Is PF Changs keto-friendly? Absolutely! PF Changs offers a range of keto-friendly dishes to cater to those on the ketogenic diet.
- Unveiling the Secrets of Ordering Keto at P.F. Chang's:
- Keto Delights: Low Carb Options at P.F. Chang's:
- Pf Chang's Low Carb Soups
- Pf Chang's Low Carb Salads and Salad Dressings
- PF Chang's Keto Friendly Dim Sum Options
- Low Carb Main Dishes at PF Chang's
- Keto-Friendly Kid's Menu at P.f Chang's
- The PF Chang's Dishes to Avoid When on Keto Diet
- FAQS
Among all the Chinese food that they offer, lettuce wraps are probably the first things that came to mind, right? What if we tell you that their lettuce wraps are high in carbs and may not be keto-friendly? That’s mind-blowing, right?
Sadly, that’s the truth.
When it comes to eating keto at restaurants, you shouldn’t look at their dishes just at face value. You must scrutinize every ingredient that it has and determine how it can affect your diet. Yes, it’s trickier than you think.
Fortunately, you have this article to help you find the best Chinese food for your diet, so let’s get started!
Unveiling the Secrets of Ordering Keto at P.F. Chang’s:
You should familiarize yourself with the basics of ordering keto at P.f Chang’s. Here are some of them:
Say no to egg rolls, noodles, and rice.
You already know this, but it’s worth repeating—avoid the usual carbohydrate sources.
Avoid most of the sauces.
In addition to the apparent carb sources, other food items you should steer clear of are sauces. This is because these are loaded with sugar and may kick you out of ketosis. One of the sauces to avoid P.f Chang’s is their hoisin sauce.
Never order entrees.
Almost all of their entrees contain more than 20g net carbs, so avoid these as much as possible.
Customize your order.
When you’re on keto, most of the restaurant dishes won’t suit your requirements. The excellent news is P.f Chang’s allows customization of their dishes.
This is true even when you order at their website. (*)
All that you need to do is click on the dish you want to order, and you’ll be presented with steps on how to customize it.
Split the meal.
If you’re not hungry or you’re doing keto for weight loss, you should aim to minimize your calorie consumption too. (*)
Fortunately, the serving at P.f Changs is quite big, so you have the option to split the meal (and the calories and carbs) with a friend.
Choose your p.f. chang’s sides dishes wisely.
When it comes to side dishes, avoid fried rice and noodles. Instead, go for the following sides:
- Spinach with garlic
- Wok charred brussels sprouts
- Sichuan-style asparagus
Go for gluten-free.
There’s more to the ketogenic diet than just eating gluten-free. And while eating gluten-free is not a must, it is an excellent place to start.
But if you have conditions associated with gluten intolerance, going for their gluten-free menu is a must. (*)
All the items in their gluten-free menu use wheat-free soy sauce, chicken broth, oyster sauce, rice wine, sugar, white pepper, and water.
Some of our best recommendations are gluten-free Singapore black pepper chicken and gluten-free ginger chicken with broccoli.
Learn more: Samples of Low Carb Chinese Food You Can Eat on Keto
“Maintaining a keto diet while dining out can be challenging, especially at Chinese restaurants. However, with a little know-how, you can make smart choices. At P.F. Chang’s, opt for protein-rich dishes with low-carb vegetables and request sauce adjustments to stay on track with your keto goals.”
– Dr. Emily Johnson, Registered Dietitian
Keto Delights: Low Carb Options at P.F. Chang’s:
Unfortunately, some of the most popular P.f Chang’s dishes are not recommended for the keto diet. The good news is you can still find a few filling and delicious low-carb P.f Chang’s dishes. Here are some of them:
| Dish | Net Carbs (g) | Fat (g) | Protein (g) | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egg Drop Soup | 5 | 1 | 4 | 40 |
| Hot Sour Soup | 0 | 2 | 4 | 70 |
| Wonton Soup (Steamed) | 5 | 1 | 4 | 48 |
| Asian Caesar Salad | 17 | 30 | 15 | 410 |
| Salmon Asian Caesar Salad | 17 | 46 | 37 | 650 |
| Shrimp Asian Caesar Salad | 21 | 32 | 32 | 520 |
| Chicken Asian Caesar Salad | 21 | 35 | 37 | 570 |
| Baby Buddha’s Feast (Steamed) | 7 | 0 | 4 | 60 |
| Shrimp Dumpling (Steamed) | 5 | 1 | 4 | 48 |
| Pork Dumpling (Steamed) | 6 | 3 | 3 | 70 |
| Shrimp with Lobster Sauce | 17 | 18 | 31 | 500 |
| Shrimp with Lobster Sauce (Steamed) | 14 | 18 | 31 | 370 |
| Northern Style Spare Ribs | 10 | 21 | 37 | 700 |
| Asian Grilled Norwegian Salmon | 7 | 37 | 56 | 540 |
| Oolong Chilean Sea Bass | 25 | 35 | 34 | 560 |
Pf Chang’s Low Carb Soups
Let’s start your day with warm and delightful soups. Here are some of the best P.f Chang’s soups for the keto diet:
1. Egg Drop Soup
Their egg drop soup cup is made of only broth and eggs, but you’ll be amazed at how velvety smooth the broth is. It also comes with julienned carrots and green onion to boost the dish’s nutrition content.
