In this study, we examined the effects of chronic nitrite stress on the growth, feeding, body composition, and glucose metabolism of Litopenaeus vannamei [(2.03±0.33) g]. The experiment lasted for 36 days, and there were control group, N8, N15, and N30 (stress groups) with concentrations of 0, 8, 15, and 30 mg/L NO2–-N. With increasing NO2–-N concentrations, the final body weight, specific growth rate, weight gain rate, and feeding rate of the shrimp showed a significant decline. At day 18, the blood glucose and glycogen in the hepatopancreas in the N8 and N15 groups were higher than those in the control group; however, they were lower than the control group by the end of the experiment. The muscle glycogen in the stress group was always lower than the control group during the experiment. In addition, the activity of hexokinase in the muscle of the stress group was lower than that of the control group, whereas the activity of hexokinase and pyruvate kinase in the hepatopancreas of the stress group was significantly higher than that of the control group. Further, the activity of lactate dehydrogenase in the hepatopancreas first increased and then decreased, but there was no significant difference compared with the control group. In the final body composition, there was almost no change in the water and crude protein of each group, but the crude lipid content of the N30 group was significantly lower than that of the control group. The above results indicated that chronic stress of nitrite can reduce the appetite and slow down the growth in shrimps. The glucose metabolism in shrimp is only a short-term response model to cope with the chronic stress of nitrite. At the same time, according to the change of crude lipid, it is speculated that the lipid metabolism of L. vannamei played an important role in the chronic nitrite stress for the shrimps.