When it comes to breakfast, there is nary a food more delicious, easy-to-make, and inexpensive as eggs. But do you really know what’s in that dozen you purchased? Panera Bread is on a mission to find out, and we’re ready to know.
If you order eggs at a restaurant, you expect to get, well, eggs. But according to the company, that’s not always the case.
That’s why Panera Bread launched its own “Over Easy Egg” sandwiches, which are made with “freshly prepared, cracked shell eggs and/or egg whites with no additives.
But as the company set out to establish what their eggs really mean, they also announced that the definition set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) didn’t exactly define the term “egg.” Instead, other companies were adding butter-like flavors, coloring, and gums and the product would still be called an “egg.”
Err… what?!
“Panera and our competitors use the FDA definitions to guide our product descriptions and names,” says Sara Burnett, Panera’s Director of Wellness and Food Policy, in an announcement. “But in the case of ‘eggs,’ we have no guidance. Brands can say they offer an egg sandwich, but sell an egg product that contains multiple additives.”
“All ingredients in the new breakfast sandwiches are clean, with no artificial sweeteners, flavors, preservatives or colors from artificial sources,” the company added.
While the Panera Bread sandwiches do off you the transparency when it comes to knowing the ingredients in your meal, give the nutritional menu a peek, as well.
The bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich contains applewood-smoked bacon, over easy egg, Vermont white cheddar, and salt and pepper on Brioche, and comes in at 460 calories, 790 mg of sodium, 25 g of fat, 32 g of carbs, and 24 grams of protein.
So if you’re looking to watch your sodium intake, it might be worth taking a closer look at exactly what your sandwiches contain. After all, knowing more about what’s in your food is one of the best ways to know exactly what your body is consuming.
