Panda Express Nutrition Menu Guide (2025): Calories, Healthiest Options & Tips
Panda Express is the biggest Asian restaurant chain in the U.S. It is famous for its bold flavors, quick service, and popular dishes like Orange Chicken, Chowmein, and Beijing Beef. It has 2,000 locations around the world. It is a favorite spot for people who want American Chinese food quickly. Its portions are large, and the sauces are often sweet and rich.
People said that Panda Express provides crispy chicken with sauce and noodles fried with veggies. All these meals have great taste and are also high in calories, sodium, fat, and sugar. The good news is that it also has healthier options such as lean protein, veggie-based dishes, steamed rice, and super Greens.
You can customize your meal, which is appropriate according to your taste and choice. You can get everything here, whether you want more protein, fewer carbs, vegetarian choices, or lighter meals. In this article, I will explain Panda Express nutrition in detail. We will also look at vitamins and minerals, and diet-friendly choices, and we will also compare Panda Express with other restaurants to share with you a complete guide of healthier meals.
Analyzing the Panda Express Nutrition Menu
Panda Express Nutrition uses a Plate model, which means you can pick one side like rice, noodles, or veggies, and then add two or three entrees. Because of this mix-and-match style, the nutrients in your meal can change a lot. Here are the details of the most popular items and their nutrition per serving
Entrees
- Orange Chicken: it contains 490 calories with high carbs and fats, and also 25g of protein.
- Beijing Beef: it has 470 calories with crispy and saucy dishes. But it has high fat and sodium.
- Broccoli Beef: It contains 150 calories. It is one of the lighter picks with 9g of protein.
- Kung Pao chicken: it contains 290 calories. It is spicy with peanuts and has higher sodium at 970mg.
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken: it has 275 calories with high protein, about 36g.
- Honey Walnut shrimp: it has 360 calories. It is a crunchy and sweet dish with a high fat content.
- Mushroom Chicken: it has 220 calories. It is balanced food with high sodium.
- Black pepper chicken: it contains 280 calories. It is flavorful but has high sodium, about 1130mg.
- SweetFire Chicken Breast: it has 380 calories. It is sweet and spicy with 44g of carbs.
- String Bean Chicken Breast: it has 190 calories. It is lighter with a good mix of protein and veggies.
- Eggplant Tofu: it has 340 calories. It has high fat with 9g of protein.
Sides
- Chowmein: it has 510 calories and has a heavy carb content of about 80g.
- Fried Rice: It contains 520 calories and has slightly higher fat and carbs than noodles
- White steamed Rice: it has 380 calories. It is plain but high in carbs.
- Brown steamed Rice: it contains 420 calories. It has a little more fiber and protein than white rice.
- Super Greens: it only has 90 calories with light nutrients.
Appetizers
- Chicken Egg Rolls: it has 200 calories with 9g of protein.
- Veggie Spring Roll: it contains 190 calories with lighter carbs.
- Cream cheese rangoons have 190 calories. It is crispy with creamy filling, but not much protein.
Dessert and Sauces
- Fortune Cookie: It has 20 calories. It is basically a light crunch.
- Teriyaki sauce: it contains 70 calories. It is sweet but high in sodium.
- Sweet and sour Sauce: it has 70 calories. It is tangy with 18g carbs.
- Chilli sauce: it has 10 calories.
Macronutrients in Panda Express
Carbohydrates
Most of the carbs at Panda Express Nutrition come from rice, noodles, and sweet sauces. One serving of chowmein or Fried Rice has about 80-85g of carbs. At Panda Express, foods like noodles, rice, and sweet sauces contain more carbs. Steamed rice is even higher at 87g per serving. If you want to cut carbs, Super Greens is the best choice with under 10g per serving. Some entrees, like Orange Chicken or SweetFire Chicken, add another 15-25g of carbs just from their sauces.
Protein
Protein levels are very different depending on what you pick. The highest is Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with 36g of protein per serving. Dishes like Broccoli Beef or String Bean Chicken Breast give a moderate 9-12g. If you pair two chicken or beef entrees with super Greens, you can get around 50-60g of protein in one plate. Vegetarians can choose Eggplant Tofu, but it only has 9g of protein per serving.
Fat
The fat content depends mostly on fried items. Orange Chicken and Beijing Beef are higher with 23-24g of fat each. The light, fat foods like Mushroom Chicken or String Bean Chicken Breast contain 10-14g of fat. Appetizers like Egg Rolls and Rangoons add extra fat quickly. If you order fried entrees with Chowmein, your meal can climb above 70g of fat, but if you choose super Greens and grilled chicken, it can be under 25g.
