoothie
- Low-Fat Mango Smoothie
- Low-fat Wild Berry Smoothie
- Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
- Frozen Lemonade
- Hot Chocolate
Sides
- Panera Bread Potato Chips
Discover More Gluten Free Menus!
And for a listing of over 250+ gluten free restaurant menus similar to the Panera Bread gluten free menu, be sure to check out our brand new GF Restaurants + Dining Guide!
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AttiptHem
you’ve an excellent weblog here! would you like to create some invite posts on my blog?
christian louboutin
SSH
I just went to Panera and tried to order from their gluten free menu…blank looks all around. They finally realized I meant the “power menu,” but didn’t have any copies of it. Rather than have him read off all the ingredients for all items (during a busy lunch hour), I ordered the strawberry salad. He said he’d be sure to say no bread items, and of course, no pecans. I assured him that pecans aren’t a problem. When I got my salad, it came with a side of…bread. Guess that memo didn’t come through? $12 for a salad and a medium drink, and the salad isn’t even that good. Don’t waste your time at Panera if you’re looking for gluten free.
NG
If the gentleman who posted the blog already informed everyone what was gluten free, then all you really need to do is order one of the choices in his list. As far as sides, you can choose bread, chips, or an apple whenever you go there. You just have to ask. And if they give you bread by mistake they will make sure to give you what you want in place of it. Also, Wendy’s now has a similar salad with strawberries, blueberries, grilled chicken, delicious strawberry vinaigrette dressing, and almonds on the side. I’m not sure how much of a price difference it will be but it is still pretty tasty. There is cheese on it though, so if you’re ok with that you should definitely try it.
ron cavaliere
My wife has tried the. Greek salad with grilled chicken and feta as she needs to follow a gluten free diet. There seems to be a lot of confusion on the part of the workers in many of the panera shops regarding the need to be aware of these allergy concerns. It has lead to my wife being in excrutiating pain after consuming this! Gluten free? I have my concerns regarding to their sincerity to allergy matters! Just awful!
mimitoemeryelliot
Gluten free is not an allergy. It is an auto immune deficiency DISEASE. People don’t take it seriously if you say “allergy” – which GF (celiac) IS NOT anyway !
K
People can have a gluten allergy, gluten sensitivity, or Celiac. They’re different conditions.
Steve Kluth
When I discovered I was gluten-sensative, I wrote to Panera as it had been one of my places to eat. This was after I had ordered the tomato soup sans croutons and got croutons anyway. The response essentially was it’s really difficult to be gluten-free and I should continue coming there anyway because everybody likes Panera. I don’t think I’ve ever dealt with such corporate contempt. I haven’t walked into a Panera since that date, despite having eaten there at least twice per month before then. (I frequently got free stuff through their customer rewards card.) I recommend anyone with gluten issues to avoid the place completely.
spannerbirdarie
That email sounds like it was written by someone other than someone whom has to the power to do thing and influence people. To me that doesn’t mean I would never again go there. I would say to cross Panera off your list for a while, or keep writing them and say well that reply wasn’t very thought out if you want to keep customers, especially loyal ones.
Jenny
I went to Panera Bread for dinner tonight. I asked the cashier if they have a gluten-free menu and she looked at me with a blank stare. I told her I can’t have wheat, oats, barley etc. and she said she would find out what items are safe.
She came back and hesitantly told me that the item I asked about specifically was gluten free. Then she asked me if I wanted bread with it…. What? I explained to her that I was recently diagnosed with a high gluten intolerance and showed her my eczema and told her I get very ill for a few days if I have gluten. I said NO bread please.
Well, first they bring me the wrong order. I asked for the quinoa hot bowl and I got the quinoa salad. Then he offers to bring what I originally ordered and I ask if it’s gluten free and he says yes. I eat and leave. When I get home my stomach is cramping and my eczema has flared up. It was clearly not gluten free. I understand making mistakes but when it comes to health issues and the person tells you first thing that they have an allergy, please be respectful and take it seriously.
