Calories are an important consideration when choosing menu items. Knowing the calorie content can help consumers make informed choices that align with their health and nutrition goals.
The Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad at Panera
Panera Bread offers a variety of fresh, made-to-order salads on their menu. One popular option is the Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad.
This salad features spinach, strawberries, chicken, feta cheese, and poppy seed dressing. It makes for a tasty combination of sweet and savory flavors.
Nutrition Information
According to Panera Bread’s website, here is the nutrition information for a Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad:
| Nutrition Facts | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 350 |
| Total Fat | 8g |
| Saturated Fat | 2.5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 55mg |
| Sodium | 580mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 44g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4g |
| Sugars | 8g |
| Protein | 27g |
So a Panera Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad contains 350 calories.
How the Calories Add Up
To understand where those 350 calories come from, let’s take a closer look at the salad ingredients:
- Spinach (85g) – Spinach is very low in calories, with only 7 calories in 85g.
- Strawberries (85g) – A serving of strawberries has around 46 calories.
- Chicken (85g) – The chicken breast provides about 130 calories.
- Feta cheese (28g) – The feta adds 90 calories.
- Poppy seed dressing (56g) – The dressing contributes approximately 77 calories.
When you add up the calories from each component, the total comes to around 350 calories.
The chicken and feta provide the bulk of the calories, as protein-rich and high-fat foods often do. The strawberries, spinach, and dressing contribute smaller amounts of calories.
Comparing Salad Options at Panera
Panera Bread offers several other salad options that are similar in structure to the Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad:
- Greek Salad: 320 calories
- Fuji Apple Chicken Salad: 290 calories
- Modern Greek Salad with Quinoa: 400 calories
- Caesar Salad with Chicken: 470 calories
The Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad falls somewhere in the middle calorie-wise. It contains a bit more than the lighter Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. But it’s lower in calories than the protein-heavy Caesar Salad with Chicken.
So at 350 calories, the Strawberry Poppy Seed option is a moderate-calorie salad choice for the Panera menu.
Tips for Lightening Up the Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad
There are a few tweaks you can make to reduce the calorie count of the Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad:
- Ask for light poppy seed dressing rather than regular.
- Choose grilled chicken instead of crispy chicken to trim fat and calories.
- Opt for feta crumbles instead of feta slices to reduce the cheese portion.
- Add extra lower-calorie ingredients like spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes or onions.
Making combinations like these can shave 50-100 calories off your salad. While still keeping the flavor and textures you love.
The Importance of Portion Control
When dining out, portion control is an important consideration for managing calorie intake. Restaurant meals often provide 2-3 servings in one plate.
Panera lists the Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad as a single serving. But the large bowl filled with spinach, chicken, cheese and other add-ins looks bountiful.
If trying to watch your calorie consumption, consider splitting a salad in half. Or taking a portion home for later. This makes the salad more of a side dish versus an entire meal.
Portioning salad toppings separately rather than adding them directly on the full salad also helps. Don’t feel compelled to finish a large salad or bowl of food just because it’s served that way.
Making Overall Healthy Choices at Panera
While an occasional higher calorie meal is fine, making healthy choices consistently is ideal for well-being.
Here are some tips for healthy eating and lower calorie choices when dining at Panera:
- Opt for broth-based soups rather than cream-based.
- Choose salads with light dressing rather than heavy mayo or cheese-based dressings.
- Select lean proteins like turkey, ham, roast beef or tuna salad.
- Pair your sandwich with apple slices or a side salad instead of chips.
- Ask for dressings and sauces on the side to control how much you use.
- Modify panini sandwiches to go “open-faced” with just one bread slice.
- Order a pick-two combination with soup and salad or half sandwich.
Following strategies like these can help you enjoy Panera’s tasty offerings while minding calories. Balancing fresh, nutrient-dense menu choices is key.
Should You Avoid All High Calorie Foods?
While limiting calorie-dense foods is smart, that doesn’t mean high calorie foods should be avoided entirely.
Nutritious foods like avocados, nuts, whole grains and olive oil do contain significant calories. But they also provide important vitamins, minerals, fiber and healthy fats.
The key is moderation and balance. You can work indulgent menu items like the Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad into your diet. Just balance them out with nutritious, lower calorie choices at other meals.
Focusing on Overall Diet Quality
Rather than fixating solely on calories, focus first on choosing nourishing foods and creating an overall healthy diet pattern.
A high quality diet full of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats will naturally be moderate in calories. When you build your meals around wholesome ingredients, calories tend to take care of themselves.
The bottom line? When dining out, go ahead and order what sounds delicious. But also emphasize veggies, proteins and other wholesome items. This helps keep your menu balanced and nutritious, even when you decide to splurge on higher calorie fare.
Conclusion
To summarize key points:
- A Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad from Panera contains approximately 350 calories.
- The calories come mostly from the chicken, feta cheese, dressing and strawberries.
- You can reduce calories by modifying ingredients or taking a smaller portion.
- Focus on balanced, wholesome choices overall rather than just calories alone.
- Occasional higher calorie meals are fine as part of an overall healthy diet.
Knowing nutrition information like calorie counts can help guide food choices. But don’t just fixate on numbers. Instead, think about the complete picture of your diet. Fill it with plenty of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and whole grains. When you focus on diet quality, you can enjoy both health and flavor.
Resources for Analyzing Calories and Nutrition
For further reading, here are helpful resources on understanding calories, nutrition facts, and building healthy diets:
USDA National Nutrient Database
The USDA National Nutrient Database provides the nutrition content of many generic and branded foods. You can search for calorie counts and full nutrition profiles.
MyFitnessPal
This free app and website has an extensive database of nutrition information you can use to log your foods and analyze your overall diet.
Centers for Disease Control Healthy Eating Guide
The CDC provides dietary recommendations and tips for healthy eating based on the latest nutrition science.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Nutrition Label Guide
Learn how to read and understand the Nutrition Facts labels on food packaging from the FDA.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Healthy Eating Plate
Harvard’s healthy eating guide illustrates optimal proportions and components for a nutritious meal.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Eat Right Healthy Eating Articles
This collection of articles from nutrition experts covers both basic and advanced healthy eating topics.
