Panda Express With Diabetes: How to Build a Plate That Fits Your Numbers

Panda Express is one of the most popular fast-casual chains in the country, and it is also one of the trickiest for anyone counting carbohydrate. The entrees look like meat and vegetables, but many of them come in a sweet sauce, and the sides are big portions of noodles or rice. The good news is that the menu also has several entrees that list only 8 to 14 g of carbohydrate, and a vegetable side that lists 5 g of fiber. This guide lays out the listed numbers for sides, entrees, appetizers, sauces, and drinks, then builds four example plates so you can see where the carbohydrate comes from.

Quick answer: At Panda Express, the sides and the sweet, breaded entrees carry most of the carbohydrate. In the database we used, Chow Mein lists 80 g, Fried Rice lists 85 g, and Steamed White Rice lists 86 g per side, while Orange Chicken lists 38 g, Beijing Beef lists 46 g, and SweetFire Chicken Breast lists 47 g per entree serving. The lower-carbohydrate entrees are Grilled Teriyaki Chicken (8 g), Steamed Ginger Fish (8 g), Black Pepper Angus Steak (10 g), Mushroom Chicken (11 g), Broccoli Beef (13 g), and String Bean Chicken Breast (13 g). Super Greens is the vegetable side. Choosing Super Greens for your side instead of noodles or rice changes a plate more than any other single decision. Those numbers come from a third-party database, and a second database lists larger portions for some items, so check the Panda Express app for your actual order. This is general education, not medical advice.

How to read these numbers

Every figure in this guide comes from FastFoodNutrition.org, a database that says Panda Express is its source. The official Panda Express nutrition pages were not available to us, so we could not compare against Panda Express’s own current calculator. We did cross-check a few items against a second site, BowlMacros, which says it uses official Panda Express data but does not name a document or a date. That site listed bigger numbers for several sides: Chow Mein at 600 calories and 94 g of carbohydrate, Fried Rice at 620 calories and 101 g, Steamed White Rice at 520 calories and 118 g, and Super Greens at 130 calories and 14 g, along with Orange Chicken at 510 calories. The most likely explanation is that the two sites define a “side” or an “entree” differently (a full side versus a smaller listed serving), but we could not confirm that. The takeaway is that the numbers in the tables below may understate a full-size side, so use them to compare items against each other, and check the app for the real figure.

Two other cautions. A listed serving is a weight, and a server’s scoop can be bigger or smaller. And in the plate math below we simply add up the listed values for one serving of each item, so a bowl, plate, or bigger tray will differ.

Step 1: The side (this is the big one)

Panda Express plates, bowls, and bigger meals start with a side. Here are the options side by side.

Numbers per FastFoodNutrition.org, which lists Panda Express as its source and shows no update date on most pages (Orange Chicken shows 2/23/2023 and Black Pepper Angus Steak shows 4/21/2020). Recipes, portions, and sauces change. Verify in the Panda Express app or nutrition calculator before you rely on any figure.

Every starch side lists 73 to 87 g of carbohydrate in the database. Steamed Brown Rice lists 87 g with 4 g of fiber, and Steamed White Rice lists 86 g with 0 g, so choosing brown over white mostly changes fiber, not carbohydrate. Chow Mein lists 6 g of fiber, a little more than the rice options, and Fried Rice lists only 1 g. Super Greens (the side) lists 10 g of carbohydrate and 5 g of fiber for 7 oz, a very different profile from the starch options. Note that the entree version of Super Greens is a smaller 3.5 oz serving that lists 5 g, so be careful not to compare the two directly.

Step 2: The entrees

This is where sauce matters. The entrees below are grouped by how much carbohydrate they list, from lower to higher.

Lower in listed carbohydrate

Numbers per FastFoodNutrition.org, which lists Panda Express as its source and shows no update date on most pages (Orange Chicken shows 2/23/2023 and Black Pepper Angus Steak shows 4/21/2020). Recipes, portions, and sauces change. Verify in the Panda Express app or nutrition calculator before you rely on any figure.

These eight entrees list 8 to 14 g of carbohydrate each. The two grilled chicken entrees are the highest in protein at 36 g, and String Bean Chicken Breast has the most fiber at 4 g. Even in this group, the sugars column is worth a glance: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken lists 8 g of sugars out of 8 g of carbohydrate, which tells you the carbohydrate there is nearly all sauce.

