BREAKING UPDATE May 4, 2015: Panera Bread has agreed to remove 150 additives from their food. Starting this week, Panera Bread will only sell salad dressing made without artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors and preservatives. This is the direct result of the ongoing pressure you and the Food Babe Army have put on companies to serve safer and more healthful ingredients. Thank you!
USA Today reported these additional details:
Some examples of artificial additive removal:
• Greek salad dressing — removed hydrogenated soy protein, maltodextrin, propylene glycol alginate, and the generic spice blend.
• Mozzarella on tomato mozzarella flatbread — removed titanium dioxide.
• Chicken noodle soup — removed hydrolyzed soy and corn protein, autolyzed yeast extract, and modified corn starch
• Poppyseed dressing —- removed cellulose gel and artificial flavors.
Please note: The action by Panera does not include the beverages it sells, though executives say they are working on that, too, particularly in bottled beverages.
The New York Times lists several other companies that are changing their ingredients (Hershey’s, Nestle, Chipotle, Nabisco, McDonalds and Tyson’s). This is all a result of our collective activism! Again, thank you for working for a better food system with me – we are winning!
Update June 3, 2014: Panera Bread announces they will remove all artificial colors, sweeteners, preservatives and flavors by 2016. Thank you #FoodBabeArmy for sharing this post continuously since April 2012 when it was first released. We are changing the world one company at a time by spreading the truth!
CNBC interviewed me about Panera committing to remove all artificial ingredients, here’s what I said: “Panera’s announcement is another example that consumer awareness and action is changing the food industry. … I appreciate Panera’s commitment to remove artificial ingredients and hope other major restaurant chains take notice to do the same.” (McDonalds, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Domino’s, etc. – listen up!!!) I investigated Panera Bread back in April 2012 because so many people (including my own parents) were under the impression it was healthy. Panera was even voted one of the healthiest fast food chains despite their overuse of artificial ingredients! I wanted people to know the truth and when people know the truth, these companies have no where to hide – they have to change to meet demand!
Original Investigation Published April 16, 2012:
My lovely mother sent me home with a bag full of home cooked food last week on Easter. It included her famous Indian flat bread stuffed with radishes, lentil soup and stir fried cauliflower. While everything was super delicious as usual, something caught me a little off guard… the Panera Bread bag she reused for me to carry home all those goodies.
Panera Bread is popping up all over the place…I see one outside my office window at work. I drove past three on my way to the park last Sunday…
And then while my friend Amy was traveling through a small town in South Carolina that I frequently visit, which is also a food desert (a place that shall remain nameless or my better half would kill me) … She texted with an urgent “Where do I stop to eat?” I didn’t have a good answer for her and I certainly didn’t suggest Panera Bread.
So given these signs, I had to feed my inner curiosity of why I just cringe at the thought of eating there. What I found was some startling ingredients this oh so fresh and so clean looking bakery style deli uses in their famous salads, sandwiches, soups and breads. With industrialized food sourcing over 90% of what Americans eat – It’s easy to get fooled, even with the simplest and freshest sounding menu items.
Luckily, Panera (like all companies should) provides you with all the information you need at your finger tips via their website where they list all the nutrition facts including the ingredients for all of their dishes. Here’s just a sampling of some of the ingredients that might make you think twice before stopping off for a bite…
First up – The Fuji Apple Salad. Looks pretty healthy doesn’t?
But nope… This salad is heavily processed. Those apple chips on top are made with canola oil and corn syrup which is highly likely to be genetically modified. The greek dressing has an ingredient most people use in their car engines as anti freeze aka propylene glycol… (If you want to know more about this substance – I go into detail about it in a Supermarket Birthday Cake Exposé.) Oh and look at all those tasty “natural” flavors (probably from Givaudan, a chemical food manufacturer).
And then if you are brave enough to order something as simple as a ham & swiss on rye… you’ll get a dosage of nitrates. Nitrates are dangerous for your health and are toxic to the brain. They are linked to Alzheimer’s and many forms of cancer. No one should be eating them. There’s really no reason to eat chemically preserved cured and smoked meat. Get it fresh, get it organic, and or don’t eat it at all. It’s that simple.
What about the whole grain bread… It’s got to be whole grain, right? They are Panera BREAD for goodness sakes.
Nope… Don’t get excited, it’s not 100% whole grain, just half. Like the rye bread that is used for the ham and swiss, the first ingredient after water, is enriched flour. There is nothing whole grain about enriched flour – this bread should actually be called half white bread if they were really going to name this correctly and were telling us the whole picture.
