Panera Kids Menu: Prices & Calories 2026 (Full Guide)
Panera has a dedicated kids menu, and it’s built around five familiar items: grilled cheese, mac & cheese, two cold sandwiches, and a cup of soup. Each comes with a side and a drink choice, with prices ranging from $6.69 to $7.79 depending on the item.
That’s the short version. Next, I’ll discuss the longer, more useful version, along with two things most menu roundups skip entirely: why Panera kids menu doesn’t look like a typical fast-food one, and a lesser-known way to order your child something off the regular menu instead.
Panera Kids Menu Prices & Calories
Kids Mac & Cheese
The richer, more indulgent option of the two comfort-food choices, and a middle-of-the-road pick calorie-wise. Popular with younger kids in particular, and generally a safe order if your child already likes mac & cheese at home.
Price: $7.79
Calories: 490
Kids Broccoli Cheddar Soup
The lowest-calorie item on the menu by a wide margin, and tied for the cheapest. Works well on colder days or for kids used to eating soup at home. This is the closest thing to a lighter option on this menu, though it’s still a cheese-based soup rather than a “diet” choice.
Price: $6.99
Calories: 280
Kids Turkey & Cheese Sandwich
The most expensive item on the menu, tied with the ham & cheese version. A better fit for kids who prefer sandwiches over pasta or a melt, and a reasonable middle-calorie option between the grilled cheese and the soup.
Price: $7.79
Calories: 630
Kids Ham & Cheese Sandwich
Nearly identical to the turkey version in both price and calories. The choice between the two really comes down to protein preference rather than any meaningful nutritional difference.
Price: $7.79
Calories: 640
Kids Grilled Cheese
The cheapest item on the menu, and the safest bet for picky eaters: simple, familiar, nothing unexpected. It’s also, somewhat counterintuitively, the highest-calorie item on the list, so it’s not automatically the “lighter” choice just because it looks simple.
Price: $6.69
Calories: 810
A few things worth noticing in this table that aren’t obvious at a glance: the Kids Grilled Cheese is the cheapest item on the list but also the highest in calories, at 810, higher than either sandwich. The Kids Broccoli Cheddar Soup is both the cheapest and the lowest-calorie option, making it the closest thing to a “light” choice on this menu. And the two sandwiches, while the most expensive, sit in the middle of the calorie range. You can also check the prices and calories of all Panera Bread Sandwiches.
Sides and Drinks: What’s Included, What’s Optional
Every Panera Bread kid meal comes with a side, typically apple slices or a small baguette, with chips available at some locations. Here’s the detail that’s easy to miss: Panera doesn’t default to a sugary drink. The standard approach is water first, with organic milk or 100% juice available as opt-ins rather than the meal being bundled with soda or a sweetened drink by default. If your cafe or the app defaults differently, that’s worth confirming, but it reflects the chain’s stated approach rather than an incidental omission.
Why Panera’s Kids Menu Looks the Way It Does?.
In 2016, Panera introduced what it called the Kids Meal Promise, a public commitment covering how its children’s menu would be built in the future. According to reporting at the time, the commitment included five points:
Then-CEO Ron Shaich framed it at the time as a direct challenge to other major chains, and Panera’s director of wellness and food policy, Sara Burnett, described the goal as giving kids “real options” rather than a stripped-down kids’ version of fast food.
The Half-Portion Option
Here are the details worth knowing if your child is a more adventurous eater, or doesn’t want any of the five fixed kids’ items: Panera has described allowing kids to order many regular-menu items in a half portion, rather than being limited to the dedicated kids’ menu. This effectively opens up soups, salads, and other options beyond the standard five.
If you go this route, treat it as a manual request at ordering time (through staff, or by looking for half-portion sizing where the app allows it) rather than assuming it’s automatically listed as a “kids” option in every ordering channel.
How to Order Panera Bread Kids Menu?
Panera kids meals are generally available for dine-in and pickup through the same channels as the rest of the menu, in-cafe ordering, kiosk, and the Panera app with Rapid Pickup. Availability through third-party delivery apps can vary by market and by individual cafe.
Allergies, Customization & What to Check Before Ordering
Every item on the kids menu contains dairy, and most contain gluten/wheat, so this isn’t a menu built around common allergen avoidance by default. Before ordering:
If your child has a serious or diagnosed allergy, treat this section as a starting point for questions to ask in-cafe, not a substitute for checking Panera’s official allergen documentation directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line
The Panera kids menu is a short, consistent list: grilled cheese, mac & cheese, two cold sandwiches, and a soup, priced between $6.69 and $7.79, rather than a rotating or gimmick-heavy lineup. If calories matter most, the broccoli cheddar soup is the clear lightest option; if budget matters most, it ties with the grilled cheese as the cheapest. If your child wants something outside those five items, remember the regular menu is still an option in a smaller portion, not just the dedicated kids list.