Panera Bread

We scored all 58 entree-style items on Panera Bread's menu for how well they fit a diabetes-friendly meal -- glycemic index, carb and calorie load against a standard 60g-carb / 600-calorie budget, and how processed the item is.

Best choices

Ranked by GlucoBeacon's own scoring formula -- glycemic index, carbs and calories against a standard 60g-carb / 600-calorie per-meal budget, and how processed the item is -- highest score first.

Item	Category	Carbs	Calories	Est. GI	Score
Greek Salad with Chicken - Half	Salads	9g	280	35	83
Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken - Half	Salads	11g	260	35	82
Ten Vegetable Soup - Bowl	Soups	10g	60	45	82
Ten Vegetable Soup - Cup	Soups	10g	60	45	82
Caesar with Chicken Salad - Half	Salads	13g	270	35	81
Fuji Apple Chicken Salad - Half	Salads	18g	280	35	78
Southwest Chicken Ranch Salad - Half	Salads	18g	340	35	77
Balsamic Chicken Greens with Grains Salad - Half	Salads	24g	300	35	75

Approach with caution

These score lowest -- typically a mix of high carbs, high calories, high glycemic index, or heavy processing. Not "never eat," just items to pair with extra protein/fiber or eat in a smaller portion.

Item	Category	Carbs	Calories	Est. GI	Score
Mac & Cheese	Pasta	50g	450	58	35
Bacon Mac & Cheese - Bread Bowl Soup	Bowls	170g	1170	65	29
Mac & Cheese - Bread Bowl Soup	Bowls	169g	1130	65	29
Mexican Style Street Corn Chowder - Bread Bowl with Soup	Soups	158g	900	65	29

How we score it

Each item gets up to 30 points for glycemic index (lower is better), 30 points for staying under a 60g carb budget, 15 points for staying under a 600-calorie budget, and 25 points for being minimally processed -- the same formula GlucoBeacon's in-app Restaurant Advisor uses, just run here against a generic budget instead of your own goals. A higher score means an easier fit into most diabetes meal plans; it isn't a guarantee for any individual, since real blood sugar response depends on portion size, what else you eat with it, and your own physiology.