Is Panda Express Healthy?

Are you like many restaurant-goers today–that being, health conscious? Rather than eating anything on the menu that sounds good, these types of folks are scouring the nutritional content to gauge just how many calories are contained in each dish. They’re also looking for the protein, sugar, salt, or fiber content in their meals. As one of the top Chinese-American chains in the country, many restaurant aficionados want to know–is Panda Express healthy?

Thankfully, the answer to that question is yes! Whether you’re counting points, calories, grams of protein, or cutting back on sugar, Panda Express makes it easy to find the foods that fit your particular diet. Below we’ll go over some of the available options, but you’ll want to refer to the nutritional information provided by Panda Express for specific facts. If you have any feedback, you can also visit the Panda Express Survey website.

Meats

If you’re looking for meaty dishes, Panda Express has a variety of beef, chicken, and even seafood dishes. Keep in mind, not all dishes are created equal. If you’re looking for the healthiest dishes, Panda Express will provide nutritional facts to help you make your choices.

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For example, the String Bean Chicken Breast (210 calories) is going to be a healthier choice than the Orange Chicken (490 calories). This is for a variety of reasons, including one is fried and one is not, as well as the sugar content in the Orange Chicken dish.

If seafood is more to your taste, you will want to consider the Sizzling Shrimp (130 calories) and not the Honey Walnut Shrimp (360 calories). The Honey Walnut Shrimp is tasty, for certain, but it is also high in sugar and fat.

 

Vegetables

Panda Express keeps in mind that not everyone wants to eat meat. They offer a vegetable dish that’s packed with nutrients, though it may not be particularly filling. They also offer a tofu dish. This one might be more filling due to the added protein; however, it does have more calories and sugar, overall.

 

Sides

Rice is a staple at many Chinese-American restaurants. If you’re looking for healthy sides, you’ll want to choose your rice carefully. Steamed white rice is a healthier option than its fried rice counterpart. Fried rice may have veggies added in, but it is also high in sodium and sugar due to the sauces added to the dish. Steamed rice is a filling option that does provide nutritional content. To compare the two, calorie-wise, the steamed rice comes in at 380 and the fried rice at 520.

Another popular side at Asian-inspired restaurants is the egg roll. Variations on the traditional egg roll are also an option at Panda Express. The chain generally offers two choices: the vegetable spring roll and the chicken egg roll. Surprisingly, the vegetable spring roll is the least healthy of the two (240 calories). It has a slightly higher saturated fat level, and it also has a tad more sodium. Overall, the two are almost the same nutritionally, but if you’re looking for the “healthier” choice, go with the chicken.

Vegetables are a third option when it comes to sides. Choosing steamed veggies is going to be your best bet (big surprise, right?). These will be high in nutritional content and low in calories (90 calories), and also low in sugar and salt.

We can’t forget to mention the Chow Mein. While it isn’t necessarily a side, it doesn’t fit the bill with veggies or meats. The Chow Mein is made of noodles, veggies, and sauce. This dish is high in calories (520 calories), and it shouldn’t be considered a healthly choice by those looking for the healthiest options.

 

How to Order Healthy Food at Panda Express

Believe it or not, the way you order your food at Panda Express matters a lot. It especially matters for those who are looking for the healthiest food! The chain offers lots of ordering options. You can order:

• A la carte (individual menu items)
• Order a bowl (a base such as rice or noodles, topped with meats or veggies)
• Order a plate (a meat or veggie base with two sides)
• Order a large plate (a meat or veggie base with three sides)

In general, a bowl is typically a healthier option than a large plate, but this will also depend on which entrees and sides are chosen. For example, ordering a bowl with the highest caloric options will be less healthy than ordering a large plate with grilled chicken and 3 sdies of steamed veggies! 

At the end of the day, you’re in luck if you’re looking for healthy food at Panda Express.

 

 

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