There are times when you just want to go for fast food. Below are recipes that were taken from popular fast food chains and altered to make them healthier. Although they are not considered to be health foods, you can still follow them if you want to indulge every once in a while.
1. Taco Supreme from Taco Bell
This recipe came from CopyKat.com where lighter ingredients are used to reduce the calories from 200 to 118 and fats from 12 to 4 grams.
Ingredients:
• 1 teaspoon of powdered beef bouillion
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon of onion powder
• ¾ teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 tablespoon of dehydrated onion flakes
• 1 teaspoon of chilli powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon of granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoon of maza corn flour or 1 tablespoon of cornstarch + 1 tablespoon of flour
• ½ lb lean ground beef
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 cups of romaine lettuce, shredded
• 1 cup of chopped grape tomatoes
• 1 cup of Greek yogurt, non-fat and plain
• ½ cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
Method:
• Combine all of the first 11 ingredients in a bowl. Stir properly.
• Preheat your oven 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a skillet, add the ground beef and cook them over medium-high heat while stirring to get rid of any clumps. Once the meat is browned, drain the liquid and return the pan to the stove. Stir in the spice mixture and 1/3 cup of water. Cook the beef until the seasonings have been incorporated properly.
• Divide the tortilla chips into two stacks and wrap them using paper towels that are damp. Microwave each of the stacks for about a minute to soften the tortillas.
• Put the softened tortillas on the oven racks, letting the edge droop down to create the shell shape. Bake the tortillas from 7 to 10 minutes.
• Add 2 tablespoons of cooked meat into the taco shells and top it off with 1 tablespoon of the Greek yogurt, a few of the chopped tomatoes, a tablespoon of shredded romaine, and finally, cheddar cheese that is fat reduced.
• Serve the taco shells with your choice of salsa.
2. Big Mac from McDonald’s
The Big Mac contains 29 grams of fat and a whopping 550 calories. In this recipe, there is less bread and the ingredients are lighter in order to reduce the amount of calorie to 355 and fat to 15 grams per sandwich.
Ingredients:
• 1 lb of lean ground beef
• 1 cup of iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 medium sized dill pickle, sliced thinly
• 2 tablespoons of reduced fats mayonnaise from Best Foods
• 2 tablespoons of reduced-sugar ketchup
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• ½ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper (separate them)
• 4 light English muffins
• ½ cup onion, finely minced
• 4 slices of reduced fat American cheese
• 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, non-fat and plain
• 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon + ½ teaspoon of salt (separate them)
Method:
• Mix ½ teaspoon of black pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt into the ground beef.
• Separate the beef into 8 equal portions.
• Press each of the beef portions into a patty with the size the same as that of the muffin.
• In a mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, Worcestershire, pepper, salt, mayonnaise, ketchup, and oregano. Stir the ingredients to combine.
• Grill the patties for 3 minutes on each side. Let them rest before you use them.
• Top 4 beef patties with cheese then place the plain beef on top of each patty that has cheese.
• Separate each of the English muffins and spread 2 teaspoons of sauce mixture on each side.
• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of minced onions on the inside top and bottom of the buns.
• Layer about ¼ of the sliced pickles on top of the onions.
• Add a tablespoon of shredded lettuce on the inside of the bottom buns.
• Place each of the stacked patties on the inside of the bottom buns.
• Add lettuce (shredded) on the top bun and burger.
• Serve the sandwiches warm.
3. Crispy Chicken Tenders from KFC
This remade recipe will give you the same crispness in your chicken just like in KFC minus deep frying. You won’t even use the skin of the chicken which can lower the amount of calories from 280 to 132. The fat will reduce from 16 grams to 6 grams.
Ingredients:
• 2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless and slice them into 4 strips
• ¼ cup of quinoa flour
• 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
• 1 cup of nonfat milk
• 2 teaspoons of butter
• ½ cup of all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper
• 2 ¼ teaspoons of Season All
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Method:
• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Soak the chicken strips in milk for about 10 minutes.
• Combine pepper, Season All, paprika, and flours.
• Microwave the butter and olive oil until the butter is melted.
• Drain the chicken and coat them evenly using the flour mixture.
• Pour the oil and melted butter mixture in a medium sized baking sheet.
• Place the chicken strips on the melted butter.
• Bake them for 10 to 15 minutes then flip them over and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken has cooked through or the coating has already crisped.
