Healthy versions of your favorite restaurant dishes

Choose from healthy, home-cooked meals inspired by your favorite fast food, restaurant, and drive-thru favorites: Chinese, Tex-Mex, Middle Eastern, Thai, Japanese, fried chicken, and pizza.

How to Cook - Healthy Versions of Restaurant Favorites

Stir-fry with chicken and broccoli

Marinate the chicken while you prepare the remaining ingredients. A classic dinner will be on the table in less than half an hour—faster than waiting for delivery.

Recipe: Pan-fried chicken with broccoli

Quesadilla with bacon, cheese, and jalapeños

The classic Tex-Mex delivery menu treat is usually drowning in melted cheese. It's time for a lighter quesadilla. It features turkey bacon, low-fat cheese, and plenty of spices, all hidden inside a whole-grain filling.

Recipe: Quesadilla with bacon, cheese, and jalapeño peppers

Chicken in sweet and sour sauce

In this interpretation, orange juice and honey help sweeten the sauce, and the chicken is cooked quickly at a high temperature, achieving a golden brown color without deep frying.

Recipe: Stewed chicken with vegetables in sweet and sour sauce

Baked chicken in corn breading

When you're craving fried chicken, try this baked version instead of buying fast food. Oven-baked chicken gets the same crispiness as deep-fried chicken, but without the extra fat.

Recipe: Crispy chicken in the oven

Chicken and Bean Burrito with Salsa Verde

Before you buy a giant burrito bursting at the seams, follow Ellie Krieger's lead. Her take on the Tex-Mex-inspired snack includes unsalted beans, whole-wheat tortillas, and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

Recipe: Burrito with chicken filling and verde sauce

Chicken and rice bowl

By poaching the chicken in broth, we cook it without fat, and a generous portion of vegetables fills the dish with nutrients and adds a crispy texture.

Recipe: Bowl with rice, chicken and green onions

Vegetable club sandwich with tofu

This tall sandwich, loaded with vegetables, is mouthwatering and delicious. Thanks to the rich avocado spread and smoked tofu, there's no need for bacon or cold meats.

Recipe: Vegetarian club sandwich

Udon noodles with tofu and Asian greens

To make your noodles healthier, it's important to adjust portion sizes and choose your own ingredients. This dish contains unsalted soy sauce and protein-rich tofu.

Recipe: Asian noodles with tofu

Tofu Parma Sandwiches

Rest assured: this sandwich still requires two hands to eat. However, it's lighter, thanks to tofu, part-skim mozzarella, whole-grain baguette, and tomatoes.

Recipe: Sub-sandwich “Tofu-Parmesan”

Breakfast burrito

This on-the-go breakfast from a drive-thru is delicious, but it's high in fat and calories. Make homemade burritos: fill a whole-wheat tortilla with healthy ingredients like eggs, beans, and vegetables.

Recipe: Cheese and bean flatbreads for breakfast

Asian summer rolls

No Asian food delivery order is complete without rolls. Instead of a fried summer roll, try a fresh version: wrap vegetables and shrimp in soft rice paper.

Recipe: Soft Asian summer rolls with sweet and sour dipping sauce

Tilapia with rice and masala sauce

Indian dishes from home delivery menus are tempting, but many of them contain rich, thick sauces. This dish is seasoned with Indian spices and consists of lean fish with a cold yogurt sauce.

Recipe: Baked Tilapia with Masala and Rice

Oven-baked chicken with parmesan

When you order chicken Parmesan from an Italian restaurant, you'll likely get deep-fried chicken covered in cheese, along with a generous serving of pasta. Instead, bake a homemade version in the oven to avoid excess calories and fat; serve with a small serving of whole-wheat pasta.

Recipe: Chicken breasts with cheese in the oven

Oven-baked French fries

These potato sticks have never been deep-fried (or fried in a cafe kitchen). They become golden and crispy in the oven.

Recipe: Oven-baked French fries

Soup with dumplings

Use store-bought dumplings (found in the frozen section) to make a homemade version of this classic soup in under 30 minutes.

Recipe: Asian dumpling soup

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

A barbecue-style dinner doesn't have to be a restaurant affair. Make Ellie's quick and easy sandwich using store-bought rotisserie chicken.

Recipe: BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Chicken fingers with ketchup and broccoli

Nothing beats a crispy piece of chicken dipped in ketchup. Breadcrumb-coated chicken fingers are just as crispy in the oven as they are deep-fried; for a special dip, season the ketchup with curry powder.

Recipe: Chicken fingers with steamed broccoli

Fried rice with shrimp

Our version of this restaurant dish contains shrimp and vegetables and is quickly fried with a little oil: one serving is less than 400 calories.

Recipe: Fried rice with shrimp and egg white

Asian-Style Turkey Burgers

Often, someone else makes burgers for us, but making them at home is just as easy as ordering them from a restaurant or drive-thru, and it's also healthier.

Recipe: Turkey burgers with hoisin sauce, lightly pickled cucumbers and spicy yogurt

Sweet and sour pork

Stir-frying is a quick and healthy way to cook meat and vegetables at home. This stir-fry is based on lean pork tenderloin and a variety of vegetables; serve on its own or over brown rice.

Recipe: Pork in sweet and sour sauce

Pizza with ricotta and spinach

When you decide to host a pizza night, don't order delivery; make your own version. This vegetable pizza is made with homemade dough, but to save time, you can use store-bought whole-wheat pizza dough.

Recipe: Healthy Pizza with Spinach and Ricotta

Vietnamese noodle soup

Vietnamese noodle soup (also called pho) is commonly found on restaurant menus, but this traditional dish can easily be made at home.

Recipe: Vietnamese Pho Bo (beef noodle soup)

Spicy Beef Stir-Fry

Stir-fries from delivery menus are usually coated in a sugary sauce, and store-bought sauces for similar dishes are often loaded with sugar and salt. Luckily, you can quickly and easily make a healthy homemade sauce.

Recipe: Spicy Beef Stir-Fry