The most upsetting menu items were in the soup department… check out the hidden MSG in this Broccoli and Cheese Soup & Low Fat Black Bean Soup under disguise names “hydrolyzed corn and soy protein, autolyzed yeast extract and yeast extract” This is food industry trickery at it’s best! A little off topic, but relevant, the food company that makes Pop Chips is using this same trick too….I avoid this additive at all costs because MSG is an ingredient that literally excites your brain cells to death.
Now comes the worst part of this whole story. Health Magazine rated Panera Bread as the #1 Healthiest Fast Food Restaurant in America.
REALLLLLLY?! Is this the best fast food we can get? Does fast have to automatically assume processed? Salad dressing with propylene glycol? Meats with nitrates? Enriched bleached flour bread? Soup filled with MSG?! A whole menu full of GMOs?
Health Magazine looked at the use of healthy fats, sodium content and the use of organic produce to determine their top 10 restaurants. Panera Bread got the #1 spot because they offer organic yogurt, organic milk, and organic cheese on their award winning kids menu, which I have to admit is a step above places like McDonalds but they are still using the same cheap ingredients that other fast food restaurants use to make money and to get you hooked.
If you don’t go into Panera knowing all the facts, you can get duped pretty easily. Take for instance that acclaimed kid’s menu….if you end up ordering the kid’s ham sandwich instead of the grilled cheese for your little one, you end up feeding them nitrates, but it’s still considered the “healthiest” because your child has the option to wash it all down with organic milk.
Until fast food companies make some serious and bold decisions to be consistent in their messages about the quality of their food, what additives are in and not in their foods and use a measurable trusty worth standard – I won’t be buying it or supporting them. It’s far too confusing to keep up with all these ingredients for the typical consumer, so the food industry continues to win.
Luckily for us, in this case, we don’t have to work that hard to find the ingredient list. Let’s applaud Panera Bread for providing us the information to make good decisions about what we eat and what we feed our families.
Unfortunately for them, I’ll be looking elsewhere to spend my dollars. Where are you going to spend yours? And how do you get your food fast?
If you know someone who could benefit from hearing this information about Panera – please share this article with them.
In the Best of Health,
Food Babe
Sadly, Panera may be the healthiest fast food place, MSG, HFC and non-pronounceable and non-recognizable ingredients notwithstanding. What does that say about other fast food places. V
Thanks for the information.
love Panera!!!
I think Chipotle is probably the healthiest, but still not perfect.
can you check out and give an honest opinion of Jason’s Deli?
In case you missed it… https://foodbabe.com/2013/04/23/jasons-deli-whats-healthy-whats-not/
Well I understand that chipoltle is a much better fast food place, have you ever done research on thier food options? I may have to check into that. Sadly they are not in every city like McDs, but getting more popular.
I thought Panera was healthy too. Thanks for the info! You said that their bread was bleached but both lists say unbleached. Not that the difference makes it healthy or anything 🙂
Thanks for that – It’s been corrected… was looking at some old data when I wrote this earlier!
Why would unbleached flour have to be enriched? If it is whole gran then the enrichment would be part of the flour. They are liars plain and simple.
Also all of their chicken, roasted turkey, steak, and pulled chicken are all frozen along with their soups. They really dont make anything actually there….even all their pastries are frozen, they just bake it there…
Thank you for posting. I used to love their food. Since my son has a dairy sensitivity I have to check everything I eat (nursing mom) and found their detailed ingredients list very helpful and shocking. Now I don’t like going there anymore. 🙁
I’ve never liked Panera, I quite despise them actually (although the initial dislike stemmed from the fact that they charge more for a tiny container of cream cheese than they do for the actual bagel). The food is not very good, overpriced, and deceptively unhealthy. It’s just another fast food place in disguise, loaded with saturated fats, sugars, nitrates, empty refined carbs, industrial meats, and other crap.
As far as kid’s meals go, my favorite one in Charlotte is actually at the Discovery Place Cafe. (although we usually pack our own food anyway). They have quite a few organic options (the organic apple slices are actually from NC, which was impressive), and have items catered by Something Classic, the same people who own Fern and Halcyon.
Ummmm….. Agreed!!! Panera pisses me off almost as much as Olive Garden because everybody loves that s%@t! Excuse my language… but it’s crap! Thanks for mentioning the discovery place cafe, I had no idea about that! I love Something Classic!
And for the record, my favorite fast food that I can get in almost any city is fresh hopefully organic produce from the nearest grocery store.
Hmmm…Olive Garden – what’s in that $hit, anyone know?
I cook from scratch whenever I can. When I have to eat fast food, I go for Panera. It’s not health food, but it is the healthiest among a bunch of bad choices, and if you choose carefully, you can eat pretty well there. I do think it might be worth contacting the corporate office to see if the executives have considered using better ingredients.