Nanette
I think their strawberry poppyseed chicken salad is one of the best salads I have ever eaten! I have to get it without the pineapples because I am allergic to them. When I requested without pineapples, the manager told me to make sure that whenever I order it to tell them it is for an allergy and they have to change their gloves. I imagine this would be the same for the gluten allergy. I have been gluten-free for two months, but not for an allergy or intolerance. I do not have celiacs. I do, however, have a daughter with the allergy and started eating this way to support her. It’s been a great change for me, but I can’t imagine having to be so strict like those of you with celiacs. I feel for you all!
Andrea
I’ve found your lists of GF menu choices for various restaurants most helpful, thank you.
I want to share my Panera experience from lunch today. I informed the young man at the register that I would be ordering off the hidden menu, and my food needed to be GF. I placed my order for one of the Power salads (it was so good) and also the creamy tomato soup, no croutons. He said he wasn’t sure if the tomato soup was GF, so conferred with two managers, who right there looked it up. Awesome, right? I was pleased. When our food was ready, the prep line made a couple errors. The soup had croutons, and the salad had a hunk of bread on the tray. I advised the young woman working the line that my order was GF, and she was very responsive. She removed the trays, changed her gloves, and remade my lunch. Great service at my Panera in Tampa today!
Adam Bryan
Wow, that’s so awesome Andrea! Just seeing the staff at any restaurant take extra precautions during the preparation of your gluten free meal just makes the dining experience a 100% better.
(Another) Andrea
I received the same excellent service from the back of house in a Northern Florida location. A side of french baguette was listed on my ticket, in error — I wasn’t asked to select an item at the register, an excusable omission. The baguette merely sat in my bag atop the boxed salad, but the staff took care to remove the offending item, provide me with a new side item, bag, and cutlery. Lunch service was in full swing, and they acted quickly and compassionately.
Now, if Panera can find a way to eliminate the wheat starch from the Power Breakfast Bowls, I’ll make my way there twice a day!
Linola H
Went to Panera this morning. I asked. The staff about wheat in the power breakfast bowl and she looked it up . It does have wheat starch in the pesto sauce so I went straight to the preparation counter and asked them to leave the pesto off. They complied.
kristen
Asked at Panera the other day if they had anything gluten free, and they practically laughed me out of the place! So glad to see that they in fact do have choices (I am going GF by choice, not because of a sensitivity) but for those who can’t have a speck of bread touch their food, you may be better off at a different place. Cross-contamination could be a huge problem at Panera.
Adam Bryan
I agree Kristen, Panera is pretty risky for allergic gluten free foodies. However, if you’re just on a non-medical diet, they actually have some pretty nice choices
PattiO
I just went to Panera’s hidden menu, and was SADDENED and shocked to find out that both their power bowl breakfasts…the steak and turkey have hidden GLUTEN! click on the ingredient list and see: ngredient List
Power Breakfast Egg Bowl with Steak
Pasteurized eggs, sirloin steak (beef top sirloin cap, seasoning [spice, dehydrated garlic, sea salt, canola oil]), tomatoes, avocado, salt, black pepper, wheat starch.
the ONLY two items on the HIDDEN MENU that don’t contain gluten or carageenan (which causes inflammation) are the POWER MEDITERRANEAN ROASTED TURKEY and the POWER STEAK LETTUCE WRAPS
check their menu out here:
http://www.paneranutrition.com
scary, because the wheat starch is NOT a necessary ingredient, and not one someone would think would be included!
Wendy
The BBQ chopped chicken salad comes with won tons which I assume are not gluten free.
Carrie
I am pretty sure the BBG Chopped Chicken Salad has corn tortilla strips which are gluten free not won tons.
KarMar
No it has some sort of onion thing that has gluten coating. Unfortunately I looked it up on the website after I had eaten it and gotten a reaction. The BBQ chicken is NOT gluten free!!
Ty
That used to be my favorite salad there. I was so sad when I just looked it up and realized they added the crispy onions in place of the tortillas. Now it is NOT gluten free!
