Off The Menu

A lawsuit has been filed against Panera Bread after a woman died after she drank some of the "Charged Lemonade." The woman had a heart condition and her parents claim the drink contributed to her death. — Panera Charged Lemonade lawsuit FILE PHOTO: Pictured are dispensers for Charged Lemondade, a caffeinated lemonade drink, sold at Panera Bread. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images/Gado via Getty Images)

By Ann Kelly

May 08, 2024 at 6:26 am EDT

There’s one item coming off the menu at Panera Bread. Those “supercharged” drinks that now are part of lawsuits that allege the highly caffeinated drinks were linked to cardiac issues and at least two deaths. Panera will replace those with other choices. To give you an idea of just how much caffeine was in a large Charged Lemonade, a 30-oz drink, that had 390 milligrams of caffeine, or the equivalent of four cups of coffee or three-and-a-half 12-oz cans of Red Bull.

Speaking of trying to go a healthier route, it seems some of us might be hedging the truth just to be trendy? There’s a new poll which finds 26% of Americans admit to buying healthy foods “just because they’re trendy.” So not the right reason! Is it peer pressure or are you just too embarrassed to reach the Pop Tarts one more time? It happens.

A final thought if you’re looking for something really trendy for the Mother’s Day brunch. Would you pay (brace yourself( $400 - for a PINEAPPLE? Someone will. The Rubyglow comes from Del Monte and they’re only selling 5,000. If you can’t find them in the store, they’re on the produce site Melissas.com for $396, plus shipping. Please...you first!

It’s all about taste and what makes you happy, so share that with me in Ann Kelly’s Kitchen!