Healthy Takeout-Food Revamp: 25 To-Go Recipes to Make at Home (2024)

California Rolls

Takeout sushi may be one of the dinners you count on, but learning how to make your own homemade California rolls keeps options light and makes for a fun activity.

General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's chicken is a Chinese delivery staple that always delights. This lightened-up version won't have you missing those paper containers.

Spicy Chili Burgers

Fast-food burgers are such a simple grab, but if you take the time to create your own spicy vegan chili burgers, the flavors will be fresh, and you can load up on a heaping helping of veggies. Crave something meatier? Try our recipe for healthy bison burgers.

Crab Rangoon

I know. We can't believe it either. These gorgeous skinny crab rangoon are only 41 calories a pop.

Portobello Pizza

Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are one of those takeout orders that are hard to give up. Opting for simple sesame chicken wings that are baked and not fried will allow you to enjoy them even more. Consider low-sodium soy sauce and lightening up on the hoisin and honey to make them an even healthier dinner.

Enchiladas

Mexican takeout smothered in cheese, guacamole, and sour cream packs on the empty calories. Choosing to make healthier enchiladas packed with superfoods will have your belly (and the rest of your bod) saying, "Thanks."

Tofu Cabbage Cups

A lettuce wrap from your favorite restaurant may be a yummy bite, but you can never be sure just how much sodium, MSG, and sugary sauces are being piled on. Fresh tofu cabbage cups keep you in control — without losing any of that crisp crunch or flavor.

Thai Soup

If you never thought you could make Thai food at home, you're in luck. This recipe for lemongrass chicken soup takes a lot of the hard-to-find ingredients out of the equation and keeps things healthy.

Veggie Stromboli

Forget the heavy, meat-laden strombolis from your past, and say hello to a healthier baked stromboli, which helps you load up on delicious veggies. Reach for part-skim mozzarella to keep this recipe even lighter.

Wontons

If gyoza and shumai are your guilty pleasures, you can have your wontons and eat them, too. Chard and tofu wontons in sambal soy sauce keep things meat-free and give you a helping of yummy greens.

Falafel Salad

Get your Greek on with this falafel salad with cucumber-dill dressing. The homemade falafel is baked — not fried! — and the dressing is a lightened-up alternative to traditional tzatziki sauce.

Chirashi Sushi Bowl

Re-create the fresh Japanese flavors you love in your own kitchen with this fresh tuna sushi bowl recipe, filled to the brim with an inventive mix of bright and colorful produce plus tender, sustainable albacore tuna, full of B vitamins, protein, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Fresh Burrito Bowl

It may seem like a low-calorie meal, but a Chipotle chicken burrito bowl with all the fixings like salsa, cheese, and sour cream can weigh in around 745 calories. Cut all the long lines — and more than half the calories! — with this quick and delicious healthy burrito bowl you can make at home in less than 10 minutes.

Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

The high-protein, vitamin-A-rich sweet potato pizza crust keeps a nice crunch on the outside and tastes like an extrafluffy mashed potato in the center. Even better, half of this pie offers over 20 percent of recommended fiber for the day, so unlike your standard neighborhood slice, this pizza will keep you full and satisfied hours later.

Chickpea Curry

When you're craving Indian food at home, cook up this nutrient-dense chickpea and sweet potato curry instead of picking up takeout that's loaded with cream and butter. This vegan recipe is rich in protein, fiber, and flavor.

Vegan Bolognese

Instead of taking out a big, meaty bowl of spaghetti bolognese, cook up actress Olivia Wilde's vegan twist on the classic dish at home. All the veggies, herbs, and spices help mask the fact that crumbled tempeh provides the sauce's comforting texture.

Almond Chicken Fingers

You can easily enjoy chicken fingers on a Paleo plan. Dig into a plate of these almond chicken fingers that use almond meal and a number of spices to create a flavorful and crunchy crust.

Chicken Parmesan

If your idea of comfort on a plate is an oversize portion of chicken parmesan, this guilt-free recipe needs to make an appearance in your kitchen. With a whopping 47 grams of protein per serving, this 357-calorie dinner will fuel your body with quality nutrition — and keep you from dialing in takeout for yet another night!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Drop the phone, take out your crockpot, and curb your Chinese cravings with this slow-cooked iteration of sweet and sour chicken. Serve yours over whole-grain rice or quinoa to add even more fiber to your dinner plate.

Thai Beef Salad

If you've ever been timid about making your own Thai food in the kitchen, this hearty and healthy salad is the perfect starter recipe. Fresh and filling, this high-protein and hydrating salad will satisfy on a cold Winter night.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito

Roasted sweet potatoes swirling with tender black beans and corn, succulent red peppers, and juicy tomatoes wrapped in a warm whole-wheat tortilla make this one delicious and gratifying meal — much better than the majority of fast-food burritos out there! It is under 500 calories and offers almost 15 grams each of fiber and protein.

Paleo Pad Thai

This low-calorie, noodle-free Paleo pad thai is waistline-friendly and just as tasty as takeout. It uses spaghetti squash instead of noodles to save on calories and carbs.

Oven-Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is the definition of Southern comfort, but one piece can be well over 700 calories. Skip the bucket, and opt for this lower-calorie, just-as-delicious fried chicken alternative that's baked in the oven.

Asian Fried "Rice"

Unlike the greasy Chinese takeout typical of most restaurants, this veggie-packed Paleo "rice" skips the food coma and leaves you feeling satisfied and energized at the end of your meal. The combination of textures and flavors in this comforting Asian-inspired recipe is spot-on, and the blitzed cauliflower easily subs in for rice — you might even trick some picky eaters at your table with this one!