We have found over the past 6-8 months (since we made the leap to plant-based whole foods) that with a little planning we can avoid eating in restaurants altogether. We recently had homeschool conferences 2 weekends in a row. I packed a cooler with fresh vegetables, fruits, homemade bread, water, and a few other healthy options. We were able to eat all weekend without visiting a restaurant at all. Confession: we did stop at Starbucks on the way home.
I’m sure there are some great organic, local restaurants in Charlotte and would love to hear about them.
Great post – thank you for sharing.
When I go to panera..I get there classic salad which is lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions and I get chicken added to it. Is that bad?!
Vani,
Love the post! Panera, in my opinion, certainly should be looked at as a step in the right direction for the fast food industry. I cringe far less at children eating there than I do at a place like McDonald’s or BK. I think back to your Chick-fil-a post and seem to remember the list of ingredients being at least twice as long for a “chicken” sandwich. I must say though, I’d imagine far fewer kids in this country jumping up and down in excitement for Panera as compared to the other aforementioned options. Also, many adults would opt for a “dollar menu” choice regardless of content within the package, something that Panera does not offer. Given political lobby and economic status of the country as a whole, it is hard to imagine a time when fast food is not something that is ubiquitous throughout the U.S. However, if their existence can be turned healthier, then that may be the lesser of evils. I’d take a homemade lunch or a local restaurant any day, but many people simply go for complete impulse and convenience. For these folks, I would take a low calorie subway on 100 percent whole wheat or a Panera meal over a trans-fat laden burger or stack of fries and a soft drink any day! Optimistically, though, while I do not foresee a country free of fast food, maybe the industry will continue to take steps with organic products and healthier oils to eventually become truly healthy.
Hope you are doing well!! 🙂
So glad to have discovered your blog. This and your post on frozen yogurt have really challenged me to get my head out of the sand and actually look into what I’m eating/feeding my family. It’s disappointing to learn what these restaurants are serving…. and I’m realizing how diligent you must be when it comes to food!
Obviously eating at home, using ingredients we’ve grown ourselves would be the most ideal but as someone who works 50 hours a week & sometimes can’t make a full meal, we have to learn to compromise. I think our goal should always be health and whole ingredients but I think sometimes we can become too rigid & forget how to go with the flow & make the best of what we have
Sharkeys is my fast food place–organic and no GMOs. I also like chipotles.
Why do we think we have to stop at fast food places in the first place? Why can’t we adjust our thinking a teeny tiny bit and think outside the box when we’re on the road.Very easy to swing into a grocery store and buy (of all things) food. Fresh grapes, rotissiere chicken, cheese, crusty bread & water. BAM! Scrumptious!!!
The problem is you might not really be doing that much better. My husband and I just gave up all processed food for lent…all refined grains and white flour, sugar, additives, etc. You’d be surprised what is in that crusty bread. It might look homemade, but if you are buying it a grocery store bakery, the ingredient list might look similar to Panera’s. Same with the chicken. It may seem better, but it might not be. We were surprised that we couldn’t find a single loaf of bread at regular grocery store that was fit our needs (and only ONE option at the local co-op that focuses on whole and local foods). I agree that we don’t NEED to rely on fast food and that outside the box thinking it a great idea, but if you just relying on another source to provide you with a quick option, you might be spinning your wheels.
Good points Brooke! The bread aisles in most stores makes my head spin.
i actually found that farm fresh even carries eziekiel bread. i luckily work right across from a farm fresh and if I’m a rush and can’t pack a lunch i get some eziekiel crackers from the organic isle, or from the stash i keep at work, and pair it with a few slices of organic meat and cheese right from the deli counter, an organic apple, water/ organic green tea, and maybe a package of the jasons organic almond butter that comes in little packs for 99 cents. I’m literally out of there and eating in my car or at my desk, in less than 10 minutes, and its food that won’t kill me.
[other than emergency situations i don’t step foot in a farm fresh i live next to three farmers markets, a strawberry farm, and a farmers fare so theres really no reason to!]
Marisa – Thanks for sharing. This is exactly what people need to do instead of going to fast food restaurants!
Although the ingredient list does indeed say ‘unbleached flour’, that isn’t the ultimate problem with the flour anyway. The main issue is that it’s ‘enriched’, which means the natural fiber has been stripped out of the grain, along with the bulk of the nutrients. Then chemically created vitamins are added back. This is the case whether or not flour is bleached. So the author’s point stands.
