low carb

Panda Express Keto and Low Carb Options – What Can I Eat?

November 18, 2019 by Rich

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re curious wanting to know ahead of time, on your way, or waiting in line at Panda Express. Have no fear as I’ve analyzed the menu items to give you the lowdown on what you can and cannot eat. This post goes in depth and lists out all of the Panda Express keto items.

Last updated: January 23, 2020

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What’s in this Article

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Menu Overview
What are the healthiest and keto meals at Panda Express?
- Bowl Combinations
- Vegetarian/Vegan Option: Ehhhh
Keto Panda Express Infographic
If you want to make your own
Other Tips & Tricks to Stay in Keto
Frequently Asked Questions
- What can I eat at Panda Express on keto?
- Is Panda Express Good for keto diet?

Panda Express employees making a bowl inside the restaurant

What I like about Panda Express is their easy to follow menu. Their biggest strength lies in their menu and process minimization. There are just 4 major categories of foods: Appetizers, Sides, Entrees, and Desserts. They also make it very easy to order in 4 steps:

Pick your Meal Size (Bowl, Plate, or Bigger Plate)
Pick your Sides
Pick your Entrees
Pick your Extras

Appetizers: Not Keto Friendly

I wonder why all the delicious stuff I love have to be an appetizer. Panda Express only has 4 Items which are Chicken Potsticker, Cream Cheese Crab Rangoon, Chicken Eggroll, and Vegetable Spring Roll. As you can imagine, none of these are keto friendly. Without out a doubt, you cannot have any Panda Express Appetizers.

Sides: Only One Keto Option

As you know with Asian food, rice and noodles make up a huge portion of the diet. Sides is where we find these items. Luckily, or maybe not so much (depending on how you look at it) there is just one side item we can order and that’s the Super Greens which is made up of broccoli, kale, and cabbage.

Entrees: Surprisingly lots of options

Panda Express makes it really easy here. Look for the Smart Wok logo. This signifies that the food item has 300 calories and at least 9 grams of protein. Kudos to them because these entrees also happen to be the most keto friendly. They are:

Black Pepper Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
Mushroom Chicken
String Bean Chicken
Broccoli Beef

Desserts: No Bueno!

And as you can guess, what Chinese American restaurant would it be without fortune cookies. This is the category they live in and not surprisingly we can’t have these on the keto diet. You won’t need these cookies because I can already tell your fortune if you were to open and eat one of these babies.

Meal Sizes: “Just the bowl please”

Panda Express Bowl measured at 6.25" x 6.25"

Unfortunately, anything larger than a Bowl is a no-go. Believe me, I sat there for hours trying to create a combo that would stay under 20 grams of net carbs and failed terribly.

A la Carte Sizes

Another option at Panda Express is ordering a la carte. In case you’re wondering, I took the time to measure the a la carte takeout boxes. The one I order happened to be chicken teriyaki.

a la carte boxes laid out and measured — Dimensions of Panda Express a la carte options

Weight of a small chicken teriyaki at 7.1 oz — The small is around 7.1 oz. Pictured above is the portion size of the chicken teriyaki.

the weight of a medium chicken teriyaki a la carte at 1 lb or 16 oz — The medium is around 16 oz or 1 lb. Pictured above is the portion size of the chicken teriyaki.

What I discovered is both the small and medium sized boxes are larger than the serving sizes. as 1 serving size of chicken teriyaki is at 6 ounces, a small at 7.1 oz, and medium at 16 oz. If we do the math, one serving size is about 1.33 grams of net carbs (8 g. of net carbs divided by 6 oz serving size) which would mean the small would be at about 9.44 grams of net carbs (1.33 x 7.1 oz) and a medium at 21.28 (1.33 x 16 oz). Essentially this means, a small a la carte chicken terikyaki is ok as a snack since it falls under 20 grams of net carbs. Just be sure to exclude the teriyaki sauce.

