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Healthy Chow Mein (Panda Express Copycat)

Chinese Chow mein with cabbage, noodles, and celery in soy sauce in a pan.

Healthy chow mein made with noodles, cabbage, and celery in a tasty homemade sauce is an easy side inspired by your favorite Chinese takeout. Serve it with this healthy General Tso's Chicken or Mongolian Beef.

If you love Panda Express chow mein (or any fast-food chow mein, for that matter), this healthier version you can make at home is for you! Not only is it better for you, I think it tastes even better than the real thing!

I am so excited to share today's Chow Mein recipe with you. Not only is it delicious, but it is also so much healthier than the Panda Express version that I know so many people love. Plus it is so easy to make.

It takes less time to make it at home than it would take to leave your house and pick up the take-out version. And with only 140 calories per serving (compared to 490 in the real thing), it's a no-brainer when it comes to what to make for dinner-decision-making time.

Now let's talk about the recipe. While I think it's pretty straightforward and simple there is one little ingredient you might find difficult to procure. Finding these specific noodles can be a bit of a pain, but I feel like many grocery stores now have a much better variety of international foods.

You will probably have better luck by trying a bigger chain store than a local little market. Or, if you are lucky enough to have an Asian market nearby, definitely go there. (Asian markets are so full of delicious-looking ingredients, I could spend all day in them.)

That said, you can go with either a fresh yaki-soba noodle that you can normally find in the refrigerated section (near where the tofu is) or you can go with a dried yaki-soba noodle found it the Asian section of the store.

You could also use any other dried pasta, but using yaki-soba really makes a difference in terms of texture. After you have your hands on the noodles, all that's left is to whip up a quick sauce, add lots of shredded cabbage, and give it all a quick toss in a hot pan and it's ready. So good and so much better than the unhealthy take-out version.

Healthy chow mein with cabbage, celery, and noodles in a bowl with chopsticks.

What Makes This Chow Mein Dish Healthy?

First of all, we've eliminated a lot of the unnecessary fats and oils from this dish. You need very little oil to cook this dish and anyway I much prefer it when the flavors of the veggies, noodles, and sauce shine through rather than the taste of grease. The ingredients themselves are also healthy on their own, as well.

  • While fresh yaki-soba noodles are not the lowest-calorie option, they are low in fat, cholesterol, sodium, and carbs. They are also made of buckwheat, which contains nutrients such as protein, manganese, and thiamine. They are also gluten-free.
  • Low sodium soy sauce contains a variety of antioxidants, protein, and is good for your digestive system.
  • Cooking with garlic is a no-brainer. Those pungent cloves are chock full of antioxidants, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, and it's also good for your heart, your circulatory system, and your cholesterol.
  • While brown sugar isn't stuffed full of nutrients, it does contain a little bit of calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium.
  • Ginger is a great food if your stomach is upset as it helps relieve symptoms of nausea. It's also great for motion sickness and loss of appetite. This tangy root also has anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce muscle pain and soreness.
  • Spices such as pepper add lots of flavor and no extra calories, fat, or other unhealthy things.
  • Olive oil is a great oil for cooking, making dressings and marinades, and is a pantry must-have in this girl's kitchen. It's also a source of healthy fat and is good for your heart too!
  • Onions are low in calories but high in other nutrients like iron, folate, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and potassium as well as several antioxidants. Plus, they go great with garlic!
  • Celery is a great source of water and fiber as well as vitamins K and A, folate, potassium, and vitamin C.
  • Shredded cabbage is high in fiber, and we all know fiber is necessary to keep your digestive system running smoothly. Cabbage also contains some antioxidant properties and is high in C vitamins, which help your heart, among other things.

Healthy chow mein with noodles, cabbage, celery, and carrots in two bowls.

What Is the Difference Between Lo Mein and Chow Mein?

I always thought "lo" and "chow" were different kinds of noodles or different kinds of meats that you'd put into the noodles. But it turns out the differences lie in the way the noodles are prepared. Lo mein is made by tossing the noodles and chow mein is made by frying the noodles. "Mein" just means "noodle."

Of course, in this dish we are not frying anything but rather giving it that "fried taste" while not actually using any unhealthy oils (and lots of them) and instead using a little olive oil and a hot pan to crisp up the noodles. All the taste, none of the bad stuff.

Calories 141, Total Fat 4g, Total Carbohydrate 23g, Protein 4g, Serving Size 1.5 cups


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