Ggamb
The BBQ salad has corn strips. Carrie is correct. However, BBQ Sauce sometimes can be made with gluten…
Kitty
The Panerra in my city gave me choices of salads or a soup. The manager said the salads come off a bar prep area where they are layered together by the employee. If they have used the same gloves to put all the salad orders together before me, including on each previous order a handful of croutons, then of what use is it to change their gloves. The croutons have already been on the old gloves and those old gloves have been in every part of that salad bar prep area. Until our Panerra embraces a more allergen sensitive prep protocol, I will just enjoy their iced coffee!
Estkimo
I stopped into a Panera recently and they showed me their allergens menu and creamy tomato soup was listed under YES for gluten.
varenikje
Campbell’s Tomato soup has gluten, so why not?
Doro
This is awful. Do not mistake an actual gluten-free menu with items that already happen to be gluten-free. What kind of idiot goes to Panera and suffers the glorious smells and then orders a salad? I’d rather get a salad along with an actual GF meal.
Leo
Just to reiterate the being an idiot comment left above–
‘Pan’ in panera means bread. Thus, going there and asking for gluten free is analogous to a Jew going in a concentration camp during the Holocaust and asking to not be killed.
Why even step foot in this place having this condition? Guess it’s like seeing the doctors and nurses smoking ciggs on their breaks at the hospital. Humans are just stupid..time for what happened to the dinosaurs to happen
K
Oh my god!! Don’t you think that comment is a little harsh. My 2 girls are Gluten sensitive and it is hard finding places to have GF options. So we are thrilled to know there is 1 more place to go. So what if it is just a salad with turkey. At least they can eat there and enjoy being out like others. I guess you wouldn’t understand unless you are going through it yourself..
Renee
Can you tell me what the (G) after the Fuji apple chicken salad means? I had it today, he said it was gluten free but now I am having a symptom I only usually have from gluten exposure. I ate the dressing that came with it, though I’m not sure the name of it (it was white so maybe the white balsamic). Thanks!
Victoria
Balsamic could have gluten in it. Not all vinegars are GF. White is and sometimes apple cider.
Paige
The G stands for Gorgonzola cheese, it and blue cheese are not gluten free from what I’ve read. When ordering that salad I ask them to omit it.
Marie
I agree with Leo, before anyone else freaks out. I too am I a gluten free diet and it sucks but I find it funny that people are offend by his comment because it is true. BTW Carl’s Jr you can get any 5 dollar burger wrapped in lettuce. I have also been to some asian restaurant and told them I am gluten free and they go through the menu with me before I order. Man that comment cracked me up 🙂 it is so true why go to a place that is know for bread when you can’t have it?
Epete
Why? Because when family or friends want to get together over a meal I am part of a larger group. As a celiac I appreciate having a few options at Panera, I order very carefully, and thank everyone for helping me. My local Panera is very allergy-friendly, but I don’t expect perfection (or bread).
Living gluten-free and the occasional accident is annoying, but life before diagnosis was it’s own hell. I have to do this the rest of my life. So what if I have to eat a salad at Panera? At least it’s not iceberg lettuce and a hard pink tomato like I’d get when dining out ten years ago. I get to enjoy time with friends. I even enjoy smelling the bread.
Regina
Sorry to say, but Panera Bread is NOT Gluten sensitivity friendly. Not only because their mainstay is bread but becuase their staff are not trained, and quite frankly they have no interest in helping gluten sensitive customers. I recently visited a Panera Bread and after receiving blank stares when i asked about the gluten free menu, I asked to speak to the manager who informed me that Panera Bread will never cater to the gluten sensitive. Yes they have a few salads and soups (although even though their tomato soup has gluten in it! What’s up with that! When i said you really shouldn’t say NEVER because more and more of the population is discovering they are allergic to gluten and Panera Bread needs to be more progressive in their approach and understanding. Then i walked out. I plan to write Panera Bread corporate. At the very least their staff needs gluten sensitivity training. HaHa!
bummed about panera
PANERA has wheat in their soup now. I was just there & saw the ingredient list.
Tami
No more BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad 🙂 That was my go-to gf lunch when I didn’t have time to figure out where I could eat. They got rid of it last week and added a bunch of salads with shirmp; that was a genious move. Nothing like adding another allergen to your menu. I don’t think I’ll be able to eat there any longer.
Tami
That was supposed to be a frown…
Amy
i think that since panera bread specializes in bread they should at least have some sort of gluten free bread there, i have been gluten free for a while now and have seen only a few resturauts over the years that have had a gluten free menu so hopefully one day they take into consideration about this.
Rachel R. Borgen
That’s impossible. I work at Panera and have celiac disease (I worked there before I was diagnosed). All of Panera’s baked goods are baked on-site in a single oven. The baking area is full of crumbs and flour and the baking sheets aren’t washed after every single use. That’s why only pre-packaged items (chips, condiments, soups, sauces) and fresh fruits and vegetables can truly be gluten free (not including cross-contamination with gloves or scoops).
Sarah
Then maybe they should try cleaning… That’s pretty gross that counters and baking sheets are not cleaned after every use. Doesn’t make much sense either. A dirty baking sheet makes for burnt baking. And who wants crumbs from the last batch in there current batch? Not to mention, if you are using nuts in your baking, you may kill someone. Sounds like your place is not up to speed with health codes…
Rachel R. Borgen
This is simply not the case. Counters and cutting boards are sanitized several times an hour. The baking sheets are dropped off by a company and once they are all used, the company picks them up to clean them and drops off a clean set. The baking sheets are lined with parchment paper before each use. The restaurant is constantly being wiped, swept, and mopped but there is constant bread slicing, flour sprinkling, and dough rolling as well. There is a sign right in plain customer view that states that any product may have come into contact with wheat, eggs, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, etc. No one is trying to hide anything. Our restaurant always passes inspections by a landslide. The simple fact is that you cannot process glutenous and gluten-free products on the same equipment, regardless of how many times it was cleaned. It’s like this everywhere. Panera does not cater to, nor do they have to cater to, people with serious food allergies. Out of the thousands of customers every day, there is less than one person on average who mentions any kind of allergy. So it’s not worth it to Panera to have a separate gluten-free facility. Anyone with any kind of food allergy should know it is there responsibility to ask about the risk of contamination.
Carolann Hughes
I sent them an email about this too! I agree. All they did was offer me a very limited list of what was gluten free, basically salads and tell me that there is no way they could ever do that because of cross contamination and facilities and their shipping procedures etc. I don’t see why they couldn’t at least form some relationship with a co like Udis and at least offer the option even if it’s not their own bread.
Jon
I say avoid the Panera Power Menu. Take a look at my article to see why: http://blog.fatguypaleo.com/2014/03/14/stay-away-from-paneras-power-menu/
Carolann Hughes
You may want to reevaluate this list. The Mediterranean salad includes couscous which is obviously not gluten free. And the BBQ chicken, which WAS my absolute favorite, is no longer available 🙁 I used to also substitute anything with wonton strips with tortilla strips instead which they also no longer have! They have a new Thai salad which you need to avoid as the dressing contains soy sauce. Not happy with their new choices…
Jackie Jeffries
I think that if they put their minds together they could make a gluten free sandwich. The chicken apple salad is my favorite.
andrea
I’m writing this sitting in panera and from what I’ve read it seems it is very store to store on responsiveness. I am gluten sensitive not celiac but pretty severe if I ingest bread products and my local panera in owasso ok is great! Help as much as they can and prompt to correct any serving errors. Just know what u want when u go in and try different ones in your area to find understanding, customer service oriented staff.
Jerrie Barham
Panera’ Squash soup is seasonal and is GF. I eat the oatmeal and it’s very good. Sometimes I order the egg and sausage. I can usually find something there.
snickerdoodlestew
2 of the items in your post DO contain wheat starch. It’s in both of the Power Breakfast Bowls. Please consider changing this information. It seems like some of the other comments has addressed similar issues but your post doesn’t reflect that info.
https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/featured-menu/power-menu.html#power-mediterranean-roasted-turkey-salad
craig grube
Just got the BBQ Chicken salad…..It is NOT GF as is has crispy onion strips with gluten on them
brady
Hmmm…so they were dipped in Gluten? Or rolled in Gluten? Or was the Gluten just sprinkled on???
