Panda Express Orange Chicken Panda Cub Meal

The Orange Chicken Panda Cub Meal is the kids order most children ask for by name: a junior portion of The Original Orange Chicken over white rice with Super Greens, a fruit side and a drink, $6.80 complete, 580 calories for the whole bundle. It is the sweetest of the three Cub Meal builds and the one that moves fastest.

What makes the Cub Meal format work is that everything arrives together. The entree is the same recipe adults order, scaled down, so children get the dish they actually recognize rather than a nugget substitute. White rice takes the glaze, Super Greens quietly adds vegetables to a plate a child will still eat, and the fruit side and bottled water or juice complete it without a second decision at the counter.

At 580 calories this is the heaviest of the Cub Meals, ahead of the Grilled Teriyaki build at 400 and the Broccoli Beef build at 300. The figure covers the full bundle rather than the entree alone, which is worth knowing when comparing it to an adult serving of Orange Chicken at 510 calories on its own. Choosing water over juice takes real sugar off the total.

How much is the Orange Chicken Cub Meal? $6.80, one of the published prices on the menu and the cheapest complete meal Panda Express sells, drink included, which no adult format matches.

It suits families, and it doubles as a portion controlled adult lunch for anyone who wants Orange Chicken in a smaller serving with vegetables attached. The allergen flags follow the entree: wheat, soy, egg and sesame. Broccoli Beef Panda Cub Meal at 300 calories is the lighter alternative for a child who will eat beef and vegetables.