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A soup-and-sandwich chain reigns supreme in breakfast offerings.
Consumer Reports recently ranked the top ten fast-food chains by breakfast menu items, and an unexpected dark horse took four of the top 10 spots.
Panera Bread took first place with its avocado, egg white, and spinach sandwich, egging, out contenders like Starbucks and McDonald’s
Topped with tomato slices and aged white cheddar cheese and served on a sprouted grain bagel flat, the winning sandwich averages $5, contains 410 calories, and has 21 grams of protein.
Consumer Reports gave the sammy a four out of five for nutrition and a five out of five sensory score, a metric that hinges on texture and flavor.
Panera also took silver and bronze with its steel-cut oatmeal with strawberries and pecans, and oatmeal with almonds, quinoa, and honey.
Jamba Juice’s oatmeal with strawberries and brown sugar crumble ranked fourth.
While the spinach, avocado, and egg white sandwich won gold from Consumer Reports, Reddit consumers had mixed opinions, particularly about the gap between promotional photos and what the chain actually delivers.
“Don’t eat at Panera. It’s always disappointing,” cautioned one commenter.
“Panera Bread is F tier food…Seriously, you can go to your grocery store and buy a pre-made sandwich and soup and have a better time,” chimed a second
“That avocado looks lethal,” decreed a third, in response to the paltry, mud-hued avocado on the sandwich.
Avocado defenders aside, the sandwich’s popularity and laurels are owed in part to a consumer shift toward high-protein, low-calorie breakfast options.
Per Consumer Reports, McDonald’s, long beloved for their breakfast, took the 13th and 19th spots with its Egg White Delight and Egg McMuffin, respectively, but didn’t crack the top ten.
Panera also earned spots for its Greek yogurt with mixed berries and its whole-grain ham, egg, and cheese sandwich, which ranked just above the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin.
Starbucks made a showing with its triple-threat roster of red pepper sous vide egg white bites, the spinach, feta and egg white wrap, and a berry yogurt parfait.
Dunkin’ also made the cut with its veggie egg white on an English muffin and oatmeal with dried fruit.
Panera made waves and enemies earlier this summer by removing the “unlimited” from its popular Unlimited Sips Club promotion — a deal that started back in 2022.
For $10.99 a month, customers used to get the full lineup of self-serve drinks, including hot and iced coffees, teas, fountain drinks, and lemonades.
While it’s no longer a free-for-all, members still get up to 30 drinks per Redemption Period. And no one is grandfathered in, as Panera said; even if you enroll today, your membership will be subject to the current terms.
