Think About It - Panera mac & Cheese

As far as vices go, Panera's Mac & Cheese is a permanent contender at the top of the list. This creamy, white cheddar-based dish is almost enough to convince me to renege on my dairy-free lifestyle (read: almost), and for those whose digestive system is more forgiving, it provides a heart-warming and soul-fulfilling meal. However, this comfort food comes at a price. 

As you might imagine, this meal is overflowing with fat. The small bowl has 39 grams of fat, which is just one gram shy of the amount I eat in an entire day. Since fat provides more energy per gram than carbohydrates or protein does, the calorie count of this dish is also relatively high for its volume —​ 470 calories in one serving. 

Unfortunately, most people looking for a full meal gravitate towards the larger portion size. This aggressively large bowl clocks in at 950 calories and contains 61 grams of fat,  or the equivalent of eating four tablespoons of pure olive oil. This is almost 100% of the daily FDA value in one meal.

It also has over 50% of your daily value of cholesterol and more than 100% of your daily value of sodium. If you've read my article on misleading Nutrition Facts labels, then I'm sure you can imagine my reaction when I first glanced at the numbers for this Mac & Cheese. At this point, I might as well bold the entire article. 

As a brief aside, ​I was actually floored by the sheer number of milk products in this bowl of mac & cheese. This includes (but is not limited to) milk, cream, concentrated skim milk, whey, whey protein concentrate, milk fat, skim milk, milk protein concentrate, and dried cream. No matter what aspect of dairy you may be intolerant or allergic to, this meal is sure to have you covered. 

Ways to Think About It:

• ​Opt for the small size / You Pick 2: 
  • ​Even if you absolutely love this dish (as I did before I stopped eating dairy), it is really difficult to justify ordering the large size. The bigger portion simply has too many calories, too much fat, and far too much sodium and cholesterol for one sitting. Treat the Mac & Cheese like you would treat a dessert —​ as one component of a larger, more balanced meal. Get the You Pick 2 with something like the Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken, which has one gram of fat, only 170 calories, and 12 grams of protein. 
• Skip the bread bowl:
  • ​Pasta in a bread bowl is carbohydrate overload! There is nothing inherently wrong with carbohydrates, but this meal would pack in 166 grams (which is over half of the FDA's daily recommended value!).  It also has 1140 calories — way too much for a dish that is unlikely to satisfy you for the entire day. On top of that, it packs in 35 grams of fat. I will never ban myself (or someone else) from any food, but I would run far away from this one and opt for a better option instead.
• Choose your side wisely:
  • ​Avoid the chips! This crunchy side has 150 calories and 8 grams of fat, and there's no reason to add all of that to such a dense meal. If you're weaning yourself off of the bread bowl, the baguette could be a good middle ground. It still has 180 calories, but has 0 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein. If you love Panera's apples, that's probably your best option at 80 calories —​ but don't feel pressured to get something that you don't truly want. Just skip it. 

​Disclaimer: I am not a licensed nutritionist nor a registered dietician. The opinions expressed in this article are my own, and each individual is ultimately responsible for his/her dietary and nutrition practices. Please consult a physician before starting a new dietary program.
​​