Panda Express Nutrition: Calories, Macros & the Smartest Way to Order in 2026
Reviewed October 2026 by the Panda Coupons Editorial Team • Panda Express nutrition varies more than almost any fast-food menu, because meals are built à la carte instead of sold as fixed combos. A Bowl alone can run anywhere from 280 to 1,130 calories depending on what you pick, and a Plate stretches from 430 to 1,640. The numbers below come straight from official Panda Express nutrition disclosures.
Panda Express Meal & Nutrition Calculator
Customize your Panda Express meal and calculate real-time calories, protein, carbs, and fat. Switch between the fast Combo Builder and the complete Nutrition Explorer with allergen exclusions.
How We Verify This Data
Every figure in this guide is sourced directly from Panda Express's official Nutrition & Allergen page and cross-checked against our own calculator database. Panda Express states that its values are based on standard recipes, so actual numbers can shift slightly by location, portion size, and prep method. If you're managing a medical condition or a severe allergy, confirm details in-app or in-store before ordering — this guide is a planning tool, not a substitute for that.
Panda Express Meal Sizes at a Glance
The range is this wide because Panda Express doesn't set fixed combos — every entrée and side is priced and calculated individually, so your total depends entirely on what goes into the bowl. A White Rice and Grilled Teriyaki Chicken bowl and a Fried Rice and Orange Chicken bowl are both technically "a Bowl," but they're 800+ calories apart.
| Meal Format | Items Included | Caloric Range | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowl | 1 Side + 1 Entrée | 280–1,130 kcal | Ideal for single portions; wide calorie swing based on side chosen |
| Plate | 1 Side + 2 Entrées | 430–1,640 kcal | Standard dinner; best protein yield per dollar when choosing lean meats |
| Bigger Plate | 1 Side + 3 Entrées | 580–2,150+ kcal | Roughly 580–2,150+ calories, based on combining official per-item figures |
| Panda Bundle | Any Size Meal + Medium Drink | 280–2,560 kcal | Sugary drinks can add 200–400+ calories; opt for water or zero-calorie soda |
Panda Express Calories by Category
Detailed breakdown of all official menu departments. Review exact calories, sodium, and macronutrient trends before customizing your plate:
Sides
130–620 cal- Super Greens
- White Steamed Rice
- Chow Mein
- Fried Rice
Sides swing harder than any other category. Super Greens sits at 130 calories, while Fried Rice reaches 620. The difference isn't really the rice or the greens — it's the oil, egg, and seasoning used in wok preparation. White Steamed Rice lands at 520 calories with zero sodium, making it the cleanest carb option if sodium is your concern.
Chicken Entrées
210–490 cal- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
- Black Pepper Chicken
- Kung Pao Chicken
- The Original Orange Chicken
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken is the standout here: 300 calories and 36 grams of protein, the highest protein count on the wok menu. Orange Chicken, the chain's best-known dish, runs 490 calories with 25 grams of protein and 30 grams of sugar — batter and glaze account for most of that gap. Kung Pao Chicken (290 cal, 930mg sodium) and Black Pepper Chicken (280 cal, 1060mg sodium) offer moderate calories with savory seasonings.
Chicken Breast
210–380 cal- String Bean Chicken Breast
- Honey Sesame Chicken Breast
- SweetFire Chicken Breast
This line trades a little batter for leaner numbers. String Bean Chicken Breast comes in at 210 calories with 17 grams of protein and dietary fiber from fresh string beans. SweetFire Chicken Breast (380 cal) and Honey Sesame Chicken Breast (420 cal) lean sweeter with delicious glazes.
Beef
150–470 cal- Broccoli Beef
- Beijing Beef
Broccoli Beef is the lightest entrée on the menu at 150 calories with 9 grams of protein — a strong pick for lower-calorie dining. Beijing Beef is battered and crispy, landing at 470 calories with 24 grams of fat.
Seafood
250–430 cal- Kung Pao Shrimp
- Honey Walnut Shrimp
Honey Walnut Shrimp (430 cal) features tempura shrimp tossed in honey sauce with candied walnuts. Kung Pao Shrimp (250 cal, 22g protein) provides a savory, spicy seafood alternative wok-tossed with peanuts and chili peppers.
Vegetables & Tofu
130–340 cal- Super Greens (Side Portion)
- Eggplant Tofu
Super Greens (130 cal) delivers a blend of steamed broccoli, kale, and cabbage with 7g of dietary fiber. Eggplant Tofu (340 cal, 8g protein) pairs tofu and eggplant in sweet-spicy ginger garlic sauce.
Appetizers
150–200 cal- Chicken Potstickers
- Chicken Egg Roll
- Veggie Spring Roll
- Cream Cheese Rangoon
Veggie Spring Rolls (160 cal) and Chicken Egg Rolls (200 cal) offer crispy flavor. Cream Cheese Rangoons (190 cal) provide sweet cream cheese in wonton wrappers.
Soup
65–110 cal- Egg Drop Soup
- Hot & Sour Soup
- Wonton Soup
Hot & Sour Soup (90 cal) carries 1290mg of sodium. Egg Drop Soup (65 cal) is a lighter option with 4g protein.
Sauces
20–70 cal- Chili Sauce
- Sweet & Sour Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
Sauces add extra flavor. Sweet & Sour Sauce adds 70 calories and 17g sugar per cup, while Teriyaki Sauce adds 30 calories.
Cub Meals (Kids)
Under 600 cal- Grilled Teriyaki Cub Meal
- Orange Chicken Cub Meal
- Broccoli Beef Cub Meal
Panda Express designed its Cub Meals around balanced nutrition for children. Each one includes a junior entrée, junior side, and fruit.
