11 Of The Healthiest Things You Can Order At Panda Express

With its menu centered around Asian cuisine, Panda Express became a food court staple after its first location opened in Glendale, California, in 1983. The chain followed the journey of many fast food companies in America, offering convenient meals that often come loaded with the usual trappings of sodium, trans fats, and calories.

A quick scan of Panda Express' nutritional information reveals a different story, however, at least one that has been taking shape in recent years with a more mindful push toward healthy eating. Per the chain's website, it has been gradually reducing sodium and sugar content, its foods have no added MSG, and none of its menu items contains unhealthy trans fats, which contribute to heart disease.  

You may actually be surprised to see just how many options you can order at Panda Express without breaking 500 calories. Many fall under its Wok Smart threshold, which means the menu item contains less than 300 calories as well as over 8 grams of protein. Keep in mind that in addition to these a la carte items, diners can choose bowls or plates that includes sides, like chow mein or fried rice, as well as multiple entrées that come with their own nutritional counts. Regardless, if you are craving Panda Express, you should know that there are many options to enjoy that are healthier than some of the other fast food establishments out there.

You will be happy to know that the fan-favorite Broccoli Beef is one of the healthier menu options at Panda Express. As one of the chain's Wok Smart entrees, it contains only 150 calories per serving. It also has one of the lowest sodium counts of any entrée on the menu, clocking in at 520 milligrams. The beef and broccoli come tossed in a ginger soy sauce, adding a nice zesty flavor without packing on too many additional calories, as condiments can sometimes do.

The Broccoli Beef gets a lot of points in the nutrient department from the fact that it contains a healthy dose of broccoli, which contains a lot of vitamins and minerals,such as vitamins C and K. Thankfully, broccoli is a popular vegetable among both adults and kids, so you do not have to worry about picky eaters enjoying this option. It is a great way to stick to healthy eating while still enjoying the convenience and tastiness of fast casual dining.

Many of us looking for healthy meal alternatives often turn to chicken as our protein of choice. Lean white poultry meat is also lower in fat than some other meats, making it a great central component of any dish while still being quite versatile in how you dress it up. The Mushroom Chicken at Panda Express offers multiple perks, such as the fact that one serving contains only 220 calories.

Beyond the health statistics, it is also a great meal option if you like mushrooms. The health benefits of mushrooms are numerous, including the fact that they come loaded with antioxidants, potassium, and vitamin B. The Mushroom Chicken also comes with zucchini, another veggie that is dense with vitamins and other nutrients. It is all tossed in a light ginger soy sauce, so you will not feel that the added condiment is weighing your food down or counteracting the healthiness of the dish.

It might cost you slightly more to add this premium entrée to your bowl or plate, but Panda Express' Black Pepper Angus Steak really packs in the flavor. The steak comes served with baby broccoli, onions, red bell peppers, and mushrooms. It is then tossed in a spicy black pepper sauce, so if you are somewhat averse to heat, you may want to sit this one out. But if you are all about spicy food, this might be your new favorite thing from Panda Express.

What makes this entrée even better is that it falls under the Wok Smart category, with only 210 calories as well as 19 grams of protein, 13 grams of carbohydrates, and 560 milligrams of sodium. That is not all that bad, considering you are eating at a fast food establishment. Do not question whether or not it is too good to be true because you can absolutely dive into a bowl of Black Pepper Angus Steak and feel good about your choice.

No surprises here: Vegetables are good for you. But let's break down the science behind why veggies are recommended so often by every dietician, nutritionist, and medical expert. Vegetables are an important part of our daily diet, thanks to the multitude of vitamins and nutrients they contain that are vital to our health. You do not have to commit to a vegetarian or vegan diet to eat enough of them in your day-to-day life; in fact, the latest dietary guidelines in the U.S. recommend adults eat two to four cups of vegetables per day. That is quite achievable as long as you make sure to prominently include them in your lunch and dinner.

With that in mind, a side of Super Greens versus rice or chow mein noodles from Panda Express is a great way to ensure you are working your way toward that recommended threshold. Specifically, the side of greens includes broccoli, kale, and cabbage, all excellent ingredients to incorporate into our diets. When looking at the numbers, you are adding only 90 calories to your meal by choosing this side.

When choosing an entrée at Panda Express, there are a couple of basic questions you have to answer. First, what kind of meat do you want? Second, what do you want to come with that meat? So if you know you want chicken but you are not a fan of mushrooms, there are still plenty of options to choose from. One of those is String Bean Chicken Breast, which comes with string beans and onions that are tossed in a ginger soy sauce. It clocks in at 210 calories with 12 grams of fat, 12 grams of protein, and 560 milligrams of sodium.

Now, we know what you are probably thinking by now: Where is the Orange Chicken? It is, after all, one of the most popular options at Panda Express. Well, we are sorry to say that it does not qualify as a Wok Smart entrée. A serving of Orange Chicken has 490 calories, 23 grams of fat, 25 grams of protein, and 820 milligrams of sodium. It is mighty tasty -– that we cannot deny. But if you are looking for an alternative meal idea, the String Bean Chicken Breast will cut back significantly on both the calories and the sodium.