Let’s recap (Do’s and Don’ts):

Do’s

– Only order Super Greens as a side

– Order a “Bowl” sized Meal to stay in ketosis

– Look for the Wok Smart logo:Panda Express denotes these as food items with 300 calories and at least 9 grams of protein

– Chili Sauce and Hot Mustard are OK

Do Not’s

– Orange Chicken, Honey Sesame Chicken, Sweetfire Chicken, Beijjing Beef, and Honey Walnut Shrimp are NOT Keto

– Do Not order any appetizers or desserts. None of those are keto either.

– Do Not order any “Plate” or “Bigger Plate” sized Meals

– If you’re on a strict keto diet, then you might as well turn the other way towards the exit.

– There are no Gluten Free Keto options besides the Super Greens so do not visit if you’re sensitive to gluten

What are the healthiest and keto meals at Panda Express?

Let’s get right into it. Here’s a list ranked from least net carbs to most bowls you can look forward to while getting a Panda Express keto meal.

Bowl Combinations

1. Teriyaki Chicken Bowl

Keto Teriyaki Chicken Bowl with greens on white background

The chicken teriyaki bowl is actually my favorite. This one isn’t too sweet and I really enjoy the chicken flavor on this one. Surprisingly this one had the least amount of net carbs and the highest in protein. Do you see 42 grams of protein in there? I was quite shocked but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. This one’s the value pick for sure. What I like to do is take it home and add some carb free hot sauce over it.

2. Mushroom Chicken Bowl

keto mushroom chicken bowl with super greens on white background

The Mushroom Chicken is actually my second favorite. The seasonings aren’t too strong and the veggies balances the chicken quite nicely. My only complaint is for more chicken!

3. String Bean Chicken Bowl

keto string bean chicken bowl with super greens on white background

This bowl is quite standard. I’m not really a fan of string beans or green beans but will eat it if it’s in front of me. This one is just OK in my book.

4. Broccoli Beef Bowl

keto broccoli beef bowl with super greens on white background

If you love broccoli and beef then this one is for you. Because the broccoli comes with the beef and the super greens already has broccoli in it, I wanted to warn you this bowl is broccoli heavy. In addition, note how low the fat is. The Broccoli Beef has the lowest fat content out of all the keto bowls.

5. Kung Pao Chicken Bowl

keto kung pao chicken bowl with super greens on white background

We’re getting higher in the carb count at 17 grams. Just wanted to point that out. It’s most likely coming from the Bell Peppers in the kung pao chicken. The good news is the high fat content at 22 grams. I’m really OK with this bowl combo. What I do admire is its variety as it packs the most ingredients: Bell Pepper, zuchini, broccoli, chicken, chili pepper, and nuts.

6. Black Pepper Chicken Bowl

keto black pepper chicken bowl with super green on white background

Too bad this one’s the highest in net carbs at 19 grams because it’s my third favorite. I like this one a lot. The celery and onion surprisingly works well together and the chicken meat is so soft and tender. I like the gravy too. A tad sweet which is probably why it’s so high in carbs. The sauce and onion is most likely what drove up the net carb count.

Vegetarian/Vegan Option: Ehhhh

This is not really a great option for vegetarians but they do have Eggplant Tofu which at one serving is already at 20 net carbs. If you want to have one meal a day, then that’s the one to get.

Keto Panda Express Infographic

Top 6 Panda Express Keto bowls infographic

If you want to make your own

If you don’t like any of the combinations I recommended, my feelings won’t get hurt. Here’s a list of everything at Panda Express’s menu under or equal to 20 grams of net carbs. Keep in mind of the serving size and the net carbs. For instance, the Eggplant Tofu dish at a serving size of 6.1 ounces is already at 20 net carbs which may not be worth it if you plan on eating more than one meal that day.

Feel free to mix and match the keto friendly items however you like. If you’re able to find a combo I didn’t think of please share! Let me know and I can update my list as well as credit you.

Other Tips & Tricks to Stay in Keto

You didn’t hear this from me but bring your own carb free sauces such as MCT Oil, and Frank’s Hot Sauce.
Order food to go. When you get home, you can add your own keto friendly staple items such as shirataki noodles. Imagine taking home a bowl and having it with a side of carb free noodles. Wouldn’t that make a more complete meal? I think so.
How about making your own keto Panda Express food? They’re actually not difficult to cook. Check out my recipes for Keto General Tso’s Chicken and Cauliflower Fried Rice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to some of the most asked questions on the web.