Anthony – I’ve corrected the post – Apologies for the confusion. I THANK YOU for pointing out the ultimate problem…and getting to the heart of what I was trying to illustrate.
Propyline glycol is a food additive, ETHYLINE GLYCOL is anti freeze. Get ur facts straight. This is how propaganda is made.
I’m no chemist… but actually ” Propylene glycol is a component in newer automotive antifreezes and de-icers used at airports.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol
Funny…I was just getting ready to respond to this too! You beat me to it :)http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/toxsubstance.asp?toxid=240
While i understand that propylene glycol is in many non-food products, it is non-toxic as it states many times in the article that you posted. Its counterpart Ethyline glycol is the toxic substance that is not found in foods but is in anti-freeze that you refer to in the article. Propylene glycol can be used as a safe non-toxic form of anti-freeze due to the nature of it’s chemical composition. I am not saying that means it should be used in foods as i am against food additives but it is not a toxic substance. Secondly nitrates are found in almost all ham cold cuts or similar products used in fast food places, delis and food stores regardless of organic shops. Organic places may not add nitrates directly to the meat but they do add other products that have naturally occurring nitrates for preserving the meat and making it stay fresh longer. Basically any pork product is just not healthy for you when eating out anywhere including cured or marinated meats from the food store. Basically you can’t get away from the food additives or preservatives unless you eat at home and make everything yourself. Even those places that are touted as organic could be just as guilty as the fast food places.
Interesting point about organic meats – What are the other products they add that have naturally occurring nitrates called?
The main preservative in organic cured pork products is typically Celery Juice or Concentrate. Celery has high naturally occuring amounts of Nitrates and is perfect for cured meats or used as preservative in hot dogs, lunch meats etc. I have attached two articles one scientific and one based on scientific evidence. I did not get my initial information from those websites just found them as a reference for you. I work in a major food company and have my degree in Nutrition/ Food Science so i am knowledgeable about this stuff. I think it would be interesting for you to do a blog entry on Organic and Natural food regulations and how they can be misleading since you are very into buying organic. Here are the articles hopefully they clear up some confusion:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/01/cooking-with-kids-nitratefree-hot-dogs.html
http://www.meatscience.org/page.aspx?id=403
Im a little confused to this as all of the organic meat i buy, including bison sausage or jerky or even sliced cold cuts does not list nitrates, nitrites, or any variation of celery, if the only ingredients are the meat, a few spices listed by name, and salt can it still contain nitrites? I’m just not sure where they would be hiding
Marisa – There is some nitrates that are naturally occurring in meat – but it’s the added ones that are the real issue. Read your labels and buy products from a place you trust! Good Luck.
Check out carageenan. It is also a plane de-icer and used as an emulsifier in so many foods. It is alright in its natural state, but in its processed state it is toxic. Our government is poisoning us and killing us slowly. It is so sad. We have to grow and raise our own food to be healthy.
I am aware of this – I try to make my own almond milk because of this reason. Thanks for sharing!
Silk brand’s Almond Milk (the cold carton in the fridge section) doesn’t contain carrageenan…at least I’m positive the dark chocolate flavor doesn’t cause that’s what we buy. But if I remember correctly, we’ve tried their unsweetened almond milk (cold) also and that doesn’t contain it either. 🙂
And thank you for posting this info! I’m checking out your site now… it’s so scary to think what is in our food these days. I recently commented to my mom about how some packaged foods we ate as kids taste totally different than they used to because of so many additives, preservatives, HFCS, etc, so that making the stuff is “cheaper.” Needless to say, we don’t buy much pre-packaged foods and my daughter definitely doesn’t eat any of it.
A medical condition I suffered with for a very long time before diagnosis required that I ingest Miralax daily, which I did for almost two years. A nurse friend of mine was the one to bring to my attention that it is Polyethylene Glycol 3350, and shared her findings on it’s other uses 🙁 I had actually been told I’d have to take it for the rest of my life! I’m getting better without it…
Propylene glycol is also anti-freeze and a neurotoxin. Stop eating it if u want to live.
I love that you post these restaurant reviews. I never knew how much was being stuck into our food until I started reading the labels. It’s ridiculous! We’re planning a trip to Myrtle Beach soon (leaving from Atlanta) and it was a hassle trying to find a place to plan to stop for lunch. Luckily, I found an EarthFare in Colombia, SC and a Bay Naturals store right down the road from our hotel. You really have to sit down and plan if you know you want to eat out!
Thanks for the information! I love reading articles like this.
Sure thing, You are welcome!
We like Chipotle and In n Out. I love the fact that Chipotle’s salsas and guac are a little different each time. It means they actually made it THERE. I also like Mendocino Farms (sandwiches, and they don’t even sell the Coke/Pepsi products), but that is small and local.
