30-Minute Takeout Makeovers

Our Favorite Takeout Recipe Makeovers

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.

Pizza Supreme

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.

View Recipe: Pizza Supreme

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

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

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.

View Recipe: Blackened Tilapia Baja Tacos

Chicken Souvlaki

The lure of Greek takeout begins at the altar of the gyro—hot slivers carved from cones of lamb or other meat that turn and sizzle in the windows of small restaurants across the land, calling out to passersby. But garlicky grilled souvlaki can be even better. Our version stars lean chicken breast, served in pitas with a tangy sesame-yogurt-cucumber sauce. The sauce flavors the sandwich but does not drown it, keeping calories in check. The astronomical sodium in the takeout probably comes from simple added salt, easily adjusted at home. We use just ¼ teaspoon, cutting sodium by 75%. Garlicky-herby-savory deliciousness: unchanged.

Nutrition Information:

Calories
Takeout: 492 | Ours: 392

Fat
Takeout: 16g | Ours: 8g

Saturated fat
Takeout: 3.6g | Ours: 1.3g

Sodium
Takeout: 1,553mg | Ours: 398mg

Ready in 25 min.

View Recipe: Chicken Souvlaki Pitas with Tahini Sauce