Higher in listed carbohydrate

Numbers per FastFoodNutrition.org, which lists Panda Express as its source and shows no update date on most pages (Orange Chicken shows 2/23/2023 and Black Pepper Angus Steak shows 4/21/2020). Recipes, portions, and sauces change. Verify in the Panda Express app or nutrition calculator before you rely on any figure.

These four list 35 to 47 g of carbohydrate in a single entree serving, and three of them list 14 to 27 g of sugars. SweetFire Chicken Breast lists 27 g of sugars, and Beijing Beef lists 24 g. Both the breading and the sweet sauce contribute, and the database does not separate them. If you are choosing one of these, a smaller portion or splitting it with someone is the straightforward way to cut the total.

Step 3: Appetizers, sauces, and drinks

Numbers per FastFoodNutrition.org, which lists Panda Express as its source and shows no update date on most pages (Orange Chicken shows 2/23/2023 and Black Pepper Angus Steak shows 4/21/2020). Recipes, portions, and sauces change. Verify in the Panda Express app or nutrition calculator before you rely on any figure.

One egg roll lists 16 g of carbohydrate, two veggie spring rolls list 22 g, and three cream cheese rangoon list 24 g. Hot & Sour Soup is listed at 120 calories for a cup and 170 for a bowl with 7 to 10 g of protein, but the database did not list carbohydrate for the soup, so we cannot give you a number.

Numbers per FastFoodNutrition.org, which lists Panda Express as its source and shows no update date on most pages (Orange Chicken shows 2/23/2023 and Black Pepper Angus Steak shows 4/21/2020). Recipes, portions, and sauces change. Verify in the Panda Express app or nutrition calculator before you rely on any figure.

The extra sauce packets are easy to overlook. A 1.8 oz serving of Sweet & Sour Sauce lists 21 g of carbohydrate and 20 g of sugars, and Teriyaki Sauce lists 15 g and 13 g. A packet of soy sauce lists 0 g. If you add dipping sauce to a low-carbohydrate entree, you can erase its advantage.

Drinks are the last thing to check. The database listed only calories for the fountain drinks and no carbohydrate or sugar values. A small Pepsi or Tropicana Lemonade lists 240 calories, a medium lists 330, and a large lists 460, and China Mist Iced Tea lists 0 calories. Because carbohydrate is not listed for the sweetened drinks, we are not giving a gram figure, but the calories show how much a regular soda or lemonade can add. Diet Pepsi and unsweetened tea are the usual swaps.

Four example plates, with the math

Below are four plates built from the listed servings. We added the numbers ourselves. These are examples to show how the choices stack up, not recommendations.

Numbers per FastFoodNutrition.org, which lists Panda Express as its source and shows no update date on most pages (Orange Chicken shows 2/23/2023 and Black Pepper Angus Steak shows 4/21/2020). Recipes, portions, and sauces change. Verify in the Panda Express app or nutrition calculator before you rely on any figure.

• Plate 1 pairs Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with the Super Greens side. The listed carbohydrate adds up to 18 g, with 390 calories and 42 g of protein.
• Plate 2 uses Broccoli Beef and String Bean Chicken Breast over Super Greens. It lists 36 g of carbohydrate, 11 g of fiber, and 29 g of protein.
• Plate 3 is the classic mix of Chow Mein, Orange Chicken, and Broccoli Beef. It lists 131 g of carbohydrate and 1030 calories.
• Plate 4 adds Fried Rice, Orange Chicken, Beijing Beef, and an egg roll. It lists 185 g of carbohydrate, 1560 calories, and 43 g of sugars.

One swap shows how much the side matters. Take Plate 3 and replace the Chow Mein (80 g) with the Super Greens side (10 g): 131 minus 80 plus 10 equals 61 g. The difference between Plate 1 and Plate 4 is 185 minus 18 equals 167 g. Remember that these are listed servings and that a second database lists larger sides, so a real plate may be higher.

A simple ordering method

1. Start with the side. Super Greens is the only side that lists under 15 g of carbohydrate. Ask for double greens, or a half-and-half if your location offers it, and check how it is listed in the app.
2. Pick entrees from the lower-carbohydrate group. Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Steamed Ginger Fish, Black Pepper Angus Steak, Mushroom Chicken, Broccoli Beef, and String Bean Chicken Breast all list 13 g or less.
3. Treat the sweet entrees as a choice, not a default. Orange Chicken, Beijing Beef, SweetFire Chicken Breast, and Honey Walnut Shrimp each list 35 g or more.
4. Skip or limit the extra sauce. Sweet & Sour packets list 21 g each, and teriyaki lists 15 g.
5. Check the app before you order. The app lets you build the exact plate, and its numbers should override anything on this page.