Chipotle still is using GMO soybean oil to cook the majority of the items… and some GMO corn products too – like the tortillas and tacos. Also – they won’t list the exact ingredients in their black beans, what does “other spices” mean… this makes me a little suspicious.
None of us eat the black beans, interestingly. But, frankly, other than people who can afford enough land to grow all of their own food, what can you do? And, personally, I believe that the entire corn stream from typical corn-growing areas (and maybe those not so typical as well) has been contaminated by GMO corn, whether it is claimed not-GMO, organic, whatever. Kind of like “organic” milk–but for even small-scale corn farmers, it is out of their control. I suspect the same of soybeans…but I’d rather spend more time improving our garden and less reading about it, lol.
Hi you have it listed as propylene glycol when it is clearly listed as propylene glycol aginate- the aginate makes a huge difference in the chemical and PGA is actually used a lot in foods to stabilize them. PGA is an ester of alginic acid (Alginic acid =is an anionic polysaccharide distributed widely in the cell walls of brown algae, where it, through binding water, forms a viscous gum. Its colour ranges from white to yellowish-brown. It is sold in filamentous, granular or powdered forms) which comes from the plant kelp, whereas propylene glycol is diol (or a propane molecule with two alcohols attached to it) big difference, close names…
Heather – Thanks for pointing out the distinction… I’m actually referring to the list of ingredients for greek dressing – You’ll see it has “Propylene Glycol” in it…
Anna, ditto. It’s a little staggering when your eyes begin to be opened to how much of what we eat isn’t really FOOD. You have to relearn what “healthy” means. Rule of thumb: if it’s not a whole food or something you made from scratch, it’s probably full of undesirable things. :-/
nice rule of thumb, unfortunately!
Hi! I think this is an excellent post but I was wondering if you could write a post mentioning your top ten favorite fast food places. I try to make everything at home but sometimes I’m in a pinch and would like I know where to spend my dollars. Thanks!!
That’s a good idea… I’ll work on that for a future post. For time being, a grocery store is my best friend while traveling. IF there is an earth fare or whole foods, even better!
I would love to read your top 10 list! I second that future blog post.
What would also be helpful when doing a critique on a restaurant like this (Panera’s) is perhaps a “Best Choices” option from their menu explaining why it may not be perfect. It would help us chose the best of the bad if you know what I mean. Occasionally, I have to eat at places I wouldn’t choose because I’m with a group and have been out voted. I would have guessed Panera’s to have some fairly good choices. Jason’s Deli is one of my favorite places.
I totally understand the out voted situation… I will consider this! 🙂
I love reading your reviews even though I am in a different country with different (just as crappy) fast food. Actually when I was reading your post I finally realised why I have such a problem with our work canteen! Their options are “frozen and fried”, or “healthy sandwiches”, which are made with cheap bread, margarine, plastic cheese, industrial meat canned beetroot, and wilted salad. If I ever forget my lunch and have to buy it from our canteen (being in the middle of nowhere, there is no alternative!), I feel sick for the rest of the day. Its sad when people’s understanding of healthy extends only to adding a few veges to something that is essentially cheaply made and unhealthy. Unfortunately I don’t think our canteen will be serving any organic any time soon, the latest health advice from my company includes “switching butter for margarine”, makes me cringe!
Liz – I’m happy to hear you still enjoy these posts, even though you’ve probably never heard of these places! “Switching butter to margarine” – are you serious?!!? I hope you will say something to them!
Interesting and surprising. The company actually was founded in my hometown, St Louis. Thanks for bringing this my (all of our) attention. Food Babe is a great site!
Your Welcome!
Hi Food Babe! I found your blog through 100 days of real food and am picking up tons of awesome tips – thank you!! I see that a few comments have already mentioned it, but have you done any research on Chipotle? I have perused their website, but as far as an actual list of ingredients goes…nada. Not that I can find, anyway. Probably not the best sign! If Panera beat out a place like Chipotle as the healthiest fast food option, I suppose the answer is pretty obvious. Take care!
I’ve tried to find out more information about Chipotle as well and when I asked what was in the barbacoa beef I was told they didn’t know — that the flavoring / seasoning came in a can and they just “dumped it in there.” That was surprising to me and not something I eat anymore.
Yeah – it’s suspect. I don’t like the fact that they use GMO corn and soy products in almost all of their dishes and they don’t tell you the “other spices” which are in the black beans.
I saw a write up on Lisa’s blog (100 days of real food) about Chipotle and what to order when you go there.
