Panda Express Items You Should Absolutely Never Order
Panda Express Items You Should Absolutely Never Order? and Why? If you don’t know about it, you have come to the right place. Here is all the information about it.
What about Panda Express? If so, you are not by yourself. This well-liked fast food restaurant is well-known for its delectable, inexpensive & swiftly prepared Chinese-inspired cuisine.
However, not all Panda Express products are made equally. In fact, there are a few menu items you ought to never ever order.
We’ll look at the worst Panda Express menu items to order in this article & discuss why. In order to let you enjoy your meal without compromising your health, We’ll also offer some advice on how to choose healthier options at Panda Express.
Panda Express Items You Should Absolutely Never Order? & Why?
We all love and detest Panda Express, the Chinese fast-food restaurant. On the one hand, Panda Express offers remarkably quick, delectable, and occasionally addictive food (we’re looking at you, orange chicken).
On the other hand, we can’t help but believe that the food we’re eating must be some kind of chemically created recipe that will make us want to eat more and more, putting on weight as we indulge.
Since the early 1980s, Panda Express has only been more well-known and is now available in thousands of restaurants, serving real Chinese-American cuisine.
How delicious, though, are some of the items that Panda Express serves? Some might not be a good choice if you have serious allergies, while others might make your day’s worth of calories.
And some simply fall short of your expectations. We dove deep to discover more about these menu items in order to truly understand. You should never, ever order any of these at Panda Express.
Fried Rice from Panda Express
Fried rice is one of those staples at Panda Express, with its traditional mix of carrots, peas, and green onions.
If you’re very intelligent, you’ll grab that gorgeous combination of fried rice and chow mein if you know how to ask for it. Otherwise, you just order it without giving it a second thought. But what exactly are you getting in that dish of rice?
If you have a shellfish or nut allergy, this is absolutely not the side for you, a Panda Express staffer said on Reddit.
They explained, “It’s directly next to the Honey Walnut Shrimp and occasionally we drop food when serving. For people with particular sensitivities, it can be extremely problematic because of the near closeness.
Even if allergies aren’t a problem for you, the dish’s freshness can be enough to make you decide to pass on it.
When a client asked why their order of rice was hard, a different Panda Express staff responded on Reddit, “If it’s not empty it won’t get refilled.”
Teriyaki Chicken from Panda Express
With only 300 calories, 13 carbs, and a massive 36 grams of protein per dish, Panda Express’ Teriyaki Chicken is actually a pretty good choice for those managing their calorie intake.
Additionally, if you only want the grilled chicken, request it with the sauce on the side. However, the hygiene of the food is more important to watch out for than the number of calories it contains.
The Teriyaki Chicken is grilled before moving to the hot line to be cut into serving-sized pieces. That cutting board being used in between orders may not be as clean as you believe, a Panda Express employee claimed on Reddit.
They advised, “Be sure to remind the server to clean the cutting board because sometimes, when we chop up the chicken and put it on the plate, pieces stay in the chopping board,” “It gets cold, and sometimes we pick it up with the chicken with a different order.”
And although it might not seem like the end of the world to some, it clearly has the ability to spread contaminants from the chicken hanging out for too long. Always err on the side of caution.
Beijing Beef from Panda Express
If you’ve ever had the Beijing Beef meal at Panda Express, you undoubtedly already know that its ingredients play a significant role in why it is almost as tasty as the restaurant’s signature Orange Chicken.
Red bell peppers, onions, and crispy (also known as fried) beef are all combined in the entree’s sweet and sour sauce, claims Panda Express. Sounds scrumptious, no?
The dish’s outrageously high fat and saturated fat content—5 grams of saturated fat and 26 grams of total fat for one serving—is not appetizing.
According to Livestrong, a person should consume between 44 and 78 grams of fat per day, based on a diet of 2,000 calories, therefore this dish will undoubtedly account for a significant portion of that.
The comparison of saturated fat at the daily recommended intake of 13 grams, however, is truly concerning.
The American Heart Association advises customers to consume as little saturated fat as possible because it raises cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease. Is that fried beef really worth it if it contains almost half the daily recommended amount?
Orange Chicken from Panda Express
The infamous Panda Express Orange Chicken is included in this list, so you did read that correctly. Hold hold tight while we share a small secret with you.
First off, out of all the dishes on the Panda Express menu, Orange Chicken has the highest calorie count, in part because it is breaded and fried.
