Healthy Recipes Healthy Main Dish Recipes 25 Restaurant Favorites with a Healthy Twist By EatingWell Editors EatingWell Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Articles by "EatingWell Editors" are a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, articles are updated by a number of writers and editors over time to keep the information as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible. The EatingWell team includes industry-leading food and nutrition editors, registered dietitians, expert Test Kitchen staffers and designers who produce award-winning journalism, delicious recipes and engaging content. Our work has earned more than 50 national and international awards for writing, editing, art direction, creative marketing and publishing excellence EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 1, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Food prices are on the rise, but it's still less expensive to eat in than to dine out. Instead of going out to eat, recreate your favorite restaurant dishes in your own kitchen. We've used healthy techniques to put a spin on popular restaurant dishes, like swapping out rice for cauliflower or using half-and-half instead of cream to create a luscious sauce. Creamy Lemon Chicken Parmesan and Oven-Fried Fish & Chips recipes are reminiscent of your favorite meals but with a nutritious twist. 01 of 25 General Tso's Chicken View Recipe To recreate this beloved dish, we've reduced the fat content by not frying the chicken and cut the sodium by using reduced-sodium soy sauce. Serve with steamed baby bok choy or sautéed spinach and steamed brown rice. 02 of 25 Creamy Lemon Chicken Parmesan View Recipe This riff on classic chicken Parmesan replaces the usual marinara with a luscious lemony cream sauce. We've lightened it up by using half-and-half instead of cream and by coating the chicken in whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, with just-as-delicious results. Serve this lemony chicken dinner with whole-wheat pasta or brown rice. 03 of 25 Cauliflower Chicken Fried "Rice" View Recipe Get an extra serving of vegetables and cut back on carbs by replacing rice with riced cauliflower in this satisfying chicken fried rice recipe. 04 of 25 Cauliflower Tortilla Beef Tacos View Recipe These full-flavor tacos are wrapped up in sneaky lower-carb "tortillas" made from cauliflower. The trick is getting as much moisture out of the cauliflower before mixing it with the cheese and eggs. 05 of 25 Oven-Fried Fish & Chips View Recipe Fish and chips are traditionally sold wrapped in paper to soak up excess grease. To cut the calories in half and reduce the fat, we coat the delicate fish in a crispy cornflake crust and then bake it along with sliced potatoes. Serve with coleslaw and malt vinegar or lemon wedges. 06 of 25 Easy Fried Rice View Recipe Mixed frozen vegetables make this fried rice recipe quick, easy and economical. If you don't have leftover cooked rice on hand, be sure to thoroughly cool your rice before adding it to the wok—if it's too warm, it creates too much steam and sticks to the wok. To quickly cool warm rice, spread out on a large baking sheet and refrigerate while you prep the rest of your ingredients, about 15 minutes. 07 of 25 Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl View Recipe This chipotle-flavored burrito bowl comes together almost as quickly as at the restaurant, plus, you don't have to wait in line. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthier dinner. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2016 08 of 25 BBQ Chicken Tenders View Recipe These crispy boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders stay crisp with only a light coating of oil—no deep-frying needed. Serve as an appetizer or try them for dinner with crunchy vegetables and dip on the side. 09 of 25 Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema View Recipe Protein-packed, lean shrimp cook up super-fast, making them the ultimate taco filling for a fast weeknight dinner that's also impressive and delicious enough for a weekend dinner party. We've also loaded up on crunchy veg and didn't skimp on the spices. 10 of 25 Best Caesar Salad with Crispy Parmesan View Recipe For a nutrient-packed twist, this healthier Caesar salad features spinach and kale in addition to romaine. But it's the Parmesan crisps that make this salad dinner party-worthy. Serve it the next time you entertain at home. Source: EatingWell Magazine, November 2019 11 of 25 General Tso's Cauliflower Our lightened-up vegan version of this popular dish is every bit as delicious and satisfying as the fried version. Plus, it pleases vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. 