Panera Bread, Gf Menu Items

[dbuhl79]

I thought some of you may be interested in what the resturant Panera Bread has for Gluten Free menu items. I emailed them and this is the response I received. Granted its not a ton of items, but it comforts me that I can still enjoy something there when my family and friends chose to go.

Thank you for contacting Panera Bread. The following features

GLUTEN FREE ITEMS:

SOUPS

Mesa Bean & Vegetable

Moroccan Tomato Lentil

Santa Fe Roasted Corn

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

Vegetable & Sirloin

Vegetarian Lentil

SALADS

Classic Caf

[jaimek]

This is wonderful! Thanks!

[Guest imsohungry]

Thank you so much for posting this!

I just received a ten dollar gift certificate to Panera from my bosses as a birthday gift. I was so glad to have it, but I was afraid that I would not be able to use it because of being gluten-free (which my bosses did not know yet). I am just tickled!

Thank you for the info. and much hugs

-Julie

[JJL]

Panera do have some decent gluten-free options, but they also have a tendency to throw a bread crust into the middle of your salad even after you ask for "no bread".

In addition, some of their salads come standard with croutons.

Finally, the guys on the counters don't actually know what ingredients are in the food. It is, after all, a "dressed up" fast food place. So stick to the list posted here, be extra firm about that "no bread and no croutons" order and make sure the counter staff get the message.

On the plus side, they have really good soup and their salads are nice and fresh. I especially like their black bean soup.

[angel-jd1]

Don't they make their breads "on site"? I wouldn't eat there because of contamination. Flour in the air takes a long time to settle and would contaminate the whole area. No thanks!!

-Jessica

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Jessica, you're right. I think they do make their breads "on site". Never thought about that. So I will think about going their twice.

Hugs, Stef

[JJL]

You're right. Oh, well, there goes another dining option. My wife really likes that place, too.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Yeah, and I still have two panera cards with money on it. Ooh, don't know what to do with it. Maybe I can make one of my students happy with one card.

[steveindenver]

From Panera as of 4/25/06

Thank you for contacting Panera Bread. I have included below a list of our gluten-free menu items. Not all of these items are currently on our menu and some new menu items have not yet been evaluated for the purposes of this list. However, you can find complete ingredients listings for all current menu items on our website. Click on Menu and Nutrition, the category (breads, soups, etc.) and on the individual item. A page with that item's ingredients and nutritional content will be displayed.

Thank you again for contacting us. We appreciate your business and value your comments.

Sincerely,

Isabella,

Customer Comment Coordinator

GLUTEN FREE LIST - Panera Bread **

**Although we do our very best to meet your special requirements, we cannot rule out the possibility of cross contact between these items and gluten-containing foods in our bakery-café.

Salads: (including the salad dressing)

(source of modified food starch is corn)

Greek Salad

Fandango Salad

Caesar Salad (without croutons)

Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (without Won Ton noodles)

Classic Cafe' Salad

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Bistro Steak Salad

Fuji Apple Chicken Salad

Soups:

Moroccan Tomato Lentil

Santa Fe Roasted Corn

Vegetable and Sirloin Beef

Vegetarian Black Bean

Vegetarian Lentil

Mesa Bean & Vegetable

Cuban Black Bean soup

Salad Dressings:

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Caesar

Greek

Poppyseed

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Asian Sesame Vinaigrette

Beverages:

Coffee

Juice, both apple and orange

Lemonade

Milk

Soda, fountain and bottled

Tea, regular and Chai Tea

All lattes

IC Honeydew

[CarlaB]

At each restaurant they have a binder with all the recipes for their products in it. Once I asked to see the ingredients for the soups and every one had gluten in it. I gave up on eating there since I was more worried about cc in the salads than the soups. I would double check the recipes at the restaurant because I thought I looked at the fire roasted corn and the black bean. Perhaps it used to have something labeled "food starch" and with the new labeling laws the recipes would be more specific.

The ironic thing is that I often go there for internet connections and just get a cup of coffee. I've gotten to know the man who cuts up the fresh fruit and salad ingredients. I told him about never getting anything to eat there, and he assured me that there would not be the slightest crumb in the salads or fresh fruit as their cleaning between making different products is very thorough. Still, I never actually eat there, just drink.

[laurichick]

Don't they make their breads "on site"? I wouldn't eat there because of contamination. Flour in the air takes a long time to settle and would contaminate the whole area. No thanks!!

i do know that the panera by me makes it bread at 10pm at night till about 3-4 in the am ( i was going to work there!) im thinking that by the time things settle its before lunch type food prep starts

LaURi*

[Judyin Philly]

I've eaten there alot before and several times after dx. The manager at my local Panera's in Springfield PA

was so nice and pulled out a list of all ingred in a special book she had there of everything they put in THEIR dishes at that location....i know that the cc is a big issue but she was so nice and talked to each person who handled my food and watched them pepare it ...actually i just had some soup and took my own rice crackers and had the Moroccan tomato lentil. it was really good. of course the bread was so wonderful to look at but at least i could eat there with friends. i was ok afterwards too.

judy in philly

[Judyin Philly]

CarlaB

Gosh, that's scarey. I went last year before the labeling but she seemed to know all the 'source of our hidden issues did you ck the moroccan T lentil???? maybe they have changed the ingred..

of course i can't have soy or dairy now...SO WHO KNOWS...MAYBE IT'S OUT FOR ME TOO.

WE ALL JUST HAVE TO BE SO CAREFUL...AS WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT ISSUES.

THANKS FOR YOUR POST

JUDY