Panera Launches New Menus Perfect For Vegans And Vegetarians

At many fast-casual restaurants, it can be difficult for people with dietary restrictions to experiment with meals, but Panera has introduced three curated digital menus on Panera.com, the Panera app, and at in-store kiosks to make it easy for people with specific dietary needs to order on the fly.

For the plant-based menu, Panera sought out dietitian Frances Largeman-Roth to create an option for vegans, vegetarians, or people simply looking to add more vegetables to their diets. On the menu you can find offerings like Watermelon Arugula Salad with Almonds, Modern Greek Salad with Quinoa, and more options that can be customized for each customer.

The nutrient-rich menu was made in collaboration with Katie Bengston and offers a "well-balanced menu that fuels you without over-indulging." On the nutrient-centric menu, you can find the Strawberry Poppyseed Salad, which Bengston customizes with romaine and roasted turkey.

The protein-rich menu was created with the help of Mitzi Dulan to provide options that contain at least 20 percent of the recommended daily value of protein.

Dulan told The Daily Meal that she and her family are big fans of Panera, which helped initiate her role in helping to curate the protein-rich menu.

"I have two teenage daughters and I often place my Rapid Pick-Up order before I pick them up from school, and it is super-easy since it is waiting for us when we get there after I pick them up," she said.

As for her personal favorites from the menu, Dulan loves Fuji Apple Salad with chicken (without red onions) and the Avocado Cobb Salad, which she helped create.

To read about 9 things you didn't know about Panera, click here.