12 Things At Panera You Thought Were Healthy, But Aren't

While Tomato Soup might seem like a safe pick, the warm-weather go-to is actually packed with fat. One bowl carries 280 calories, 13 grams of fat, 35 grams of carbs, and more than 910 mg of sodium. (By comparison, Campbell's condensed soup 4.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, and just 270 calories).

This salad is ridiculous. 570 calories for some lettuce, dry nuts, and a bunch of crusty, dried-up apples tossed over the top? No way, José.

Despite the low calorie count, Panera's chicken noodle soup packs nearly an entire day's worth of sodium. And if you order it in a bread bowl, ha, forget about it…

Much like the Turkey Bacon Bravo, the TABLT seems simple enough, but actually packs a secret setback with its 600 calories. And if you add on chips or a roll, you're easily looking at 750 calories at lunch. Wowza. 

I call this a ninja salad. Why? It sneaks up on you with its out-of-control calorie count without warning and leaves a trail of diet devastation in its wake. I mean, 550 calories for a salad? You could eat a burger for that! Here's a tip though: Get the dressing on the side to shave off about 100 calories.

While it doesn't exactly scream healthy choice, you'd never guess just how packed with fat this sandwich is. Thanks to it packing all the meats, along with the cheese, mayo, and ciabatta bread, this sandwich's 47 grams of fat, 2,530 mg of sodium, and 880 calories make it a particularly diet-busting buy.

If you're trying to cut calories while dining out, it might be tempting to opt for something simple like a turkey sandwich. But don't let seemingly-healthy words like turkey and apple fool you. With 710 calories and the extra sodium (1,280 mg, to be exact), it's hard to rationalize this order. You're better off ordering something crazier that's actually worth the splurge.

I've learned to be suspicious of any meal that starts with 'Southwest,' and this salad is no exception. It's absolutely covered in delicious, diet-ruining cheeses and ranch dressing (AKA, the food of the Gods). It's all part of the potion for a shocking 650 calorie SALAD. Just, no. Absolutely not. 

Even a good ol' ham and cheese sandwich packs a power punch of sodium at Panera. The whole sandwich only has 730 calories, but once again, sodium sends the whole thing into overdrive with 2,050  mg. Woof.

If you think a turkey sandwich with a little bit of bacon on it might make for a modest lunch, think again. Maybe it's the bread, but something in this sammie sends its calorie count skyrocketing to 630. But that's not even the worst of it. The sandwich packs just 3 grams of fiber, and nearly 1,620 grams of sodium — twice the recommended daily value. 

At this point, I just feel cheated. All this time I've been eating at Panera (which is already a little boring, TBH) because it's on the healthy side, but as it turns out, that's totally false. I've been duped. The Modern Greek Salad — a go-to for light but flavorful lunches — was my standard at Panera. But thanks to the dressing, the salad weighs in at right around 500 calories, and a whopping 870 mg of sodium. To get that number down, leave the dressing on the side.