When trying to maintain a healthy diet, dining out can present challenges, especially at fast-food restaurants. If you're craving Chinese-American cuisine while following a low-carb or ketogenic diet, Panda Express offers several options that can fit your nutritional goals. This guide explores low-carb choices at Panda Express, helping you navigate the menu and make informed decisions.
Understanding Low-Carb and Keto
The term "low-carb" generally refers to diets that restrict carbohydrate intake. For this article, we will consider dishes with 15 grams of carbs or less per serving as low-carb options at Panda Express. Keto diets are even more restrictive, focusing on high-fat, moderate-protein, and very low-carb intake to induce a metabolic state called ketosis.
While Panda Express doesn't have designated "keto" dishes, the Super Greens side dish is the lowest in carbs and can be paired with a protein like Grilled Teriyaki Chicken or Black Pepper Angus Steak for a keto-friendly meal.
Navigating the Panda Express Menu for Low-Carb Options
Panda Express is known for its sweet sauces, marinated chicken, rice, and lo mein, which can make eating low-carb seem impossible. However, with the right choices, it's feasible to enjoy a meal while staying within your macros.
Dishes to Avoid
- Rice and Noodles: Steamy bowls of fried rice and chow mein are high in carbs. A single serving of chow mein has about 80 grams of carbs, which is not suitable for a keto diet.
- Appetizers: Spring rolls, cream cheese rangoons, and egg rolls are made with high-carb wrappers and are often deep-fried.
- Sweet Sauces: Orange chicken and other dishes with sweet glazes are high in sugar. Orange chicken, for example, contains 19 grams of sugar per serving.
Tips for Ordering Low-Carb
- Skip the Sauces: Avoid dishes tossed or covered in sauces, as many Panda Express sauces are high in carbs. If possible, order sauces on the side to control your intake. Avoid anything with "honey" or "sweet" in the name.
- Control Portion Sizes: If a dish has slightly more carbs than you'd like, consider eating only half a serving. For example, Black Pepper Angus Steak has 10 grams of carbs per serving; eating half would reduce it to 5 grams.
- Spice It Up: Add spice to your meal with keto-friendly options to enhance flavor without adding carbs.
Low-Carb Entrees at Panda Express
Here are some of the best low-carb entrees available at Panda Express:
Read also: Panda Express Keto Menu Items
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken: This is often considered the top keto-friendly option at Panda Express. With 36 grams of protein and only around 8 grams of carbs per serving, it's a great choice. The grilled chicken thighs are hand-sliced and topped with teriyaki sauce.
- Calories: 300
- Protein: 36 grams
- Net Carbs: 8 grams
- Black Pepper Angus Steak: This dish features tender beef with asparagus, mushrooms, onions, and red bell peppers coated in a savory black pepper sauce.
- Calories: 180
- Protein: 19 grams
- Net Carbs: 9 grams
- String Bean Chicken Breast: This flavorful option includes chicken breast, string beans, and onions tossed in a ginger-soy sauce.
- Calories: 190
- Protein: 14 grams
- Net Carbs: 9 grams
- Kung Pao Chicken: A Sichuan-inspired dish with chicken, peanuts, zucchini, onion, red bell peppers, and chili peppers.
- Calories: 290
- Protein: 16 grams
- Net Carbs: 12 grams
- Mushroom Chicken: This Cantonese-inspired dish includes chicken, mushrooms, and zucchini glazed in a ginger-soy sauce.
- Calories: 220
- Protein: 13 grams
- Net Carbs: 9 grams
- Steamed Ginger Fish: A good protein source with low carbs.
- Broccoli Beef: Tender beef and fresh broccoli in a ginger-soy sauce.
- Calories: 150
- Protein: 9 grams
- Net Carbs: 11 grams
- Black Pepper Chicken: Marinated chicken, celery, and onions in a zesty black pepper sauce.
- Calories: 280
- Protein: 13 grams
- Net Carbs: 14 grams
Low-Carb Sides at Panda Express
- Super Greens: This is the only side dish at Panda Express that is truly keto-friendly. It's a mix of broccoli, kale, and cabbage, providing fiber and essential nutrients.
- Calories: 90
- Protein: 6 grams
- Net Carbs: 5 grams
Drinks
The best option to drink is always water.
Modifying Your Order
Panda Express offers the option to order entrees in a bowl, a takeout container, or a styrofoam container. Opting for a bowl with one main dish and one side is the best way to control carbs.
Addressing Common Questions
- Is Panda Express keto-friendly? Panda Express is not the most keto-friendly restaurant, but it does offer several low-carb options.
- Is Sweetfire Chicken Breast keto? No, Sweetfire Chicken Breast is not keto-friendly, as it contains 47 grams of net carbs per order.
- Are egg rolls at Panda Express keto? No, egg rolls and spring rolls are not keto-friendly due to their high-carb wrappers and deep-frying.
- Is Black Pepper Chicken at Panda Express keto? Black Pepper Chicken can be challenging to fit into a keto diet, as one bowl with mixed veggies contains 20 grams of net carbs.
- What meat has the most protein at Panda Express? Grilled Teriyaki Chicken has the most protein, with 36 grams per serving.
- Are Super Greens from Panda keto? Yes, Super Greens are keto-friendly, with only 4 grams of net carbs per serving.
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