What can I eat at Panda Express on keto?

There’s not many keto friendly options but to keep the answer short and simple: super greens, Black Pepper Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Mushroom Chicken, String Bean Chicken, and Broccoli Beef are low enough in carbs to order. I advise checking the nutrition table and to check out my recommended Panda Express Keto meals list.

Is Panda Express Good for keto diet?

The answer depends on whether you’re following a strict or dirty keto diet. If you’re trying to be strict, the answer is no Panda Express is not good for the keto diet as conventional meats, gluten heavy dishes, and high sugar count foods make up the bulk of the menu. It’s also difficult to accurately track the macro-nutrients of each dish as it will depend entirely on the server portioning your food.

However, if you’re on following a dirty keto diet and practicing Intermittent Fasting, then Panda Express can be good as there are a few items to keep you under 20 grams of net carbs. Make sure to check the nutrition table to see what items are carb heavy. You can also check out my recommended list.

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Homemade Hot Italian Keto Sausage Balls – Easy & Cheesy

November 5, 2019 by Rich

Keto snacks. Aside from nuts, berries, and pork rinds there’s not much of them. I feel the pain and here I’ve got the solution to stir things up a bit. My Italian Keto Sausage Balls recipe will do the trick! These are perfect for Netflix binging or as an appetizer prior to the main entree. Ya’ll have to check it out!

Last updated: March 17, 2020

How do you serve them?

As mentioned, these keto sausage cheeseballs can be served in almost any situation making them very versatile for any time of the day. They can be served as an appetizer, watching your favorite sports team, or even as a snack on the go since they hold up pretty well the next day.

As an appetizer, I recommend it to come before to a keto pasta dish or roasted chicken served with a light, crisp salad to balance things off.

Toppings and Dipping Sauce for Keto Sausage Balls

I’m a huge herbs guy. I always like adding some kind of herbs to my dishes as it adds another layer to the flavor. With that said, I recommend it with basil or parsley. The addition of these two will take the keto sausage balls to another level.

As for the dipping sauce, I can’t think of a better match than tomato sauce. I happened to have some Rao’s Pizza Sauce leftover in the fridge and once I tried it with the sausage balls I couldn’t imagine pairing it with anything else! It reminded me of mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce. I haven’t tried with other sauces but it’s not uncommon to have them with ranch dressing, low carb honey mustard, or buffalo wing sauce.

What else goes well with sports? Check out my Keto Pizza Recipe!

What You’ll Need

Oregano
Ground Pork
Apple Cider Vinegar
Paprika
Parmesan Cheese
Almond Flour
Garlic Powder
Baking Powder
Egg
Cheddar Cheese

Some Tips

You can choose either parchment paper or aluminum foil. Both have their pros and cons. If you go with parchment, the sausage balls will not stick but won’t be as crispy. With the aluminium foil, they will be more crispy but will stick to the foil.
- A trick to remove the balls from the foil easier, is to wait for the cheese surrounding the balls to cool down. It will be easier to remove then.
If you want it to be more cheesy, you can easily make keto sausage balls with cream cheese using this existing recipe. Just add 6 ounces of cream cheese on top of the 2 cups of cheddar cheese and 2 oz of parmesan.
If you’re not a fan of the keto sausage balls almond flour combo, you can use coconut flour in place. Keep in mind these flours have different properties so if you’re going to sub in the coconut flour, do:
- Use 1/3 cups of coconut flour instead of 1 cup of almond flour.
- Use 2 eggs instead of 1 egg.
- Coconut Flour tends to absorb liquids so add a quarter cup of water to the recipe. If you find, it’s still dry add more water.

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Spicy Italian Sausage Keto Balls

Quick and easy sausage balls for the keto-er trying to lose weight!