Sodium
Sodium (salt) is the biggest issue at Panda Express. Black Pepper Chicken has more than 1,100mg of sodium in one serving. A full plate with noodles and two saucy entrees can go over 2,500mg of sodium, which is more than the daily recommended amount. Choosing lighter options like Super Greens and Grilled Teriyaki Chicken helps, but overall, Panda Express is not a low-sodium place.
Other Nutrients in Panda Express
Sugar
Different dishes contain different sugar content. Broccoli Beef contains less sugar, about 5g, while saucy dishes contain up to 25g of sugar. Most of the sugar comes from the sweet sauces.
Fiber
If you want fiber for better digestion, choose veggie-focused dishes. Super Greens and other vegetable entrees give about 3-5g of fiber per serving.
Calcium
Dishes with tofu and broccoli are a good source of calcium. Most other menu items are lower since Panda Express meals don’t use much dairy.
Iron
Broccoli Beef and Beijing Beef are beef dishes that provide iron and give you energy and healthy blood.
Vitamin C
To support immunity and overall health, choose vegetables like pepper, broccoli, and zucchini to get more vitamin C.
Customizing Your Panda Express Order
Here is a guide to customize your meal to reduce calories, fats, and sodium to boost nutrients.
- To get more veggies and fewer calories, pick super greens instead of fried rice or chow mein.
- Go for lighter proteins like Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Broccoli Beef, or String Bean Chicken Breast.
- Orange Chicken, Beijing Beef, or Honey Walnut Shrimp are too many fried dishes, so try to avoid too many.
- To control as much as you want, ask for sauces.
- Balance your meal by mixing one heavier dish with one lighter dish.
- If you are a vegetarian, Eggplant Tofu with steamed rice and veggies is a good choice.
- For kids, make a meal with protein, vegetables, and water instead of soda.
Panda Express Nutrition Calculator options
| Meal option | What it includes | Who it’s Good For |
| Bowl | 1 side + 1 entree | Simple, lighter meal |
| Plate | 1 side + 2 entree | Balanced option with variety |
| Bigger plate | 1 side + 3 entree | For bigger appetites or more variety |
| Family Meal | 3 large entrees + 2 large sides | Best for sharing with family or groups |
Special Diets at Panda Express Nutrition
| Diet Type | Suggested Meal Combo | Key Benefits |
| Low Calorie | Super Greens + Mushroom chicken | Under 300 calories total |
| High Protein | Grilled Teriyaki Chicken+Black pepper chicken +super Greens | 55g protein |
| Low Sodium | Super Greens+string Bean Chicken Breast | Under 1,200mg sodium |
| Vegetarian | Eggplant Tofu+super Greens | Plant based balanced |
| Vegan | Eggplant Tofu+brown rice+super greens+veggie spring rolls | Fully vegan meal |
| Gluten Free | Plain rice+super Greens+non breaded protein | Gluten free friendly option |
| Diabetic Friendly | Super Greens+mushroom chicken+steamed brown rice | Lower glycemic load |
| Low Carb/Keto | Super greens+grilled teriyaki chicken+broccoli beef | Under 20g net carbs |
Check Out the Latest Panda Express Menu Now!
Comparing Panda Express to Other Chains
Panda Express Vs Pizza(MOD, Domino’s)
Pizza usually has more fat and calories in each slice, but Panda Express meals often have much more sodium.
Panda Express Vs Burgers(Macdonald’s, Burger King)
Burgers are higher in unhealthy saturated fat, but Panda gives you options with veggies and lean proteins.
Panda Express Vs Mexican (Chipotle, Qdoba)
Chipotle lets you customize more and usually has less sodium, while Panda’s dishes are sweeter because of the sauces.
Panda Express Vs other Asian Chains(pei Wei, local takeout)
Panda is more consistent in protein sizes, but it can be saltier than local Chinese restaurants.
Top Tips for Healthy Panda Express Nutrition Meals
- To make your meal healthier, always add extra vegetables.
- Never choose two fried entrees in the same meal.
- If your food contains a big portion, divide it into two servings.
- To control how much you use, ask for sauces on the side.
- Instead of heavy sides like rice or noodles, choose super Greens.
- Choose one heavy dish and pair it with lighter dish options.
- Instead of drinking soda, drink water or unsweetened tea.
Conclusion
Panda Express Nutrition is a part of a healthy diet if you choose carefully. The menu has both heavy comfort foods and lighter options. You can control your calories, carbs, and protein by picking smart meals. For example, choose Grilled Teriyaki Chicken or Broccoli Beef with super Greens instead of fried sides.
Watching portion sizes, sauces, and drinks also makes a big difference. Panda Express gives more vegetable choices than many fast food places, but some meals also have a lot of sodium. In short, keep a balance between food items because it can be unhealthy. It depends on which food you want to eat.