Here's The Highest Protein Meal You Can Order From Panera

Protein is an essential nutrient and a key component of a healthy, filling, and energy-sustaining diet. When it comes to figuring out what the "right" amount of protein is, everybody and their goals, metabolisms, and bodies are different. But, according to Mayo Health Clinic, adults should consume between 50-175 grams of protein depending on their size and diet. Of course, consult your doctor or nutritionist for a personalized recommendation of what a healthy daily protein intake would be.

Panera Bread offers many high-protein meals in its signature casual, comfortable, cafe atmosphere. If you're trying to incorporate more protein into your diet, Panera can be a great place to start. The popular chain offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner options that hit the marks for delicious, affordable, and nutritious (with limits, of course). Panera is also very forthcoming with the menu's nutritional info and all the details are available on the Panera website. There's lots of combinations of soups, salads, sandwiches, and mac and cheese that can help you hit your daily protein goal.

Eating a breakfast that is high in protein has been linked to less hunger cravings throughout the day. Panera Bread churns out some excellent high-protein meals to start your morning with. Between smoothies, yogurt bowls, sandwiches, bagels, and pastries, breakfast might arguably be what the bread company does best (broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl will always reign supreme, though). There are enough individual items that you could mix and match depending on your mood and keep your breakfast routine interesting.

The single breakfast item with the highest protein content is the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese sandwich on an Asiago Cheese bagel, which comes in at 33 grams of protein. There's also 1,410 grams of sodium in this item alone. For another option that's lower in fat, calories, and sodium, but still provides 27 grams of protein, try the Chipotle Chicken, Egg, and Avocado on Artisan Ciabatta. A lesser-acknowledged item on the Panera breakfast menu that still packs a protein punch is the Greek Yogurt Bowl with Mixed Berries. This bowl has 16 grams of protein, which you could increase by adding a side of hard boiled eggs with 13 grams of protein, or an Asiago Cheese bagel which has the most protein out of all the bagels at 14 grams.

Having protein in your breakfast is important, but it shouldn't be your only source for the whole day. Luckily, Panera has a huge menu of high-protein sandwiches, soups, salads, and bowls that can satisfy cravings and keep you full. Mixing and matching any of the sandwiches and salads will result in a meal with a substantial amount of protein. But, if you really want to maximize protein intake, the single menu item that boasts a whopping 73 grams is the Chicken Cordon Bleu Melt on a baguette. The salad with the most protein is the Green Goddess Cobb, which has 37 grams in the full size and 18 grams in the half. Besides those two, the rest of the salad and sandwich options offer similar protein amounts.

We are happy to report that the sourdough bread bowls from Panera have an impressive 27 grams of protein in each one. The highest-protein soup option is the Turkey Chili with Beans in a bread bowl, which contains a total of 41 grams. Pair with a full or half-sized salad and you've got yourself a delicious, protein-rich dinner. We'd be remiss if we didn't give an honorable mention the Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli Bowl, which is a great option for those that want a different vibe than the typical Panera eats. The bowl contains 46 grams of protein, making it an excellent standalone meal that helps get you to your daily protein goal.