Panda Express

We scored all 8 entree-style items on Panda Express' menu for how well they fit a diabetes-friendly meal -- glycemic index, carb and calorie load against a standard 60g-carb / 600-calorie budget, and how processed the item is.

Best choices

Ranked by GlucoBeacon's own scoring formula -- glycemic index, carbs and calories against a standard 60g-carb / 600-calorie per-meal budget, and how processed the item is -- highest score first.

Item	Category	Carbs	Calories	Est. GI	Score
Black Pepper Sirloin Steak	Steaks	8g	180	30	86
Super Greens	Other	11g	90	30	78
String Bean Chicken Breast	Entrees	13g	190	40	78
Cream Cheese Rangoon	Other	24g	190	55	69
Kung Pao Chicken	Other	18g	320	45	69
Orange Chicken	Other	51g	490	65	33
Beijing Beef	Other	57g	470	60	31
Chow Mein	Other	80g	490	60	29

How we score it

Each item gets up to 30 points for glycemic index (lower is better), 30 points for staying under a 60g carb budget, 15 points for staying under a 600-calorie budget, and 25 points for being minimally processed -- the same formula GlucoBeacon's in-app Restaurant Advisor uses, just run here against a generic budget instead of your own goals. A higher score means an easier fit into most diabetes meal plans; it isn't a guarantee for any individual, since real blood sugar response depends on portion size, what else you eat with it, and your own physiology.