It’s official. As of yesterday Panera Bread came out with a new food policy video labeled, “Clean Ingredients,” along with a few other informational videos, that are sure to get people’s attention.
Wait, what’s the big deal?
No more bad sh*t in your sandwiches. America’s most beloved fast-casual bakery (not to mention a great Saturday morning hangover helper) is saying no to additives, such as MSG, artificial trans fats, flavors and colorings in its food. The video announcing the change is a lyrical montage of Panera’s top officials expressing their passion for making healthy, delicious food for all of their customers. In short: middle-aged men dressed in ties saving face in lieu of America’s obesity epidemic.
And then the unavoidable thought looms: so, all this time I’ve been cheerfully downing MSG, artificial trans fats, flavors and colorings in my Panera broccoli cheddar soup? Damn.
Fast food joints across the country have been catching a lot a grief for their greasy, fatty yet irresistible menus from the brains at Harvard to your #cleaneating #fitcollege BFF—you know who you are. But, even Panera isn’t the first establishment to fight back against fast food’s bad reputation; Chick-fil-A and Chipotle have all made menu changes. And, let’s not forget about Subway, who is super proud about its chemical-free bread. You go, Subway.
What do we think about it?
Even though Panera is definitely a follower and not a trendsetter in the “healthy” fast food world, we agree, cleaner is better! And according to head baker dude Tom Gumpel, he believes that, “a cookie should be made with butter, sugar and eggs.”
Butter? Sugar? We’re sold.