Panda Express — Best Bang for Your Buck
Every Panda Express menu item we track, ranked by value: protein per dollar, calories per dollar, and nutrition quality. Prices are real, collected straight from the Panda Express ordering system.
What's actually worth ordering at Panda Express
If you're at Panda Express for value, Chow Mein is the standout on our rankings: at $4.60 it carries 22g of protein — about 4.8g of protein for every dollar, on 880 calories, for an overall value score of 81/100. The single most protein-efficient pick is Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, squeezing out 6.1g of protein per dollar.
Across the 42 Panda Express items we've priced, the typical order returns about 0.6g of protein per dollar — below the typical fast-food chain we track (around 3.4g). The median price here is $3.53, and the cheapest thing on the menu is Chicken Egg Roll at $2.10.
The cheapest way to clear 20g of protein is Chow Mein at $4.60. Eating with nutrition balance in mind, Super Greens scores highest here at 86/100. And if raw quantity is the goal, Fried Rice packs the most calories per dollar (203 cal/$). The full menu — every item with its real price and nutrition — is ranked below.
Full menu, ranked by value
| Item | Value | Price | Cal | Protein | Protein/$ | Cal/$ | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chow Mein · Side | 81 | $4.60 | 880 | 22g | 4.8g | 191 | 74 |
| Grilled Teriyaki Chicken · Entrée | 70 | $5.40 | 275 | 33g | 6.1g | 51 | 60 |
| Fried Rice · Side | 69 | $4.60 | 932 | 18g | 3.9g | 203 | 59 |
| The Original Orange Chicken · Entrée | 64 | $5.40 | 510 | 18g | 3.3g | 94 | 74 |
| White Steamed Rice · Side | 61 | $4.60 | 780 | 16g | 3.5g | 170 | 51 |
| Honey Sesame Chicken Breast · Entrée | 58 | $5.40 | 340 | 16g | 3.0g | 63 | 76 |
| Super Greens · Side | 57 | $4.60 | 180 | 12g | 2.6g | 39 | 86 |
| Beijing Beef · Entrée | 56 | $5.40 | 470 | 14g | 2.6g | 87 | 68 |
| Kung Pao Chicken · Entrée | 51 | $5.40 | 320 | 17g | 3.1g | 59 | 58 |
| Honey Walnut Shrimp · Entrée | 49 | $6.90 | 430 | 13g | 1.9g | 62 | 73 |
| String Bean Chicken Breast · Entrée | 48 | $5.40 | 210 | 12g | 2.2g | 39 | 73 |
| Broccoli Beef · Entrée | 43 | $5.40 | 150 | 9g | 1.7g | 28 | 71 |
| Mushroom Chicken · Entrée | 43 | $5.40 | 220 | 13g | 2.4g | 41 | 56 |
| Hot Orange Chicken · Entrée | 36 | $5.40 | 580 | 18g | 3.3g | 107 | — |
| Chicken Egg Roll · Appetizer | 31 | $2.10 | 200 | 6g | 2.9g | 95 | — |
| Cream Cheese Rangoon · Appetizer | 27 | $2.10 | 190 | 5g | 2.4g | 90 | — |
| Veggie Spring Roll · Appetizer | 26 | $2.10 | 240 | 4g | 1.9g | 114 | — |
| SweetFire Chicken Breast · Entrée | 25 | $5.40 | 380 | 13g | 2.4g | 70 | — |
| Black Pepper Chicken · Entrée | 22 | $5.40 | 280 | 13g | 2.4g | 52 | — |
| Black Pepper Sirloin Steak · Drink | 22 | $6.90 | 180 | 19g | 2.8g | 26 | — |
| Barq's Root Beer · Drink | 20 | $2.60 | 400 | 0g | 0.0g | 154 | — |
| Coca Cola Cherry · Drink | 20 | $2.65 | 380 | 0g | 0.0g | 143 | — |
| Fanta Orange · Drink | 20 | $2.65 | 370 | 0g | 0.0g | 140 | — |
| Fanta Strawberry · Drink | 20 | $2.60 | 390 | 0g | 0.0g | 150 | — |
| Minute Maid Lemonade · Drink | 20 | $2.70 | 390 | 0g | 0.0g | 144 | — |
| Dr Pepper · Drink | 19 | $2.65 | 360 | 0g | 0.0g | 136 | — |
| Sprite · Drink | 19 | $2.70 | 340 | 0g | 0.0g | 126 | — |
| Sweet Tea · Drink | 18 | $2.60 | 280 | 0g | 0.0g | 108 | — |
| Seagrams Ginger Ale · Drink | 14 | $3.00 | 240 | 0g | 0.0g | 80 | — |
| Minute Maid Apple Juice · Drink | 13 | $2.60 | 180 | 0g | 0.0g | 69 | — |
| Pomegranate Pineapple Flavored Lemonade · Drink | 13 | $3.55 | 240 | 0g | 0.0g | 68 | — |
| Coca Cola · Drink | 11 | $2.60 | 150 | 0g | 0.0g | 58 | — |
| Mello Yello · Drink | 11 | $2.60 | 160 | 0g | 0.0g | 62 | — |
| Peach Lychee Flavored Refresher · Drink | 11 | $3.55 | 210 | 0g | 0.0g | 59 | — |
| Watermelon Mango Flavored Refresher · Drink | 11 | $3.55 | 210 | 0g | 0.0g | 59 | — |
| Powerade Berry Blast · Drink | 9 | $3.00 | 130 | 0g | 0.0g | 43 | — |
| Powerade Fruit Punch · Drink | 9 | $3.00 | 130 | 0g | 0.0g | 43 | — |
| Strawberry Dragonfruit Refresher · Drink | 9 | $3.60 | 140 | 0g | 0.0g | 39 | — |
| Fuze Raspberry Iced Tea · Drink | 8 | $2.65 | 80 | 0g | 0.0g | 30 | — |
| Sanzo Lychee Sparkling Water · Drink | 8 | $3.20 | 20 | 2g | 0.6g | 6 | — |
| Black Tea · Drink | 7 | $2.60 | 5 | 0g | 0.0g | 2 | — |
| Mango Guava Flavored Tea · Drink | — | $3.50 | 195 | — | — | 56 | — |
Best Panda Express picks by goal
The top Panda Express items for how you actually eat — then compare against every other chain.
Across every chain: most protein per dollar · cheapest high-protein items · best overall value · the Fast Food Value Report.
Compare Panda Express against every other chain →
Panda Express vs other chains
Which gives you more for your money? Head-to-head on real prices and nutrition.