Knowing the calorie and nutrient content of meals from restaurants can help people stay within their daily calorie goals and make healthier choices when dining out. PF Chang’s Ginger Chicken with Broccoli is a popular menu item, but with conflicting nutrition information available online, it can be tricky to know exactly how many calories it contains. This article will provide a detailed breakdown of the calories and nutrients in PF Chang’s Ginger Chicken with Broccoli to help readers make informed choices.
Calories in PF Chang’s Ginger Chicken with Broccoli
According to the PF Chang’s nutrition information website, a full order of Ginger Chicken with Broccoli contains the following calories and macronutrients:
| Calories | 760 |
| Total Fat | 21g |
| Saturated Fat | 4g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 165mg |
| Sodium | 1870mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 71g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4g |
| Sugars | 12g |
| Protein | 44g |
So a full order of PF Chang’s Ginger Chicken with Broccoli contains 760 calories. This is based on the standard recipe, but variations in ingredients or serving size could alter the calorie count.
To put this calorie count into context, the recommended daily calorie intake for an average adult is around 2000-2500 calories. So this one dish from PF Chang’s contains about one-third of a day’s worth of calories for most people.
Some key things to note:
– The dish is high in fat at 21g, which accounts for a significant portion of the calories. Saturated fat and cholesterol levels are also quite high.
– Protein is a plus at 44g per serving. This makes it a filling dish.
– Sodium is very high at 1870mg. The American Heart Association recommends less than 2300mg per day, so this dish contains most of a day’s sodium in one serving.
– Carbohydrates are fairly high at 71g. Much of this comes from rice and sauce ingredients like sugar.
– Dietary fiber of 4g is quite low. The daily recommended intake is around 25-30g.
Nutritional Contents of Ingredients
To understand where the calories in PF Chang’s Ginger Chicken with Broccoli come from, we need to look at the nutritional contents of the key ingredients:
### Chicken
Chicken breast (without skin) contains the following nutrients per 100g serving according to the USDA:
| Calories | 165 |
| Total Fat | 3.6g |
| Saturated Fat | 1g |
| Protein | 31g |
So chicken breast is high in protein and relatively low in fat when skinless. A standard 6oz chicken breast would contain around 110 calories.
### Broccoli
Broccoli contains the following nutrients per 100g serving according to the USDA:
| Calories | 34 |
| Total Fat | 0.4g |
| Fiber | 2.6g |
| Protein | 2.8g |
Broccoli is very low in calories and fat. It provides fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. A 1/2 cup serving of chopped broccoli contains around 15 calories.
### Rice
White rice contains the following nutrients per 100g serving according to the USDA:
| Calories | 130 |
| Total Fat | 0.3g |
| Carbohydrates | 28g |
| Protein | 2.7g |
Rice is high in carbohydrates that are broken down into glucose and used for energy. A 1/2 cup serving of white rice contains around 100 calories.
### Sauce
PF Chang’s Ginger Chicken likely uses a sauce containing vegetables, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and/or honey. The ingredients and exact nutrition will vary, but a 2 tbsp serving would likely provide around:
| Calories | 40-60 |
| Total Fat | 0-2g |
| Carbohydrates | 8-12g |
| Sugar | 6-10g |
The sauce contributes flavor, fat, carbs and sugar. Many calories come from added sugar.
Full Nutritional Breakdown
Putting together the nutritional contents of a typical serving of chicken, broccoli, rice and sauce, we can estimate a full nutritional breakdown:
| Chicken Breast | 6oz (170g) | 285 calories |
| Broccoli | 1/2 cup (78g) | 13 calories |
| White Rice | 1 cup (195g) | 205 calories |
| Sauce | 2 tbsp (30g) | 50 calories |
| Total | 473g | 553 calories |
This breakdown shows there are around 550 calories from the core ingredients alone. Additional oil, ingredients and variability could account for the extra 200+ calories in PF Chang’s nutritional info, bringing it to 760 calories total.
How to Make It Healthier
While PF Chang’s Ginger Chicken with Broccoli is high in calories, sodium and fat, there are some ways you can modify the dish to make it a healthier choice:
– Request grilled instead of fried chicken to reduce fat and calories.
– Ask for brown rice instead of white to increase fiber.
– Load up on extra broccoli and greens to add nutrients and fiber.
– Request light sauce or sauce on the side to control calories, sugar and sodium.
– Swap chicken for tofu or extra veggies to reduce fat and cholesterol (if vegetarian/vegan).
– Avoid high-calorie add-ons like fried wontons or egg rolls and creamy dressings.
– Ask for low-sodium soy sauce to help decrease sodium content.
– Share the dish or take half home to control portions and calories.
– Drink water instead of soda or sugary drinks to limit empty calories.
Making these adjustments can help lower the calorie, fat, and sodium counts of this dish while maintaining the delicious flavors.
Conclusion
PF Chang’s Ginger Chicken with Broccoli contains approximately 760 calories in a full serving. This comes primarily from the chicken, rice, sauce and cooking oils. While the dish provides protein, it is quite high in sodium, saturated fat, carbohydrates and calories. Following healthy cooking methods and modifications can help lower the calorie count. Overall, it’s one of the more nutritious options at PF Chang’s, but portion control is key.