Orange Chicken Nutrition — The Deep Dive
A single serving of Orange Chicken (5.7 oz) contains 490 calories, 22 grams of fat, 57 grams of carbohydrate, 30 grams of sugar, and 25 grams of protein, with 820mg of sodium. These figures reflect Panda Express's official nutrition guide disclosure.
Why Orange Chicken Is the Highest-Calorie Chicken Entrée
The chicken is battered and deep-fried first, then coated in a sugar-based glaze. Both steps add calories independently: the batter absorbs oil during frying, and the glaze adds nearly all 30 grams of sugar on top of that. Neither step is unusual for fast food — it's just compounding on a dish that's already fried.
Orange Chicken vs. Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
| Nutritional Metric | Orange Chicken | Grilled Teriyaki Chicken | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 490 kcal | 300 kcal | -190 kcal (39% fewer calories) |
| Protein | 25g | 36g | +11g (+44% more protein) |
| Sodium | 820mg | 530mg | -290mg (35% less sodium) |
| Sugar | 30g | 10g | -20g (67% less sugar) |
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken delivers roughly double the protein-per-calorie ratio compared to Orange Chicken with significantly less sugar and fat.
Sides Showdown: Chow Mein vs. Fried Rice vs. White Rice vs. Super Greens
| Base Side | Calories | Sodium | Carbs | Key Profile Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Steamed Rice | 520 cal | 0mg | 118g | Cleanest option if oil and sodium are your concern, heaviest in raw carbs |
| Fried Rice | 620 cal | 1,000mg | 101g | The eggs and oil used in frying push both calories and cholesterol (140mg) well above white rice |
| Chow Mein | 600 cal | 1,000mg | 94g | Stir-fried in oil with similar sodium to fried rice but fewer carbs |
| Super Greens | 130 cal | 370mg | 14g | The outlier, roughly a quarter of the calories of every other side |
The #1 Nutritional Swap on the Menu
Swapping a side of Fried Rice (620 cal) for Super Greens (130 cal) in a Bowl saves about 490 calories and 630mg of sodium in one change — the single biggest impact swap available anywhere on the menu.
Is Panda Express Healthy?
The honest answer: it depends entirely on which entrée and side you pick, because the range runs from a 280-calorie Bowl to a 2,150-calorie Bigger Plate. Panda Express isn't inherently unhealthy or healthy — it's an à la carte menu where the choice matters more than the restaurant.
The Wok Smart Line
Wok Smart is Panda Express's designation for entrées that are lower in calories, fat, and sodium relative to the rest of the menu — generally the grilled and steamed options like Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Broccoli Beef, and Super Greens. It exists specifically to make healthier scanning easier without needing a calculator.
Kids LiveWell / Cub Meal Criteria
Panda Express's Cub Meals are built to meet Kids LiveWell program criteria, verified by the National Restaurant Association against nutrition guidelines from major health organizations. Each Cub Meal stays under 600 calories and includes a vegetable and a fruit serving by design, not as an afterthought.
Building a Lower-Calorie, Lower-Sodium, or Higher-Protein Plate
For Fewer Calories
Choose Super Greens (130 cal) instead of starch sides like Fried Rice (620 cal) or Chow Mein (600 cal) to cut nearly 500 calories per meal. Pick a Bowl over a Plate, and ask for sauce on the side.
For More Protein
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken (36g protein, 300 cal) is the highest-protein entrée on the menu.
For Less Sodium
Watch high-sodium specialty items specifically. Grilled Teriyaki Chicken (530mg) and Broccoli Beef (660mg) are among the lower-sodium entrée options.
Allergens & Ingredients: What's Actually Safe
Panda Express states it uses ingredients containing all major FDA allergens — wheat, soy, egg, milk, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, fish, and sesame — and that cross-contact is possible in any item because food is prepared on shared equipment. No menu item can be guaranteed allergen-free.
What's Gluten-Free at Panda Express
White Steamed Rice and Super Greens are the safest base choices, since neither lists wheat on the official allergen sheet. Broccoli Beef also skips the wheat flag, though it still lists soy. Orange Chicken, Chow Mein, and most sauce-based dishes all contain wheat, mainly from soy sauce and batter.
The Peanut Oil Question, Answered Directly
Panda Express does not cook with peanut oil — it uses soybean oil for frying and stir-frying. That said, several dishes (Kung Pao Chicken specifically) do contain actual peanuts as an ingredient, so "no peanut oil" doesn't mean "peanut-free." Check the allergen flag on the specific dish, not just the cooking oil.
Official Verification
For anything allergy-critical, don't rely solely on this guide or any third-party page — Panda Express provides a dedicated allergen lookup and a customer service line at (800) 877-8988 for direct confirmation before you order.
Popular Meal Combos and Their Real Totals
Calculated totals for frequently ordered meal pairing formulas:
What This Guide Can't Tell You
Panda Express prepares food fresh in small batches, so actual nutrition can vary by location, portion scooping, and regional recipe differences. These figures reflect standard recipes as published by Panda Express, not a lab measurement of your specific order. If you have celiac disease or a severe allergy, treat every number here as a starting point, not a guarantee, and confirm with the restaurant directly.
Panda Express Nutrition FAQs
How many calories are in Panda Express Orange Chicken?
Is Panda Express healthy?
What is the healthiest thing to order at Panda Express?
Does Panda Express use peanut oil?
What's gluten-free at Panda Express?
How many calories are in a Panda Express Bowl vs. Plate vs. Bigger Plate?
What can't this nutrition guide tell you?
Where can I verify this data officially?
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