One of the newer menu items to be added at Panda Express, the Sizzling Shrimp brings the heat while still offering diners a healthy meal option. The shrimp is accompanied by baby broccoli, and the two are tossed together in a sweet and spicy sauce. It is big on flavor, and fortunately it does not have to sacrifice its nutritional value to get there. This entrée has only 130 calories and offers 12 grams of protein.

That protein is largely thanks to the shrimp, which is one of the most protein-dense animals out there that we regularly consume. If you are a seafood fan, you will be happy to know that shrimp is packed with nutrients, and since this dish is not fried like its Honey Walnut counterpart, there is very little added fat. Combine that with the baby broccoli, which also contains a number of healthy nutrients, and you have the makings of a healthy meal option the next time you visit Panda Express.

Aside from Orange Chicken, one of the more universally beloved entrees at Panda Express has got to be the Grilled Teriyaki Chicken. Teriyaki sauce is a popular crowd-pleasing condiment, and customers love the fact that the chicken is hand-sliced to order –- so you know it is ultra-fresh. In fact, Panda Express notes that the availability of the grilled chicken might vary depending on your location, so if you know you want it, be sure to visit at the start of the lunch or dinner rush.

All in all, the Grilled Teriyaki Chicken contains 275 calories per serving, with 470 milligrams of sodium. It also packs in a whopping 33 grams of protein, making it one of the best menu options to choose if that metric is important to you and your diet. Pair it with a side of Super Greens and you have yourself a nutrient-dense meal, which is not something you can often say about other fast food establishments.

Because the teriyaki sauce is added to the grilled chicken, you can always ask for the sauce to come on the side or simply add less if you want to cut back even further on the calories and sodium.

Aside from the usual suspects of chicken and beef, you can also enjoy a healthy dose of shrimp at Panda Express. One of the popular seafood options on the menu is the Honey Walnut Shrimp; a premium option that will cost you an additional $1.25. Fans of the dish will argue that it is well worth the cost, with the tempura-battered shrimp coated in honey and topped with glazed walnuts.

This entrée has a respectable 11 grams of protein, 590 milligrams of sodium, and 360 calories. It is a little higher on the caloric scale than some of the other options in our list, and it technically does not qualify as a Wok Smart menu item. However, the shrimp itself is high in protein as well as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making it a healthy option to include in your diet if you are a big seafood fan. One could easily argue that the benefits associated with shrimp are worth the few extra calories that come from the fact that it is deep fried.

There are several different options for your side dish when ordering a meal at Panda Express. If you want something a little heartier than the Super Greens vegetables, you can choose from a selection of rice as well as chow mein. Your best bet here would be to go with the side of brown steamed rice, which contains 420 calories. We all love a big scoop of fried rice, which has 520 calories per serving, but if you want to stay as health-conscious as possible, you will want to opt for the steamed option instead.

Panda Express' white steamed rice actually comes in at 380 calories, less than that of the brown rice option, but its serving size is also more than two ounces smaller, per the chain's nutrition information. Opting for white rice also means losing out on a lot of the naturally occurring nutrients that you find in brown rice. A serving of brown rice contains higher levels of fiber, manganese, magnesium, and selenium compared with what you would find in white rice.

If you are really hungry and want something a little extra on the side to go with your meal at Panda Express, the fast food chain offers a few different appetizers to accompany your bowl or plate. While it may be tempting to go for the Cream Cheese Rangoons, you are better off opting for the Chicken Potstickers if your location offers them.

Potstickers from Panda Express are pan-seared, not deep fried, so you would be cutting down on the calories and fat. All of the additives that come from frying, while tasty, are a major contributing factor to one's risk for heart disease. Specifically, the Chicken Potstickers have only 160 calories, and they also contain fewer carbohydrates, fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol than the Cream Cheese Rangoons. The potstickers also come in lower on all of those metrics when compared to the Vegetable Spring Rolls and Chicken Egg Rolls that are also available at Panda Express. Just one Chicken Egg Roll has more calories than three potstickers, so you definitely get more bang for your buck health-wise by choosing the latter.

No one would argue that a bowl filled with fortune cookies is as nutrient-dense as a bowl filled with broccoli. But when it comes to desserts, a fortune cookie is much more innocuous than most of the sweets typically found at fast food restaurants. In fact, one fortune cookie at Panda Express has only 20 calories, so you would need to eat quite a few to even come close to more traditional desserts, like the chain's Chocolate Chunk Cookie, which contains 160 calories. We often think of dessert as something that could totally throw an otherwise healthy meal off-balance, but in the case of fortune cookies, one (or several) is not going to tip the scales.

Plus, whatever fortune is found inside the cookie could lift your spirits and offer good luck, and we think that is totally worth taking a bite. They come included with your meal at Panda Express, so you do not even have to shell out any extra cash to enjoy them.