Course dinner, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine American, diet, Italian, keto

Keyword ground pork, sausage

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings people

Calories 480.8kcal

Equipment

Oven
Oven Pan
Icecream Scoop (Optional)
Basting Brush (Optional)

Ingredients

Protein

1 lb Ground Pork
2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 oz Parmesan Cheese

For Baking

1 cup Almond Flour
2 tsp Gluten Free Baking Powder
1 whole Egg

Seasoning

1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Paprika More if you want it spicier
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt (to taste)
Black Pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F°. Line Oven Pan with aluminium foil or parchment paper. Brush olive oil onto pan.

Mixing it all up and Forming Balls

Move the ground pork to a large bowl and crack an egg over it. Then add in the almond flour, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, baking powder, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, Apple Cider Vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Your bowl should look like below once everything has been added.
Mix everything them up with your hands by kneading, sculpting, squeezing.
Pro Tip: Use gloves if you don't want to get your hands dirty.
Once mixed, it should look like below.
Grab about 2 tablespoons full of the mix and roll into the size of a gold ball. Depending on the size of the sausage balls, this recipe yielded me about 26 pieces. Place them neatly on the oven pan.
Note: You can use an icecream scoop but I just used my hands.

Oven Time

Once all of the balls have been placed on the oven pan, move the pan over to the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes and flip them over, then bake for another 10 minutes. After about 20 minutes, balls are ready for plating.
Pro Tip: If you want them more crispy, switch oven to broil and leave in oven for another 2 minutes.

Toppings and Dips

You can garnish with parsley or serve just the way it is. A dipping sauce I like is with low carb tomato sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition info is approximate using the sparkpeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count does not count sugar alcohols. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy of all nutritional facts posted here, especially if you have a medical condition, in which case you should consult with your doctor before using any of the recipes.

Nutrition

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Nutrition Facts

Spicy Italian Sausage Keto Balls

Amount Per Serving (5 pieces)

Calories 480.8 Calories from Fat 362

% Daily Value*

Fat 40.2g62%

Saturated Fat 7.9g49%

Polyunsaturated Fat 4g

Monounsaturated Fat 13.4g

Cholesterol 125.4mg42%

Sodium 344.4mg15%

Potassium 567.2mg16%

Carbohydrates 4.8g2%

Fiber 2.3g10%

Sugar 0.8g1%

Protein 28.6g57%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Amazing Korean Oxtail Soup – Stove Top, Instant Pot, Slow Cooker

November 3, 2019 by Rich

I hate to say it but winter’s coming. It’s getting colder and pretty soon I’ll be bringing out the mitts and snow cap. I’m not much a fan of the cold but I can tell you one thing I’m looking forward to which is Korean oxtail soup! It’s always something I can rely on to get me through the winters. The best part? It’s naturally keto friendly with very low carbs.

Last updated: March 16, 2020

Korean Oxtail Soup Recipe

How to make oxtail soup

One thing about cooking oxtail soup is that it can be time consuming for sure so if you’re in a rush, I suggest making it another day. Don’t let that scare you though as it’s quite easy. The only requirement is time as you need to be around to check on it occasionally. I advise, choosing a day when you plan on binge watching your favorite Netflix series. With that said, there are 3 main parts to how to make oxtail soup. These are: Draining the blood, Removing Impurities, and Simmering. Let’s go into details.

1.) Draining the Oxtail Blood

The very first step before cooking anything is draining the blood from the oxtail. We want the oxtail to be as clean as possible before consumption. What I do is soak the oxtail in cold water. Leave it in the fridge for about 2 hours and in that time span, there will be blood built up at the bottom. What you want to do is drain it. You want to do this at least two times but the more the better as it would result in a cleaner tasting soup. You’ll know when the oxtail is ready when the liquid clears and any buildup is gone.

2.) Removing the Impurities

Once all the blood has been drained, we want to move the oxtail over to a large pot, one big enough to fit in one go. Fill the pot up to the top with cold water, and switch the heat on high. Make sure to leave a few inches of space to prevent soup from overflowing. When it comes to a rolling boil, you’ll notice a layer of foamy like material float to the top. These are the impurities and you want to skim them off.

This is where the differences lie in cooking methods between Stovetop, Instant Pot, and Slow Cooker. I’ve provided instructions for each methods.