If you want a refresher on reading carbohydrate and fiber on a label, see our nutrition label carb guide. For the bigger picture on meals, the type 2 diabetes diet guide explains how to build a plate around your numbers. If you like how the build-your-own approach works, our Chipotle guide uses the same method.

Tracking your own response

The tables tell you what is in the food. They do not tell you what the meal will do to your glucose, which is different for each person and depends on your medicines, activity, and what you ate earlier. If you use a meter or a CGM, the post-meal glucose tracker is a simple way to log what you ordered next to your readings, and our guide to reading CGM data explains what to look for. Some people also take a short walk after a meal, which we cover in walking after meals.

Common mistakes

• Judging an entree by how healthy it looks. Orange Chicken and Beijing Beef list 38 and 46 g of carbohydrate, while Broccoli Beef lists 13 g.
• Ignoring the sauce. A packet of Sweet & Sour Sauce lists 21 g of carbohydrate and 20 g of sugars.
• Treating the side as a small add-on. A single side of Chow Mein, Fried Rice, or rice lists 80 g or more.
• Assuming “brown” cuts the carbohydrate. Brown rice here lists 87 g, slightly more than white, with a little more fiber.
• Trusting one number. Two databases disagree about portion sizes, so verify in the app.
• Forgetting the drink. A large fountain drink lists 460 calories.
• Changing medicine around a meal on your own. That decision belongs with your prescriber.

Questions to bring to your appointment

• How many grams of carbohydrate should a restaurant meal have for me?
• Should I look at total carbohydrate, or total minus fiber, when I plan a meal?
• Do my medicines mean I should plan differently when I eat out?
• Would a CGM or a meter log help me learn how my body responds to these meals?
• Is a short walk after eating something I should add?

Frequently asked questions

Is Panda Express okay for someone with type 2 diabetes?

Many people with type 2 diabetes eat at Panda Express by choosing carefully. The menu has entrees that list 8 to 14 g of carbohydrate and a vegetable side, and also sweet, breaded entrees and starchy sides that list 35 to 87 g each. The right choices depend on your own targets, so ask your care team what range fits you.

What is the lowest-carbohydrate meal at Panda Express?

In the database we used, a plate of Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with the Super Greens side adds up to 18 g of carbohydrate. Other low-listed entrees include Steamed Ginger Fish (8 g), Black Pepper Angus Steak (10 g), and Mushroom Chicken (11 g). Check the app, because recipes and portions change.

Is Orange Chicken high in carbohydrate and sugar?

The database lists 38 g of carbohydrate and 14 g of sugars for a 5.7 oz serving, with 370 calories. A second site that says it uses official data lists 510 calories for Orange Chicken, so portions may vary. Treat it as one of the higher-carbohydrate entrees.

Is brown rice better than white rice at Panda Express?

In the database, brown rice lists 87 g of carbohydrate and 4 g of fiber, and white rice lists 86 g and 0 g. The fiber is higher with brown, but the carbohydrate is about the same, so neither is a low-carbohydrate choice. Super Greens is the lower-carbohydrate side.

How many carbs are in Panda Express chow mein?

The database lists 80 g of carbohydrate and 6 g of fiber for a 9.4 oz serving. A second database lists 94 g and 600 calories for a full side, so a real serving may be larger. Check the Panda Express app for the portion you are actually served.

Which Panda Express sauces and extras add the most sugar?

Sweet & Sour Sauce lists 20 g of sugars in a 1.8 oz serving and Teriyaki Sauce lists 13 g. Among entrees, SweetFire Chicken Breast lists 27 g of sugars and Beijing Beef lists 24 g. Soy sauce lists none.

Will this meal raise my blood sugar?

Nobody can say from the nutrition label alone. How you respond depends on your medicines, your activity, and what else you have eaten. A meter or CGM log is the best way to see your own pattern, and your care team can help you read it.

About the author: Charles Kirkland is the founder of Metabolic Clarity Labs and author of The Journey Back. He is not a physician. This is general education, not a medically reviewed treatment plan.

Sources checked October 31, 2026. Discuss personal decisions with a qualified clinician. Do not start, stop, or change prescribed treatment based on this article.