30-minute takeout recipe makeovers
Your favorite restaurant dishes made lighter in 30 minutes or less! You don't have to dial out for your favorite restaurant dishes any longer. We have given a few takeout classics healthy makeovers that will be just as craveable as their often guilt-laden counterparts.
See More: Superfast Italian Recipes
Pizza Supreme Takeout Recipe Makeover
First up, Pizza Surpreme. Authentic wood-fired pizza is all the rage, but a great deal of the pies eaten in America are still pepperoni, meat-lover's, and supreme versions from 1-800 sources. But why eat heavy when you can have the same pleasure in a lighter pizza package? We attacked the supreme formula, leaning on veggies and walking back the meat (just one sausage link for the whole pizza). It's enough for flavor but doesn't leave you with pools of grease to blot. Lean turkey sausage stands in for pork, and lower-sodium marinara anchors the toppings. But, knowing when a low-fat swap is not worth it, we use full-fat mozzarella (and a generous amount of it)-which makes our pizza irresistible.
Nutrition Information:
Calories
Takeout: 507 | Ours: 344
Fat
Takeout: 24g | Ours: 3g
Saturated fat
Takeout: 10.7g | Ours: 4.1g
Sodium
Takeout: 1,333mg | Ours: 640mg
Ready in 30 min.
Cheese Burger
The burger craze is red-hot, ranging from the wagyu-brisket fads of big-city chefs to the "Look, Ma" mega-burgers at the chains. Those giants can serve up most of a day's calories, more than a day's fat, and a shakerful of salt. We decided to start with something more reasonable yet still deliciously iconic: the legendary In-N-Out cheeseburger. Ours is a tasty handful, with a similar addictive sauce, but about 40% less fat and saturated fat, thanks to lean ground sirloin and lower-sodium, lighter cheese. We even one-upped the Cali classic by adding avocado.
Nutrition Information:
Calories
Takeout: 480 | Ours: 389
Fat
Takeout: 27g | Ours: 16.5g
Saturated fat
Takeout: 10g | Ours: 5.8g
Sodium
Takeout: 1,000mg | Ours: 806mg
Ready in 22 min.
View Recipe: Out-N-In California Burger
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Chicken Fried Rice
Along with iridescent sweet-and-sour pork, fried rice is one of those comforting Chinese-American hybrids that populates every Chinese take-out menu in the country. Almost everyone who loves fried rice is drawn to its salty, greasy goodness. The problem is the salty, greasy part, because underneath is a reasonable rice and lean-protein dish, flecked with vegetables. Our riff uses a bit of lower-sodium soy, then boosts the savor with sweet-salty hoisin sauce and fiery chili paste. Sodium savings: about 60%. Comfort factor: still high.
Nutrition Information:
Calories
Takeout: 455 | Ours: 477
Fat
Takeout: 13.5g | Ours: 11.7g
Saturated fat
Takeout: 3g | Ours: 1.7g
Sodium
Takeout: 1,122mg | Ours: 488mg
Ready in 25 min.
View Recipe: Chicken Fried Rice
Shrimp Pad Thai
Pad Thai is the chop suey of Thai takeout, the "safe" choice. But it's also a delicious version of a real Thai dish. Its flavors are complex-salty, slightly fishy-fermenty, a tad sweet. The main nutrition killer here is sodium (well over a full-day's worth in a single serving), found mostly in the fish sauce that's key to the flavor. But a small amount of this fragrant staple provides the right notes without overpowering the American palate. We keep the palate intrigued with an interesting interplay of textures: silky noodles, crisp bean sprouts, and crunchy nuts.
Nutrition Information:
Calories
Takeout: 668 | Ours: 462
Fat
Takeout: 14.5g | Ours: 16.1g
Saturated fat
Takeout: 2.5g | Ours: 1.6g
Sodium
Takeout: 2,771mg | Ours: 779mg
Ready in 25 min.
View Recipe: Shrimp Pad Thai
See More: Superfast Asian Recipes
Fish Tacos
The food truck trend offers everything from Korean-fusion tacos at Yumbii in Atlanta to traditional fish tacos at the Mariscos German trucks in San Diego. We decided to lighten the Baja fish taco because it's both mighty good and mighty fatty. The batter on the traditional fried fish soaks up fat, and then salt gets poured on afterward. We forgo the fryer, coat the fish with a bold spice rub, and then sauté it in a bit of oil. What you might miss in batter-crispness we make up for with a crunchy onion relish.
Nutrition Information:
Calories
Takeout: 500 | Ours: 362
Fat
Takeout: 26g | Ours: 13.6g
Saturated fat
Takeout: 4g | Ours: 3.1g
Sodium
Takeout: 840mg | Ours: 388mg
Ready in 20 min.
Ingredients
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup thinly sliced white onion
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/2 ripe peeled avocado, thinly sliced
4 lime wedges
Preparation
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine jalapeño sauce and onion in a small bowl.
2. Combine paprika and next 6 ingredients (through ground red pepper); sprinkle evenly over fish. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
3. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish, onion mixture, and avocado evenly among tortillas. Serve with lime wedges.
Continue Reading: 30-Minute Takeout Recipe Makeovers
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