Panda Express nutrition facts

Is Panda Express healthy

Is Panda Express healthy?

Start with the side, because it's the biggest number on the tray.

Panda Express sides, regular portion, from Panda's nutrition page (as of September 2026)

Chow Mein and Fried Rice each carry more calories than any entrée on this page. Switching Chow Mein for Super Greens saves 470 calories and 630mg of sodium. Swapping both Plate entrées, from Orange Chicken and Beijing Beef to Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli Beef, saves about the same calories (490) but less than half the sodium (300mg).

Steamed rice is the odd one. It has no sodium at all, so if salt is what you're watching, it beats the greens. It's also 520 calories. If you want rice without the full load, ask for half rice and half Super Greens. Assuming each half is half a regular side, that's about 325 calories and 185mg of sodium.

Panda Express entrées by protein

Which entrées give you the most protein per calorie?

Panda Express entrées, regular portion, from Panda's nutrition page (as of September 2026)

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken is in a class of its own here (the nutrition page lists it as Teriyaki Chicken). If you only change one thing about how you order at Panda, make it this.

Broccoli Beef's protein is modest, so it works best as a second entrée next to the chicken rather than as the whole meal.

Orange Chicken and Beijing Beef are the two most popular reasons a Panda meal goes sideways. Each has about 20g of sugar and roughly three times the calories of Broccoli Beef, and neither brings much protein to justify it.

Panda marks its lighter dishes with a Wok Smart label, which as of September 2026 covered Broccoli Beef, String Bean Chicken Breast, Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Black Pepper Sirloin Steak and Super Greens. It's a reasonable shortcut. It isn't a sodium filter.

Panda Express sodium

Does low-calorie mean low-sodium at Panda Express?

Two entrées make the point. Mushroom Chicken looks light on calories but not on salt. Kung Pao Chicken, which reads like a vegetable-heavy dish, has the most sodium of any entrée in the table, and more than Orange Chicken.

That matters because sodium stacks faster than people expect on a Plate. The FDA's daily value is 2,300mg. Chow Mein, Orange Chicken and Beijing Beef together come to 2,450mg, which is 150mg over the line before you've had breakfast or anything else that day.

The Plate format itself is part of the problem. A Bowl is one side and one entrée. A Plate adds a second entrée and a Bigger Plate a third. Each step up adds another few hundred calories whether or not you were still hungry.

Healthy Panda Express orders

What should you order at Panda Express?

Three Panda Express builds, added up from the tables above

The rice build has only 630mg of sodium since the rice adds none. Go half-and-half with Super Greens and it drops to about 665 calories.

Lean protein does most of the work in all three, which is why it sits near the top of our list of the best foods for weight loss.

Panda Express vs. a kitchen meal

How does a sweet-sauce chicken meal from our kitchen compare?

Orange Chicken is what most people are actually craving at Panda, so here's a fair comparison. Orange Chicken by itself is 510 calories and 850mg of sodium. The Sweet & Sour Chicken above includes its rice. Every meal's numbers are on our nutrition page.

Credit where it's due: our Tempura Hibachi Chicken has 1,350mg of sodium, more than Chow Mein. The point is that the numbers are printed before you order, not added up afterward.

If protein is your priority, our High Protein Meal Plan is built around it, with 2 extra ounces of meat per meal compared with our regular recipes. For other chains, see what to order at Chick-fil-A or our guide to the healthiest fast food.

Make it easy withHigh Protein Meal PlanFrom $63.00View plan