The 490 calories per serving (and that’s without the rice!) of this meal are due in part to its crispy, fried exterior, but not exclusively.
Additionally, its 19 grams of sugar and notorious orange sauce play a significant role. However, that is not the only factor to consider while deciding whether to avoid this food.
If you’ve ever had Orange Chicken, you already know how amazing and dangerously addictive the sauce is. However, if the orange chicken batch isn’t fresh, you can end up with food that’s been sitting for a while; the sauce is added to cover this up for you.
One Panda Express employee on Reddit advised against buying orange chicken that isn’t fresh. “Yeah. Despite the fact that it may be the most popular item, occasionally when business is slow and the meal dries out, we add uncooked sauce to keep it moist, they added.
Even my manager believes it’s acceptable as long as I do it behind the clients’ backs. If you still have a yearning the next time, try requesting a fresh batch to be extra certain.
Cream Cheese Rangoon from Panda Express
One of the most iconic Chinese-American foods is wontons, which provide the most ideal crispy, golden, fried vessel for dipping in sweet and sour sauce.
Some eateries use their wonton wrappers to provide only the fried dough, while others make their crab rangoon with cream cheese. None of those routes are used by Panda Express.
Customers can see that this appetizer consists primarily of a wonton wrapper packed with basic, boring cream cheese.
When compared to other places, they were “a lot worse than others,” according to a YouTube review from Happy Man Snacks, who noted that the appetizer didn’t seem to be fully cooked.
A decent wonton should be crisp and golden immediately out of the fryer, but according to a Redditor, Panda Express’ wontons will dry out if they aren’t fresh and are left out too long.
Is it worth it if the wontons you receive aren’t completely excellent considering that each one costs roughly 3 grams of fat?
Shanghai Angus Steak from Panda Express
Panda Express describes the Shanghai Angus Steak as a meal that includes wok-seared steak, string beans, onions, and mushrooms that are all served with a flavorful sauce. Don’t you think that sounds like the ideal healthy choice? Reconsider your position.
This dish only has 310 calories in total, which on the surface seems enticing, but what about when you dig a bit deeper? It turns out that it has 19 grams of fat, making 170 of the 310 calories in it come from fat.
The Shanghai Angus Steak also has 790 milligrams of salt, or more than half of the 1,500 grams per day suggested by the Institute of Medicine, in addition to the absurdly high fat content.
Therefore, the next time the beef and vegetable selection seems like a wonderful idea in comparison to calorie monarchs like Beijing Beef or Orange Chicken, take a deeper look to see what other counts are on the nutrition chart.
Mushroom Chicken from Panda Express
Don’t hold your breath waiting for Panda to deliver the mouthwatering flavor that mushrooms may add to a dish.One of the most monotonous choices on the Panda Express menu might be the mushroom chicken.
It sounds like the perfect mix when the meal is served with mushrooms and zucchini with a light ginger soy sauce.
However, Thrillist claims that the chicken is understated and the mushrooms are mushy, which is clearly not the recipe requirement for superb texture and amazing flavor.
But there are other issues with it as well. Although the Panda Express Mushroom Chicken only has 220 calories per serving, which is fantastic for people trying to reduce their calorie intake, it contains a staggering 840 milligrams of sodium.
You might as well have more than five servings of potato chips if you consume that much sodium.
Eggplant Tofu from Panda Express
As more people become aware of the many advantages of eating tofu, its popularity is growing. Including tofu in your diet can benefit bone health, brain function, and even weight loss, claims Healthline. All wonderful things to get behind, don’t you think?
Unfortunately, you might not experience quite the same health benefit from the product you’re buying at Panda Express.
The Eggplant Tofu from Panda Express is described as a combination of browned tofu, eggplant, and red bell peppers mixed in a special sweet and sour sauce. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Try once more.
This “healthy” option has one of the highest fat counts on their whole menu, even higher than the cream cheese rangoon, at 24 grams, making it one of the fattiest choices available.
This tofu dish is not as healthy as it sounds if you can consume fried cream cheese and yet have less fat in your system for the day.
Honey Walnut Shrimp from Panda Express
Many Panda Express devotees either love or despise Honey Walnut Shrimp. This delicacy consists of tempura-battered shrimp that are cooked and then coated in a honey sauce with candied walnuts. It is a sugary delight, but some find it to be too sweet.
Honey sauce and glazed walnuts (also known as nuts dusted with sweet, sweet sugar) must be consumed in order to experience the syrupy sweetness.