Shathy Aktar
Wow! This is a very useful page and I really enjoyed reading article and all users’ comments. BG Bakes is an online store which provides Gluten Free and Allergen Free products. We use high quality ingredients. Our customer’s health is our first priority. Thank you for sharing valuable information.
Cathy Dale
Just for a NEWS FLASH OF STUPID that makes no sense to me, they have DELETED RANCH DRESSING from the menu, including THE LOW LOW FAT RANCH, NATIONALLY. REALLY????? THE #1 DRESSING IN THE U.S. IN NO LONGER AVAILABLE??? Many people order sandwiches with RANCH instead of mayo or other toppings and it has been deleted??? You can get one salad with BBQ RANCH, but many people cannot handle BBQ as it causes stomach problems. We used to eat there often, as my daughter could get a few things that didn’t bother her severe allergies, but this is now off our list. Good-bye PANERA!!!
CDB
My experience has been when I inform the order clerk I have a gluten allergy, they say, “this is a bakery and we cannot prevent wheat dust from contacting your food”. This has been a standard response at Panera shops in my area. They will try to not cross contaminate, but cannot promise food is gluten free. I have not eaten there in a long while. I may be 1% of the population, but my fellow diners go elsewhere when eating out with me, so it does impact their sales more than they realize.
Corinne
I am a four year employee of Panera bread and have worked both the cashier and food preparation. We are trained to warn guests that there is always a chance of cross contamination for legal purposes. I am recently gluten free due to an insensitivity and have found responsive employees at every location I visit. Inform them you need gloves changed and if your allergy is severe enough, request that they open new containers, and ALWAYS request this through the manager, Panera or not. Most employees are working as a high school part time job, OF COURSE they are not educated on extensive cross contamination issues, especially if they do not have the affliction. Also request dressings on the side as they wont mix them using the tongs for that dressing. I always request my food in to go packaging, just as an added precaution. Also inform the food preparers as well as the cashier, messages on the screens frequently become cut off.
Just thought I would share from the other side.
NewToGlutenFree
I went to Panera today and ordered the BBQ chicken salad and confirmed that it was gluten free. She got out a book and told me it was NOT gluten free. She gave me 2 salad options. That was it….
JackieO
No one at Panera has ever known what gluten is when I ask. I just had a cashier tell me that all there is in a certain salad is wheat, but no gluten. Ugh!! You just have to educate yourself before going in because they have no clue!!!
brady
To the author: Nobody has “gluten free” allergy. It’s a gluten allergy.
Bob
Unless you have celiac disease, please don’t say you have a gluten allergy. I have celiac disease and it actually will make me deathly ill to consume any gluten whatsoever. It destroys the lining of my small intestines, i’ve ulcers in my mouth, throat, esophegus and lining of my stomach. Eventually for celiac sufferers, it can ruin our livers, kidneys and cause many other poor health conditions. People that just avoid gluten for fad reasons or dietary reasons make life so hard for people that truly have a serious illness, when they insist on saying they have an allergy and they really don’t. By the way, intollerance to gluten or gluten sensitivity are not considered allergies. Celiac disease is a autoimmune disorder where a persons antibodies attack there vital organs when consuming gluten. To have this problem, its truly altering and very few restrauants are safe enough when it comes to cross contamination, including Panera Bread. People with true illness know gloves can not be used in preparing the same foods, surfaces have to be thoroughly clean and croutons can not much as even touch any of the salad. No gluten whatsoever and there can’t be even a slight bit risk of cross contamination or you just don’t eat there. I can’t even kiss someone that has had gluten right after let alone cook in a toaster that has cook toast with gluten. Its a huge deal and most restaurants just don’t comply or realize the seriousness of it and they are completely suck and tired of it when people say they have an allergy and they are completely fine. It makes the lives of true sufferers hell.