Yes, they use GMO soy and corn products in almost all of their dishes and I don’t like the fact that they don’t disclose all the ingredients in their food. Seems suspicious. If a place like McDonalds and Chick-Fil-A can disclose the full list, I don’t see why they can’t.
So do you have any suggestions for healthy fast
Food? this is one of my biggest challenges.
I like whole foods and earth fare cafe for fast food. Not sure where you live or if you have access to them? Other than that, I don’t really eat fast food, I’d pick a restaurant to go to that has a chef, etc…that I trust or go to a natural food store to pick up a snack until I can make my own meal.
Wow I was like all the other sheep thinking it was a great place to eat…so sad. 🙁
Honestly there aren’t any places that carry the quality of meats and produce we like to eat. So when we do go out to eat it’s at a top notch sushi restaurant, or if we are with the kids and we’re out doing errands, we stop at the grocery store, get some organic produce and snack in the car instead. If you’re not eating a SAD diet then you don’t have many options for places to go out to eat. I’ve found a tea shop in my neck of the woods that offers organic locally grown meats, and organic produce but it’s so pricey we don’t go very much. However, that’s kind of the way it keeps the budget in balance too hee hee. Besides that I’m with you and I make my own food.
Yeah… one day there will be more options for us, just wait! The revolution is just only starting… I get so jealous of the people who live in big cities like NY and San Fran – they could eat out every meal and it would be like 100% organic home cooked food everytime! No fair!
I live in LA, and sure you can eat all organic all the time in restaurants–if you’re rich. We have never even BEEN to one of the “good” sit-down places, they are just too pricey. Think of that pricey organic meat, then add the restaurant markup–it’s too much.
There are smaller, places, but still pricey. $10 entrees–for lunch. Fair, yes, but not doable on any kind of regular basis. And they are normal-sized servings, not huge ones, so there are no leftovers for another lunch.
The market for these places is wealthy health-nuts, and singles with good jobs. So they have plenty of business, but you don’t often see an entire family.
If you think 10 bucks is pricey for a lunch entree you should reconsider eating out at all. Wake up America! Quit spending money you dont have because of laziness and then b***h about being broke! Save your money, eat at home. Such hypocracy and utter ignorance.
Food Babe has a troll?
No one is whining about not having money to eat out all the time. The conversation is about how to find healthy food when eating out, as opposed to super-processed unhealthy (and even dangerous) crap. And how to find healthy affordable food when on the road.
Food Babe, feel free to delete this comment as well. I assume you will be deleting the troll.
Dree-
I apologize if I offended you. Yes, actually you were complaining about eating out being expensive, and in fact it was for a rather small amount. Not sure where the “troll” came from but I’d like to get back to the point. Being a business guy I find it frustrating listening to people complain about not being able to afford their own home yet they find it ok to eat out 4 times a week, lease a car for 350-400 dollars a month, or even buy a soda and candy bar whenever they stop for gas. America needs to wake up.
I agree that eating out can be expensive, especially eating healthy. My point is you can do it at home for cheaper. Plan ahead when you need to are going on the road with your family. God forbid you pack a lunch. Get out of the rat race. Its not a hard concept.
Lastly, if you come on to a health blog and complain about eating out for 10 dollars its like calling the kettle black. “Really? Eating out costs money? No way! Ten dollars for lunch? Sounds expensive to me but oh well i have good credit let it ride!” Of course its more expensive! So eat at home instead and do your family a favor!
I am deleting my original reply. You clearly didn’t read it.
About us:
–don’t often eat out, almost never lunch (almost always on vacation–you can’t bring coolers into museums and zoos, and when you are coming from the train what can you do? I mean really? ).
–I cook every.single.day. From scratch. Breads. Rolls. Veggies. Frittatas. Tacos. Roasts. Mashed potatoes. Salads.
–I pack kids’ lunches every.single.day. Typically leftovers.
–drive old cars
–live within our means. Thus all of the above.
–have free ranging chickens to have safe and tasty eggs.
–have fruit trees, veggies, and hops growing (for homebrewed beer, we don’t purchase store beer any more)
–trying to contribute to the conversation. Big cities are not dream worlds of organic restaurants for the masses.
I do not understand how anything I have ever said here makes you think we are the opposite. I am not sure why you are so aggressive toward a simply response to Food Babe’s wish to be in an organic-friendly city.
Please do not respond to me any more, thank you.
Dree-
Sincerely, I apologize if I’ve hurt you in any way. That’s not the message I’m trying to convey and context can get lost within text. Perhaps my delivery was aggressive, but only out of passion because this involves the two biggest problems in America in my opinion. Personal Finance and Health. So once again, I’m sorry but I was simply trying to hit that point home. I wish you and your family the best.
