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Hello Listmates,


Many thanks to all who responded to my query about eating at Panera Bread.  I am very grateful for your quick and thoughtful replies.


The vast majority of the responses (and there were about 30 or so) were enthusiastic and generous with praise about their experiences at Panera.  Many eat at this fast food establishment often and have good luck there.  I've included a list of their tips, some links and lists that were sent to me, and two additional comments that you may want to consider, as well.


TIPS:   
*on the website and at each Panera location, there is a book behind the counter which you can request that lists the ingredients of each and every dish. 


*ask the person who is preparing your meal to change his/her gloves before preparing your meal (instead of just mentioning it to the cashier) 


*request that those soups and salads that are considered GF be served without croutons (obviously)


*order potato chips or an apple as a side dish instead of the roll


*Items that were frequently ordered by and enjoyed by our Listmates are as follows:  Greek Salad, Asian Chicken Salad, Fuji Apple Chicken Salad, Chicken Ceasar Salad without croutons, Lowfat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup





LINKS & LISTS
*First, it was brought to my attention that if you just google "gluten free panera," several useful links come up.  Sorry I didn't think to do this on my own.   


*One link that was mentioned over and over was http://www.glutenfreeinsd.com/panera_bread.html   


*Another useful link was www.gfrestaurants.com 


*The following was a response from Panera that was forwarded to me:



Thank you for contacting Panera Bread. I have included below a list of our menu items that do not contain gluten-containing ingredients. However, because we bake fresh bread daily in our bakery-cafes and bread is core to our menu, we simply cannot ensure that there has been no contact between these items, or any other menu items, and gluten.

Not all of the items listed are currently on our menu and some new menu items have not yet been evaluated for the purposes of inclusion on this list. However, you can find complete ingredients listings for current menu items on our website. (When you choose a menu item in our online Nutrition Calculator, click on the "info" link for ingredients information for that item.)

Please note that nutritional information on our website is updated periodically. New products may be available in our bakery-cafes before a periodic update of this site. In addition, some menu items may be available only on a regional, test or seasonal basis. Nutritional information about these menu items is available at the participating bakery-cafes. Tests of new recipes of existing products may be conducted from time to time in certain markets. These new recipes may contain different/additional ingredients, including allergens, as compared to the original version. Nutritional information about these menu items is available at the participating bakery-cafes. For the most update-to-date information, please call or visit your nearest bakery-cafe to speak with a manager.

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

Stella
Customer Comment Coordinator

GLUTEN FREE LIST - Panera Bread **

**Although we try to meet your special requirements, we cannot ensure that these items have not come into contact with gluten in our bakery-café.

** Gorgonzola and bleu cheeses are commonly made with mold incubated on wheat. Some may choose to avoid these cheeses for this reason and you may substitute another cheese if you prefer. Items containing these ingredients are indicated below with (G) or (BC).

Salads: (including the salad dressing)
(source of modified food starch is corn)
Greek Salad
Fandango Salad (G)
Caesar Salad (without croutons)
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (without croutons)
Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (without Won Ton noodles)
Classic Cafe Salad
Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken
Fuji Apple Chicken Salad (G)
California Mission Chicken Salad
Orchard Harvest Chicken Salad (G)
Chopped Chicken Cobb Salad (G)
BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad

Soups:
Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean
Cuban Black Bean and Lentil
Vegetarian Roasted Red Pepper & Lentil
Vegetarian Butternut Squash
Creamy Tomato (without croutons)
Low-Fat Vegetarian Southwest Tomato & Roasted Corn
Turkey Chickpea Chili
Summer Corn Chowder
Low-Fat Chicken Tortilla Soup

Salad Dressings:
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Caesar
Greek
Poppyseed
Raspberry Vinaigrette
Asian Sesame Vinaigrette
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Roasted Garlic & Meyer's Lemon Vinaigrette
BBQ Ranch

Beverages:
Coffee
Juice, both apple and orange
Lemonade
Milk
Soda, fountain and bottled
Tea, regular and Chai Tea
All lattes & Frozen beverages
Strawberry Smoothie
Hot Chocolate
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Gingerbread Latte






ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
--one person stated her reservations about eating in a place where bread is everywhere and the potential for cross-contamination is undeniable


--another mentioned that her  son worked at Panera and said that "if you order a salad, make sure it is tossed in a clean bowl.  They have a large
"community" bowl where they add 2 oz of this and one oz of that for the different salads into this bowl, then toss it all together--usually
croutons, too!!  Be careful!!


 
 
 
 
 
 

*Please provide references to back up claims of a product being GF or not GF*
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