Thrillist claims that the Honey Walnut Shrimp is very sweet and has an odd texture. You’re left with something sticky, goopy, and squishy since the fried shrimp loses its crispness as a result of sitting in the syrupy sweet sauce.
And is that truly worth paying a premium? This entree costs an additional $1.25 at Panda Express because it is a premium shrimp option.
Since they are offering shrimp, it would be entirely fair and acceptable if it were wonderful. However, it doesn’t seem like spending an extra $1 and a quarter for syrupy goop is worth it.
Black Pepper Chicken from Panda Express
You know you’re going to add a lot of sodium to your diet that day if you’re eating at Panda Express for lunch or rushing through the drive-thru on the way home. It is simply a fact.
But is choosing the dish with the greatest sodium content on the entire menu really reasonable? Even though Panda’s Black Pepper Chicken only contains chicken, celery, and onions, it nevertheless packs a salty punch.
It’s incredible that this meal is even on the menu with 1130 mg of sodium per dish. The Institute of Medicine recommends 1,500 milligrams per day, but the World Health Organization advises 2,000 mg, according to Healthline.
And even if there are varying views on how much you should eat, within a 500 milligram range, the conclusion is obvious: this dish contains far too much sugar.
Even without taking into account the additional 860 milligrams for chow mein or 850 milligrams for fried rice, a few pieces of chicken will easily push you above the halfway point for your daily intake. Better to just ignore this choice entirely.
Opening and Closing Hours
Day
Opening Hours
Closing Hours
Monday
10:30 AM
9:30 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM
9:30 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM
9:30 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM
9:30 PM
Friday
10:30 AM
10:00 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM
10:00 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM
9:30 PM
Important Links
Here is a list of links to important information about Panda Express restaurants, like where they are, what they serve, how to work there, and much more.
➥ Panda Express Corporate Phone Number: (626) 799-9898
➥ Panda Express Toll-Free Number: (800) 877-8988
Conclusion
While Panda Express offers a wide range of menu items, it’s important to make informed choices when ordering.
Some menu items, such as Orange Chicken, Fried Rice, Cream Cheese Rangoon, and others mentioned in this article, are high in calories, unhealthy ingredients, sodium, and sugar, so consume them in moderation or avoid them altogether.
By being aware of these items, you can make healthier choices and enjoy a more balanced dining experience.
FAQs About Panda Express Items You Should Absolutely Never Order
Is Panda Express a popular fast food chain?
Yes, Panda Express is a well-known fast food chain specializing in American Chinese cuisine.
Are all items on the Panda Express menu unhealthy?
No, not all items on the menu are unhealthy. Panda Express offers a variety of options, including healthier choices such as steamed vegetables and grilled chicken.
How can I determine the nutritional information of Panda Express menu items?
Panda Express provides nutritional information for their menu items on their official website and in-store brochures. You can also find information on mobile apps and online calorie trackers.
Can I request modifications to make my Panda Express order healthier?
Absolutely! You can request modifications, such as asking for less sauce, opting for steamed dishes instead of fried, or adding extra vegetables to make your order healthier.
Which dishes at Panda Express are lower in sodium?
While many dishes at Panda Express tend to be high in sodium, you can choose options like steamed vegetables, grilled chicken, or plain steamed rice for lower sodium content.
What are some healthier alternatives to popular Panda Express dishes?
Instead of higher-calorie options like Orange Chicken or SweetFire Chicken Breast, you can opt for dishes like Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Broccoli and Beef (with less sauce), or Super Greens.
Can I enjoy Panda Express as part of a balanced diet?
Yes, you can enjoy Panda Express occasionally as part of a balanced diet. It’s important to make mindful choices, control portion sizes, and balance it with other nutritious foods.
What about the Panda Express appetizers?
Some of the appetizers at Panda Express are also quite calorie, fat, and sodium dense. For instance, both the Chicken Egg Rolls & Cream Cheese Rangoon are quite unhealthy. The veggie spring rolls and edamame are two healthier options for an appetizer.
What about the Panda Express kids’ meals?
Additionally unhealthy are the kids’ meals at Panda Express. They are frequently heavy in sodium, fat, and calories. The Broccoli Beef and the Kung Pao Chicken are healthier options for children.
What if I have dietary restrictions?
There are numerous gluten-free, vegan & vegetarian alternatives available at Panda Express. On their website, They offer all of the selections that are suitable for people with dietary restrictions.
This article gives complete information about Panda Express Items You Should Absolutely Never Order.
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