Hi Food Babe, I want to delete my original comment since I am getting nasty replies. But your blog won’t let me. Could you please delete it? Thank you.
(I know it’s from a long time ago, LOL!)
It would be great if you could research Chipotle. It’s one of the only fast food joints that I take the kids and they love it. I’m hoping it doesn’t have any processed stuff in it!
Chipotle uses GMO soybean oil in most of their products and GMO corn. And… I don’t like the fact that they won’t tell you all the spices in their black beans!
Thanks for this great information!!! I would love to see a follow-up post about where you do eat when on the go.
I’ll have to work on that… but honestly I don’t eat that much on the go. I’m pretty lucky – I live across the street from my office 🙂
Great post! Scary that there’s MSG in a restaurant like this that boasts about freshness. Since I react really badly to MSG and have a gluten allergy eating out has become really scary. I was at a cafe recently, and since they couldn’t tell me if their salads had gluten or not, I settled on a fresh grapefruit juice before I could get home for a hearty dinner. I must remember to keep healthy snacks in my purse because my blood sugar was low but I wasn’t willing to suffer the sickness that would follow!
Good for you Gillian. People seriously have to remember, they are not going to starve to death if they don’t eat every meal. LOL.
Too funny….I just got a gift card to Panera Bread because I was trying to find a restaurant that was healthy for the family. So, I went to there website and read just the ingredients in their salad dressings and was shocked! Now we won’t eat there. It’s so so sad. They make their restaurant out to look so healthy, you think you are doing good by taking your family here instead of McD’s. I sent an e-mail to Panera asking them to clean up their ingredients. Think that will work???
I hope it does! Thanks for being a real food warrior!
I enjoyed reading your post, but I think it’s important to note that, while Panera has some less healthy options like you pointed out, they do have healthy options as well. I think that’s true of many restaurants. You’ve just gotta do your homework before dining out so you know what you’re putting in your body. All that to say I wouldn’t completely rule out Panera because you can eat great there! 🙂
What’s healthy? Organic Milk and cheese? A plain salad with olive oil and vinegar? The options seem limited and unappetizing for me to even give it a chance.
People shop at Whole Foods blindly all the time because they think it is healthy. Like everything else you need to do your own research and decide if it is right for you.
My kids personally like to go Salade works, they eat their salade dry with no dressing. I wish I could though.
Thank you for the great post!
Wow – good for them! Yes, there’s so much junk in WF and every grocery store for that matter!
It’s funny, I kind of gave up Panera Bread years ago without really consciously thinking about it. I never went in and asked for a list of ingredients or anything, but as I cleaned up my diet I guess I just lost the taste for it. I guess when you give up fast food all together (it’s been at least four years since I’ve had any), you’re not really looking for the healthiest option anyway. If I go on a road trip, I do as much of my shopping as I can ahead of time. If I get hungry while I’m out running errands, I don’t freak out and think I’m going to starve if I don’t go stop for food somewhere. I’d honestly rather wait until I get home because I know I’m going to be 100% satisfied with what I make for myself. If anything, I would just run into a grocery store and grab an apple or a bag of carrots. I’m not going to settle for convincing myself that I ate healthy when I know that’s not the case. And I’m sure as hell not going to support a business that’s trying to make me compromise my health.
Mary Beth – You are too cute, this same thing happen to me… it wasn’t until all these signs I talk about in the post, that I did any investigating 🙂 I naturally haven’t gone there in over 5 years or so… Thanks for sharing your experiences too… I hope people read these comments so they can get inspired by you!
Panera is as bad as McDonald’s! The best fast food restaurant in America has to be Chipotle. They use the best ingredients that I’ve seen in any chain restaurant. And they strive every year to get better.
They are better than most – but still use GMO soybean oil in most of their products and GMO corn. And… I don’t like the fact that they won’t tell you all the spices in their black beans!
Great post – it’s sad how most people would assume or think they know that Panera is a healthy dinner option just because of how it’s advertised. Just goes to show how much education is needed! We try to avoid going out to eat – none of us feel great when we do, and when we have to, just make the best (educated) choices we can!
Yep! Totally… all you can do is make the best choices you can. I hate when a place can’t tell you their list of ingredients…
My favorite in LA is Veggie Grill:
http://www.veggiegrill.com/index.html
Or quick take out from Tender Greens:
http://www.tendergreensfood.com/
Wahoo’s Tacos and Baja Fresh also have some decent options if you pick carefully.
Also, have to say that my favorite take out here is Palm’s Thai. Enormous menu, no MSG!
