Panda Express is a popular fast food chain that serves American Chinese cuisine. It is well-known for its bowls, which allow customers to customize their entrée by choosing a base, protein, and side dishes. With so many options to mix and match, many Panda Express fans wonder just how many calories are in the restaurant’s signature bowls.
What’s in a Panda Express Bowl?
A Panda Express bowl starts with a base of white or brown rice or chow mein noodles. Customers then choose a protein, such as orange chicken, string bean chicken breast, or beef with broccoli. Each protein contains a different amount of calories. Finally, sides like steamed or fried vegetables and fortune cookies can be added to complete the bowl.
The variety of ingredients that can make up a Panda Express bowl means that calorie counts can vary greatly. In general, dishes with crispy, fried proteins and sides will contain more calories than items prepared with steam or grilled preparations. Chow mein noodles also pack more calories per serving than plain white rice.
Nutrition Information for Panda Express Menu Items
Panda Express provides nutrition information for all menu items on its website. This allows customers to view calorie counts for each component of a bowl. Here is the calorie count for some common Panda Express bowl ingredients:
- White rice: 180 calories per 5.75 oz serving
- Brown rice: 190 calories per 5.75 oz serving
- Chow mein noodles: 420 calories per 6 oz serving
- Chicken breast: 180 calories per 6 oz serving
- String bean chicken breast: 200 calories per 6 oz serving
- Orange chicken: 330 calories per 6.5 oz serving
- Beef with broccoli: 180 calories per 6 oz serving
- Steamed mixed veggies: 60 calories per 6 oz serving
- Fried green beans: 190 calories per 6 oz serving
As you can see, calorie counts for proteins vary significantly. Chicken breast is relatively light at 180 calories, while crispy orange chicken packs 330 calories per serving. Choosing lower calorie substitutions, like string bean chicken breast instead of orange chicken, can result in a lower calorie bowl.
Low Calorie Bowl Options
Using the nutrition information provided by Panda Express, we can determine some of the lowest calorie bowls.
A bowl with the following ingredients would contain around 440 calories:
- White rice: 180 calories
- Chicken breast: 180 calories
- Steamed mixed veggies: 60 calories
- Fortune cookie: 20 calories
Swapping the white rice for chow mein noodles would bring the total calories up to around 640 in this bowl.
Another lower calorie combination would be:
- White rice: 180 calories
- String bean chicken breast: 200 calories
- Steamed mixed veggies: 60 calories
This meal would contain 440 calories without any additional add-ons like a fortune cookie.
High Calorie Bowl Options
On the opposite side of the spectrum, here are some higher calorie bowl choices:
- Chow mein noodles: 420 calories
- Orange chicken: 330 calories
- Fried green beans: 190 calories
- Fortune cookie: 20 calories
This comes out to a total of 960 calories.
Another high calorie bowl could be:
- White rice: 180 calories
- Orange chicken: 330 calories
- Fried green beans: 190 calories
Leaving out the fortune cookie, this still comes to 700 calories.
Sample Panda Express Bowl Calorie Counts
To give you an idea of the calorie range for some typical Panda Express bowls, here are a few sample meal combinations and their total calories:
| Bowl Ingredients | Calories |
|---|---|
| White rice, chicken breast, steamed mixed veggies | 440 calories |
| Chow mein noodles, string bean chicken breast, steamed mixed veggies | 680 calories |
| White rice, beef with broccoli, steamed mixed veggies | 440 calories |
| Brown rice, orange chicken, fried green beans | 700 calories |
| Chow mein noodles, orange chicken, fried green beans, fortune cookie | 960 calories |
As you can see, it’s easy to customize a relatively low calorie bowl under 500 calories or splurge on higher calorie ingredients for bowls over 700 calories or more. Keeping an eye on nutrition counts for sauces, proteins, and sides can help you stick to your health and dietary goals when ordering Panda Express.
Tips for Creating Lower Calorie Bowls at Panda Express
If you’re looking for ways to cut calories when ordering a Panda Express bowl, keep these tips in mind:
- Opt for white or brown rice over chow mein noodles as the base – rice is about 200 fewer calories per serving
- Choose grilled or steamed proteins like chicken, shrimp, or tofu
- Load up on lower calorie steamed veggies like mixed veggies, green beans, and broccoli
- Ask for sauce on the side and use sparingly or skip entirely to cut calories
- Avoid crispy fried items like orange chicken, honey sesame chicken, and fried green beans
- Say no to high calorie add-ons like cream cheese rangoons and extras like fortune cookies
Being mindful about each component of your Panda Express bowl can help lower the overall calorie content substantially. You can still enjoy the flavors you love in moderation by customizing your meal.
Conclusion
At Panda Express, the calorie counts for bowls can range widely depending on your ingredient choices. Bowls with white or brown rice, grilled proteins like chicken breast, and steamed vegetables tend to be lower in calories. Meanwhile, crispy fried menu items like orange chicken can drive up the calories quickly. Paying attention to the nutrition information provided by Panda Express allows you to customize lower or higher calorie bowls to suit your preferences and health needs. While it’s possible to keep bowls under 500 calories, combinations with fried proteins, heavy sauces, chow mein noodles and fried sides can pack 700 calories or more. Being mindful about each ingredient you select allows you to enjoy Panda Express while sticking to your dietary goals.
