Panera

Panera Bread used to be one of my favorite places to go when I had time to kill in between driving to teach lessons or go to class.  I would have a you-pick-two with broccoli cheddar soup, a baguette and bacon turkey bravo sandwich, sit there reading a book, and relax for a while.  Delicious!  


20 POINTS+ PEOPLE!!!!!  (For those of you not doing WW, my total Points+ allowance for an entire day is 31, to put it in better perspective).  Now, the soup and half sandwich aren't that good to justify spending 2/3 of my daily points on that meal, especially when it's likely that I'll be hungry not too long after.  


Saturday night, I was planning on going to Panera for dinner.  I haven't been there in months.  I knew I would plan ahead so that I wouldn't make a quick decision that I would regret later on.  Panera has a really great nutrition calculator on their website, so I went on to explore.  I decided on a full portion chicken noodle soup and a full thai chopped chicken salad with everything (including the crispy wonton strips)!  The meal was HUGE and cost me 14 Points+.  The soup was delicious, and the salad was amazing!  It's spicy, and has so many different flavors going on that all work together.  I got apples as a side and enjoyed a great unsweetened iced tea.  Next time, I think I'll stick with the same soup and salad, but as a you-pick-two because it really was too much!  The combo will only be 8 Points+.  


If you are heading out to a Panera, whether you are watching what you eat or not, try that salad!  It's really a winner!