Thanks for sharing Alyssa!
Haha soo unhealthy . I worked there for 4 years during hs/college. I used to read the nutrition facts. Wow!!
Thanks for the confirmation Kyle.
I am not surprised by anything you uncovered but curious about where you do grab a quick bite when on the road? We try and pack stuff at home but sometimes our trip is more than a day and this becomes difficult.
I usually always bring a cooler of homemade goods, but if I was in a bind, I would most likely find a grocery store and just eat some raw nuts, avocado, fruits or packaged washed greens…Check out my travel tips in my “Top Posts” … you’ll find other helpful tips you can reference too!
I used to love Panera (pre “real food” living). I actually frequented there thinking that I was “doing good” by ordering the fuji apple salad you referred to in your post. I “had” to go there not too long ago because we were stuck with no other options for lunch and two crazy hungry kids in the car. I ordered my tried and true Fuji apple salad and could only eat a couple bites of it. Since going off processed foods hard core in the beginning of this year I was so grossed out at the “processed” taste of the salad. My taste buds have changed so dramatically and the salad and dressing was SO sweet and processed tasting that I vowed I would never return!
Just one more reason that I have begun to accept that I really don’t enjoy eating out anymore cause the stuff that I make at home tastes sooooo much better (and contains nearly nothing harmful to me)!
I totally know what you mean…it’s like it leaves a film in your mouth or something! Homemade is where it is at!
Propylene glycol is safe. You are thinking of ethylene glycol, which is used in anti-freeze and is poisonous. Propylene glycol just prevents oil from separating from water, which comes in handy in salad dressing. FDA considers it safe.
I don’t always agree with the FDA.
Really! Who would actually believe the government is looking out for our best interest? The FDA is not in it for our best interest. Who is lining who’s pocket?
Thank you for keeping us informed, so we can make good and healthy decisions.
You are welcome! I totally agree with you.
And this is why I’m a vegan!
Yeah – you definitely avoid a bunch of the junk being vegan…but some the chemicals can still creep in out of no where… like the msg in the black bean soup!
I am a former Panera manager. I called into question the use of propylene glycol a number of years ago because it is in several of the bagels. I do have to say though they did a MAJOR overhaul of all sauces/syrups, soups and drinks( except the Pepsi) to remove all corn syrup. That was a major undertaking and is part of their plans to make their food better for you. They do still have a long way to go but they are working in the right direction. They also have switched over to grow their own lettuce, they are working towards growing all their own produce.
I know it’s not all what I would wish it to be but at least there are certain items I trust can be eaten safely.
Thanks for your insight William. A lot of companies are making changes but sometimes I feel like no one is getting down the root of the problem.
Hi Food Babe! I found your blog through 100 Days of Real Food. I live in that food dessert you are referring to in your post (in fact, I think I worked for your FIL 🙂 and yes, it is tough to find real food around here! We’ve been on our food journey a little over a year now. In the early days, it was tough with our limited resources, but we’ve learned it is certainly doable! Thanks for your great posts!
Haha! You figured it out 🙂 I love it! Can’t wait to ask my FIL about you… where do you go out to eat in Flo-town? We hardly ever eat out when we are there…the FIL is an amazing cook and mean on the grill!
Obviously I was dreaming of the chocolate pound cake when I referred to my town as a food “dessert”. 🙂 We rarely eat out here and when we do, it doesn’t follow real food rules and then we end up feeling poorly the following day. I pretty well make everything we eat from scratch. Most of our dry goods (sucanat, coconut, beans, wheat berries, flax, etc.) come from a small real food store located in the local Christian bookstore. Our meat, dairy and a good portion of veggies are purchased through a local organic farmer’s market found outside the outdoor/bicycle shop. Interesting set up for both, but we are more than happy to have the resources! Ask FBC, I’m sure he knows of both. Anything we cannot purchase here, we usually order or make a Whole Foods road trip. (Good news, the capital is currently building one.)
My husband has ulcerative colitis and my son suffers from food allergies and asthma…we have seen great success in controlling these through diet vs. medication. Nourishing Traditions and The Maker’s Diet have been life changers for our family.
I am looking forward to following your blog!
I really, really appreciate this post! I shared it with everyone I know! Keep up the good work.
You are welcome Jenn. Thank you for your kind words!
I’ve never even been to Panera, me and the hubs prefer eating at home where we know exactly what is going into our food, but yikes it sounds just as scary as anything else out there! I saw lots of people commenting about Chipotle and their nutrition…I really enjoyed this article from deliciously organic..have you seen it??
http://deliciouslyorganic.net/healthy-skepticism-the-chipotle-video/