3.) Simmering in 3 Ways

Method 1: Oxtail Soup Stove Top

For the stove top, add your spices, aromatics, and any other ingredients for flavoring. In our Korean example, we will be adding Daikon, Peppercorn, scallion whites, and Garlic cloves. Fill the pot up with water, about 8-10 cups or to the top. Make sure to leave a couple of inches of space so the soup doesn’t overflow. We’re going to continue skimming every so often as the impurities will resurface every so often. The good thing about this method is we do not need to move the oxtail anywhere else.
Reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for 3-4 hours. The broth will evaporate over time so make sure to refill with water every so often so that the pot stays full.
Your oxtail soup is now ready. Be aware that the soup hasn’t been seasoned in anyway so it will taste bland. No worries. The beauty about this recipe is seasoning to your taste with scallions, salt, and white pepper.

Method 2: Oxtail Soup Instant Pot

Instead of skimming the impurities, we move the oxtail over to the Instant Pot. Fill it up with water, and close the lid. Switch the mode onto Manual High Pressure for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes are up, release the pressure (you can force release), strain the oxtail and run cold water over it. Don’t worry about this initial broth. I promise, it will not negatively effect the end taste. Clean the pot and follow the next step.

Move the oxtail over to your freshly cleaned inner pot. Now here is where you want to add in your ingredients depending on the type of cuisine. For our example, we’re making this oxtail soup Korean therefore we’ll be adding in the daikon, peppercorns, scallion whites, and garlic cloves.
Then fill the inner pot up with about 8-10 cups of water or to the top.
Set to Meat/Stew Pressure High for 40 minutes.
Once 40 minutes is up, release the pressure naturally. This will be another 15 minutes. Then open the lid.
Your oxtail soup is now ready. Be aware that the soup hasn’t been seasoned in anyway so it will taste bland. No worries. The beauty about this recipe is seasoning to your taste with scallions, salt, and white pepper.

Method 3: Oxtail Soup Slow Cooker

Once all the blood has been drained, we want to move the oxtail over to a large pot, one big enough to fit in one go. Fill the pot up to the top with cold water, and switch the heat on high. We’re just boiling the meat for impurities so don’t worry about not doing it right. When it comes to a rolling boil, you’ll notice a layer of foamy like material float to the top. These are the impurities and you want to skim them off.

Strain the oxtail from the pot and cool with cold running water for a few moments. Then transfer the oxtails to the slow cooker pot.
Add your spices, aromatics, and any other ingredients for flavoring. In our Korean example, we will be adding the Daikon, Peppercorn, Scallion whites, and Garlic cloves. Fill the pot up with water, about 8-10 cups or to the top. Make sure to leave a couple of inches of space so the soup doesn’t overflow.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Once the allotted time is up, your oxtail soup is ready. Be aware that the soup isn’t seasoned and you will need to season to your tastes it with scallions, salt, and white pepper.
Enjoy!

If your soup is too rich in fat

If you’re not a fan of all the fat in the soup, no worries. There are two methods for Korean Oxtail Soup. One way is to skim it off as it’s hot. You’ll see the fat that way or if you’re really lazy, the easiest way is refrigerating it overnight. The next day, you’ll find a layer of hardened fat at the top of the soup. It’s much easier to remove the fat that way. So as I said earlier, cooking oxtail soup is a long process. If you’re not a fan of the fat, then I suggest going this route and making it a day ahead before serving it.

For a clear broth use cheesecloth, tea ball infuser, or strainer

What You’ll Need

Oxtail Soup ingredients spread out on flat blue surface — Just 7 ingredients!

Oxtail
Daikon
Shirataki Noodles
Scallion
White pepper
Peppercorn
Garlic

Korean Oxtail Soup Ingredients Chopped up — How I chopped my veggies

Serve with Kim Chi and Shirataki Noodles

Korean Oxtail Soup is traditionally served with rice and/or noodles but since we’re on a low carb diet, I suggest having it with shirataki noodles. These noodles are made from Konjac. Their significance is their zero carbs and high dietary fiber. For these reasons, they are the ideal side for those looking to cut carbs and lose weight!

If you want to learn more about Shirataki Noodles, check out my Ultimate Guide to Shirataki Noodles.

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