Ooooooh I’ve got a juicy secret to share with you guys today! A super secret menu to be exact. Remember that beautiful turkey power salad that I posted yesterday? The one that I ate on Saturday at Panera and joked about it being on the super secret menu?
Well, it turns out that there is a secret menu at Panera!
After reading about my salad, my friend Erin commented and shared a link sharing access into Panera’s Hidden Menu. If you’re not a fan of Panera or secret menus, feel free to come back another day, because today’s post will not be your cup of tea.
But, for those of you like me that find yourself drooling over these secret menu items, today’s your day!
Here’s what Panera has to say about thehidden menu:
Developed by Scott Davis, Panera Bread’s Chief Concept Officer, Panera’s “off-the-menu” dishes offer nourishing options that make sticking to New Year’s resolutions simple. All of these meal selections are an excellent source of protein and contain limited processed carbs. But you won’t find these items on banners in our cafes, or even on the menu board.
Now, I’m kind of wondering why these super healthy menu item are being kept secret… while so many of the menu items displayed in the store are high calorie and loaded with fat and sodium. If I were Panera, I would be displaying these items loud and proud! Check them out… (all photos are from the article referenced above).
There’s two different breakfast “power bowls,” including:
Though I consider myself much more of a “sweet” breakfast fan, I would definitely forgo my oatmeal for either of these power breakfast bowls!
There’s also four lunch & dinner options, including the salad that I tried:
And a chicken salad that also sounds divine….
But, these last two really grab my attention:
Yum and YUM.
I know that none of these menu items are complicated, and I could easily recreate each of them at home (which is exactly what I’m going to do!). But, there’s just something about having this kind of food available at a national chain that makes me really happy. 
Have you tried any of the SUPER SECRET menu items from Panera?
Panera is one of only two fast food place I’ll eat at, and I’m excited to see that they will have these healthier options. And they sound delicious, too! I’m just curious why they are calling it a hidden menu, and not just advertise it!
While I find hidden menus to be kind of silly, I also get it because it adds a sense of mystery to the place I guess? But I have to say I was happy when I first heard of this a few weeks ago that they were trying to introduce some healthier options (though why not make them available for the choosing?!). BUT my biggest complaint is that Panera is not very vegetarian friendly and this would be a great opportunity for them to appeal more to those that are vegetarian, vegan or have other dietary constraints.
I definitely agree. How hard would it be to offer tofu as a protein choice?
Why do they do that? I bet those would be SO popular!
I commented this on your last post, but why is it secret? Panera has to be secretly healthy? Huh? Anyway, they look good and I would definitely try them, minus the meat.
Darn, I was hoping for more veggie friendly options. Oh well!
I suppose you could get the chicken/hummus bowl sans chicken… but yeah. I agree. There definitely need to be more vegan options. Why is that so hard for restaurants to grasp!?!?
Thank you thank you thank you.
I hadn’t heard of this before, but there seem to be some good options!
isn’t it cool?! I love that there are great options to choose from in case you don’t want the traditional salad that they offer.
Always awesome to see healthier options. I definitely echo others above: need more vegetarian options, and why would you hide this?
I haven’t tried any of them–none of them are vegan or vegetarian, which is something I REALLY wish would be on Panera’s Super Secret Menu–but I am with you in that I wish they would advertise and promote this! They are being silly NOT doing so I think, and wasting valuable marketing opportunities…
Super secret insider scoop….the menu is “secret” and “hidden” because of a marketing error. It was supposed to be tested out in the NYC area only but at some point it got slipped onto national promos so rather than back pedal they made it a secret menu.
And since it is secret most Panera’s very rarely make it – I work at at 2 and in the past month we’ve made maybe 5 items total off that secret menu. So, if you get something off the secret menu and it isn’t exactly what you expected PLEASE let someone know, right away, so they can fix it! They will fix it! Remake, make you something else, add/remove items…this is all new to Panera too so don’t be afraid to have opinions and share them!
…and now I stop promoting Panera and return to my normal self!
i think i’ve heard pandora commercials for these? for something about ‘power bowls’ and how the guy is going to ‘power through this commercial so i can get back to my music’.
There is also a spinach power bowl with mushrooms and onions. Actually tastes a lot better than it sounds!
Durh… why didn’t I think of you when I was writing this?!?!
For the record- my salad was made perfectly!
But yeah- I’m going to promote this to people, I think the choices are awesome! And I definitely think more people would order off this menu if they knew about it.
And the spinach bowl sounds GREAT!!!!
Oh my gosh sooo cool!! I had no idea!
That’s awesome!! I love Panera. I want to try one the breakfast ones!!
Interesting! I’ll have to ask for one of these next time Dave and I go!
You’re my hero for discovering this! I didn’t know they still had the power bowls! My Panera advertised them in store for what seemed like half a second and I tried a couple and loved them and then suddenly they weren’t on the menu anymore. Good to know I can still order them! Funny that they keep a “secret” menu – I think a lot more people would order them.
Lol- well you’re pretty cool for knowing about it in the first place! I guess they’ll be sticking around for a while- and hopefully making it to the REAL menu soon!
The protein chicken humus bowl looks go good! I love their power breakfast sandwich and find that its a healthy breakfast option, but may have to try this next time I’m there! Thanks for sharing this! They should advertise this menu!
Thanks for sharing this! I LOVE panera and had no idea that there was a secret menu- how In N Out of them!
xx Kait