12 of 25 Easy Shrimp Stir-Fry with Green Pepper, Pineapple & Bacon View Recipe This sweet, spicy and super-easy shrimp-and-vegetable stir-fry starts with a very small amount of bacon in the wok, which creates drippings that add tons of smoky flavor to the vegetables and shrimp that go in next. Keep the salt in check by using reduced-sodium tamari sauce. To complete this easy healthy dinner, add cooked brown rice. 13 of 25 Sautéed Shrimp with Mango Salsa & Coconut Cauliflower Rice View Recipe Shrimp and rice get a tropical-fruit makeover in this healthy 400-calorie dinner. Instead of rice, we've combined riced cauliflower and coconut milk for light coconut rice topped with spicy shrimp and a juicy mango-avocado salsa to cool it all down. Squeeze on some fresh lime juice before digging in to take this easy meal to the next level. 14 of 25 Use-All-the-Broccoli Stir-Fry View Recipe Spiralized broccoli stems transform into tender noodles in this lo mein-inspired vegetarian recipe. Serve on top of brown rice or buckwheat soba noodles. 15 of 25 Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles View Recipe Enjoy classic shrimp scampi lightened up with zucchini noodles in place of pasta. The tomatoes add some sweetness and color, while the cheese contributes nuttiness and richness. 16 of 25 Cornflake Air-Fryer Chicken Nuggets View Recipe These crispy air-fried chicken nuggets are a quick kid-friendly dinner that parents will love too. The homemade nuggets are healthier than fast-food versions—and more flavorful, thanks to the cornflake coating. You can also cut the chicken into strips for air-fryer chicken tenders. Be sure to cook those 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until done. 17 of 25 Kung Pao Broccoli View Recipe Broccoli florets soak up the flavors from Chinese five-spice powder—a combination of sweet spices including anise, cinnamon, cloves and spicy Szechuan peppercorns. Serve over black rice. 18 of 25 Skillet Chicken Parm View Recipe We skipped breading in this healthier one-dish chicken Parm recipe to save time. There's still plenty of gooey cheese, and the garlic, pepper flakes and oregano lend big flavor. Serve with pasta or in a hoagie roll with the sauce (there's lots of it) spooned on top. In sandwich form, it's easily wrapped in foil and eaten on the go. Excerpted from The Dinner Plan by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion, published by ABRAMS © 2017. 19 of 25 Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Pizza View Recipe Cauliflower rice, egg and shredded mozzarella combine to make an easy low-carb pizza crust. Top the gluten-free pizza with tangy Buffalo sauce, chicken and blue cheese for a flavorful dinner or game-day favorite. Fresh celery is added at the end for cool crunch. 20 of 25 Chicken Sausage Calzone View Recipe A typical calzone packs almost 800 calories and 25 grams of saturated fat. In this healthier calzone recipe, we use lean chicken sausage to keep fat in check and add nutrient-rich spinach to bulk up the filling without adding many more calories. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping. 21 of 25 Oven-Fried Beef Taquitos View Recipe This healthier beef taquitos recipe calls for baking instead of deep-frying. One order of these little deep-fried, rolled-up tacos at a restaurant can set you back almost 1,000 calories and 60 grams of fat! Don't worry if some of the taquitos crack open while baking—they're still crispy and delicious. Serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole and reduced-fat sour cream. 22 of 25 Butternut Squash Carbonara with Broccoli View Recipe You've never had carbonara quite like this! Loaded with veggies, this spiralized veggie noodle recipe is a healthy copycat of a traditional carbonara recipe. Butternut squash gets spiralized into long, tender noodles for a lower-carb version of this creamy, cheesy pasta dish. Look for a squash with a large, straight neck to make the longest veggie noodles. 23 of 25 Classic Beef Burgers with Cauliflower Buns View Recipe These juicy burgers skip the traditional bread bun in favor of a savory grain-free cauliflower bun that contains a bit of Cheddar cheese. A mixture of onions, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce gives the burger patties tons of flavor, and the addition of a tangy special sauce completes the package for a burger with serious personality. Note: If you would like to make these burgers gluten-free, be sure to check the ingredients for the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to make sure they're gluten-free. 24 of 25 Pepperoni Cauliflower Pizza View Recipe You won't believe how easy it is to make this cauliflower pizza crust. Riced cauliflower combines with mozzarella cheese and a little egg to hold it together. The result is a delicious gluten-free crust that's crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Top with the classic flavors of pepperoni, onion, pepper and more cheese for a lower-carb pie everyone will love. 25 of 25 Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs View Recipe With this spaghetti squash and meatballs recipe, cooking the squash first in the microwave and then in a skillet to cook off the extra moisture, gives the squash a more spaghetti-like texture. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit