Panera Bread
Flavor:
Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese Bread Bowl
Ingredients:
Sourdough Bread Bowl (Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Enzyme [Corn], Folic Acid), Water, Salt, Yeast (Yeast, Sorbitan Monostearate, Ascorbic Acid), Dough Improver (Ascorbic Acid, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Corn Starch), Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese (Water, Cooked Macaroni Product (Water, Semolina Wheat, Egg White Powder), Broccoli, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Bacterial Cultures, Salt, Microbial Enzymes), Cream, Soybean Oil, Concentrated Skim Milk, Carrots, Butter (Cream, Salt), Whey, Salt, Whey Protein Concentrate, Skim Milk, Milkfat, Modified Cornstarch, Milk Protein Concentrate, Dried Cream, Sodium Citrate, Lactic Acid, Tomato Paste, Flavors, Sugar, Guar Gum, Vegetable Juice Concentrate (Color), Celery Juice Concentrate, Onion Powder, Xanthan Gum, Turmeric (Color), Citric Acid, Dijon Mustard (Vinegar, Water, Mustard Seed, Salt, White Wine, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Spices), Spices, Red Pepper Sauce (Vinegar, Red Peppers, Salt), Sodium Alginate, Enzymes)
Rating: We Avoid
- 1 out of 5
Ingredient Score:
Rated at 1/5 green leaves, the Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese Bread Bowl presents a less desirable choice for those seeking cleaner food options. This rating reflects the product’s composition, which includes a range of non-organic, GMO, and potentially unhealthy ingredients.
The bread bowl, made with enriched flour, begins the list of concerns. The inclusion of additives such as yeast, ascorbic acid, and dough improver, while common in commercial baking, detracts from the product’s overall cleanliness. Moving on to the mac and cheese filling, the use of soybean oil raises red flags due to its common association with GMOs and potential health risks when consumed in large quantities. The presence of added sugars, in the form of sugar and citric acid, further diminishes the product’s healthful qualities.
The product also contains a variety of additives and modified ingredients that contribute to its low rating. Among these, flavorings, modified cornstarch, sodium citrate, and xanthan gum stand out as elements not aligned with a clean eating philosophy. These components are commonly used to enhance taste, texture, and shelf life but are often viewed skeptically by health-conscious consumers.
Moreover, the use of food colorings such as vegetable juice concentrate and turmeric, although natural, may not compensate for the other less favorable ingredients. The product’s reliance on non-organic components and the inclusion of milk protein concentrate and whey protein concentrate also detract from its overall cleanliness.
The Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese Bread Bowl, with its combination of non-organic elements, GMO ingredients, added sugars, and potentially harmful additives and oils, earns the lowest possible green leaf rating on our scale. This assessment aligns with the goal of guiding consumers towards cleaner, more wholesome food choices in a market saturated with less healthy alternatives.
Certifications:
None
Product formulations and certifications may change. For current nutrition facts and ingredient
line information, check product packaging.
Categories:
None
Alternatives
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How We Rate
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