An egg drop soup cup will give you 40 calories, 1g fat, 1g protein, and 5g net carbs.
Nutrition Facts: Remember to order the cup and not the bowl since the bowl contains 270 calories, 7g fat, 7g protein, 1g fiber, and 41g net carbs.
2. Hot Sour Soup
The hot sour soup cup is a loaded soup with chicken, tofu, eggs, and bamboo shoots.
Nutrition Facts: One Sour soup cup will give you 70 calories, 2g fat, 4g protein, and 0 carbs.
3. Wonton Soup
Same with the first two soups, the wonton soup also comes with a savory broth. However, it has more protein as it contains shrimp, chicken, and pork wonton.
Nutrition Facts: One serving contains 110 calories, 3g fat, 10g protein, and 11g net carbs.
Pf Chang’s Low Carb Salads and Salad Dressings
Salads are always your best friends when on keto. However, you should watch out for carbohydrate-rich toppings like croutons, tortilla strips, and many more.
Unfortunately, there are not many low cab salad choices in P.f Chang’s.
This is because they only have two salad options, and the other one (Mandarin Crunch Salad) is packed with oranges and rice sticks which boost its carb count.
The only keto-friendly salad that they have is their Asian Caesar Salad. The good news is you have lots of protein options to add to their Asian Caesar Salad, so you can still find something that will satisfy your cravings.
With that said, here’s the macronutrient breakdown of their salads.
4. Asian Caesar Salad
Same with other Caesar salads, this comes with romaine lettuce and parmesan. For an Asian twist, they added sesame seeds and wonton croutons.
Nutrition Facts: In one serving, you’ll get 410 calories, 30g fat,15g protein, 4g fiber, and 17g net carbs.
This may seem too much but remove the wonton croutons, and you’ll significantly reduce its carb count.
5. Salmon Asian Caesar Salad
If you want to use salmon as your salad toppings, you’ll get 650 calories, 46g fat, 37g protein, 4g fiber, and 17g net carbs.
Again, ask them to remove the wonton croutons to keep it low carb.
6. Shrimp Asian Caesar Salad
Another seafood topping that you can choose is shrimp. You can get 520 calories, 32g fat, 32g protein, 4g fiber, and 21g net carbs with this option.
Don’t forget to ask them to hold the croutons so the salad will be keto compliant.
7. Chicken Asian Caesar Salad
Last but not least is the most popular topping of all—chicken strips! This is truly one of the more filling options, so one order will give you 570 calories, 35g fat, 37g protein, 4g fiber, and 21g net.
Order this without the wonton crouton so you can stick with your keto diet.
PF Chang’s Keto Friendly Dim Sum Options
To be honest, eating dim sum when on keto is not ideal.
This is because a piece of dim sum can already give you the same carb count that you can get in a serving of a low carb dish.
But if you’re craving, it’s okay to give in from time to time. However, you should be mindful of the dim sum’s macronutrient content and don’t eat more than two dumplings in a meal.
If you’re counting your calories, too, the best thing you can do is go for the steamed ones instead of the pan-fried ones. With that said, here are the nutrition facts of P.f Chang’s dim sum options:
8. Shrimp Dumpling
One shrimp dumpling will give you 60 calories, 2g fat, 4g protein, and 5g net carbs when fried.
On the other hand, you can get 48 calories, 1g fat, 4g protein, and 5g net carbs from a steamed shrimp dumpling.
9. Pork Dumpling
If you go pan-fried, you’ll get 83 calories, 5g fat, 3g protein, and 6g net carbs from one pork dumpling.
A single piece of pork dumpling will give you 70 calories, 3g fat, 3g protein, and 6g net carbs when steamed.
Low Carb Main Dishes at PF Chang’s
The main courses at P.f Chang’s are the best low carb options for people on the keto diet. We rounded up all your choices below:
10. Shrimp with Lobster Sauce
If you’re looking for a seafood dish, this one will give you the best of both worlds as it has shrimps and lobster sauce! The dish also includes Asian mushrooms, eggs, green onions, and chopped black beans.
The stir-fried version will give you 500 calories, 18g fat, 31g protein, 5g fiber, and 17g net carbs.
The good news is it’s also available in a steamed version which will give you 370 calories, 18g fat, 31g protein, 3g fiber, and only 14g net carbs.
Here’s another pro-tip: You can still reduce its carbohydrate content by asking them to leave out the beans.
11. Northern Style Spare ribs
You may want to try their Northern Style Spare ribs for something meaty, which features slow-braised pork ribs seasoned with a five-spice dry rub.
Finish a plate of their Northern-style spare ribs and get 700 calories, 21g fat, 37g protein, 1g fiber, and 10g net carbs.
Keep in mind that most of the carbohydrates in this dish comes from the sauce, so you can ask the servers to reduce the amount of sauce they use to cut down your carbohydrate consumption.
12. Asian Grilled Norwegian Salmon
Here’s another tasty dish that will no longer require any tweaks! The Asian Grilled Norwegian Salmon is seasoned with Asian Dry rub and served with asparagus. It’s grilled, so it’s also low in calories!
Nutrition Facts: Order this to get 37g fat, 56g protein, and only 7g net carbs.
13. Oolong Chilean Sea Bass
But wait, there’s more.
This is the one dish that both tea and fish lovers will surely enjoy.
The dish features a wild-caught tea-marinated sea bass filet tossed in ginger-soy sauce. It’s served with stir-fried wok charred spinach.
Nutrition Facts: It contains 560 calories, 35g fat, 34g protein, 5g fiber, and 25g net carbs.
Please bear in mind that the dish contains higher amounts of carbs than most dishes on this list, so you may want to ask them to reduce the amount of sauce that they use.
Keto-Friendly Kid’s Menu at P.f Chang’s
Yes! You can check out the kid’s menu as it also has one of the best P.f Chang’s dishes for a keto diet. It’s no other than:
Baby Buddha’s Feast, Steamed
This is made up of some of the most nutritious and flavorful vegetables in Oriental cuisine—shiitakes, carrots, broccoli, green beans, and five-spice tofu. Everything is tossed in a savory sauce.
One serving will provide you with 60 calories, 0g fat, 4g protein, 5g fiber, and 7g net carbs.
Order this as is. No tweaks needed! Please note that this dish also comes in a stir friend version containing a higher amount of calories and carbohydrates.
“As a keto lifestyle coach, I often guide my clients on making keto-friendly choices at various restaurants. At P.F. Chang’s, focus on seafood and grilled options, and don’t be afraid to customize your order. Remember, it’s all about making informed decisions and finding delicious dishes that align with your keto principles.”
– Jason Lee, Keto Lifestyle Coach
The PF Chang’s Dishes to Avoid When on Keto Diet
Below are some of the dishes from P.f Changs that are not recommended for keto dieters:
- Spring Rolls
- Dumplings and Wontons
- All noodles and rice bowls
- All sushis
- All PF Chang’s lettuce wraps
- Fried rice
Final Words
Not all restaurants are keto-friendly. Luckily, P.f Chang’s is one of the few restaurants that can customize some of their dishes and make them low carb.
However, it’s still up to you to determine which ingredients to remove and which to retain. That’s why it’s crucial that you do your research in advance and, as much as possible, come up with the dish you want to order before you head to the restaurant.
It’s also a must that you monitor the dishes’ nutritional content to ensure that they will suit your diet’s requirements.
“As a chef who appreciates the intricacies of Chinese cuisine, I understand the importance of balancing flavors while accommodating dietary preferences. P.F. Chang’s offers some delightful keto-friendly dishes with bold tastes that will keep your taste buds satisfied without compromising your dietary goals.”
– Chef Sarah Mitchell, Culinary Expert
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