How to Make Your Restaurant Faves at Home: 13 Restaurant-Inspired Recipes

Restaurant menus offer many tempting food and drink options that are so hard to pass up on when you’re trying to shed excess pounds. However, these restaurant meals aren’t typically weight loss-friendly, which slow progress to your goal.

With these 10 recipes, you can enjoy the best of both worlds. You get all of the flavor and satisfaction of your favorite orders, yet you avoid the traps that can take your weight loss journey off course. What could be better? These recipes are easy, budget-friendly and best of all, delicious!

And if you’re craving the flavors of your favorite restaurant meals without the cooking, be sure to check out the all-new Restaurant Faves from Nutrisystem! Discover feel-good meals inspired by popular dishes from famous restaurants. They’re 100% guilt-free and perfectly portioned with half the calories. Click the link below to learn more and stock up on these indulgent new menu items!:

5 Feel-Good Meals Inspired by Famous Dishes

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1. Oven Baby Back Ribs >

If you love tender, juicy pork ribs from popular restaurants, a perfectly portioned serving of this easy recipe will hit the spot for you. The meaty ribs are glazed with a sweet and zesty sauce featuring real maple syrup, brown sugar and plenty of spices. They come out of your oven fragrant and full of flavor—no grill or smoker needed. Get the full recipe here! >

2. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins >

Coffee shop muffins can be so enticing, but you’ll have no trouble resisting when you know you can make a version with the same taste and half of the calories yourself. These muffins feature the seasonal flavors of pumpkin and vanilla, plus a filling made with real cream cheese. Walnuts add a bit of crunch to them, so every bite treats you to a pleasing blend of textures and tastes. Check out the full recipe! >

3. Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Sandwich >

Every fast-food chain claims to have the best chicken sandwich these days, but the real winner is the version you make in the air fryer. It’s still has the crispy coating and tender white meat inside that makes chicken sandwiches so delicious. This recipe is extra easy because you start with Nutrisystem’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich.  You can use the Chick-fil-A® Sauce sold in grocery stores to match the flavor of the popular brand. Try the full recipe here! >

4. Skinny Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew >

Whether you enjoy coffee hot or chilled, cold brewing brings out the best flavor from the beans. But what goes into the coffee after it’s brewed is what matters most. Many popular coffee chains load up their cold brews with sugary syrups and high-calorie cream. You can make your own cold brew drink with simple ingredients like maple syrup, spices and skim milk. Enjoy the flavors of the season while staying on track to your weight loss goal. Give it a try here! >

5. Baked Lobster Mac and Cheese >

Lobster Mac and Cheese is popular because the succulent lobster and cheesy sauce go so well together. But a serving of that dish from a fancy restaurant can really go overboard on the calories and fat. You can save calories (and lots of money!) by using Nutrisystem’s frozen Mac and Cheese dinner entrée to prepare this sumptuous meal at home. All you do is add chunks of lobster, sprinkle on the spices, top with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, then bake until the top is crusty and the rest is delightfully gooey. Get the full recipe right here! >

6. Crunchy Turkey Taco Wrap >

Tacos are fun to eat on Tuesdays or any day of the week. With this version, the seasoned ground turkey gives you the flavor you love but with fewer calories and less fat than the popular fast food option. We wrap a crispy tostado shell inside, along with real cheese and sour cream, to give the wrap satisfying crunchy and creamy textures. To make it even better, you can add sautéed or fresh onions and peppers (which count toward your daily servings of non-starchy vegetables). View the full recipe here! >

7. Chocolate Brownie Milkshake >

A milkshake craving can only be satisfied with a milkshake, so we’re here to tell you how to make one that can fit into your weight loss plan. Start with the Nutrisystem Chocolate Brownie Sundae, which features hunks of brownie and fudge ribbons in rich chocolate ice cream. Whip it up with frozen bananas, real peanut butter and extra chopped brownies and you’ve got a snack that’s as delicious as the option from the infamous fast food joint (but still keeps you on track). Check it out and give it a try here! >

8. BBQ Chicken Margherita Pizza >

If you’re a sucker for inventive pies like BBQ chicken pizza, now you don’t have to leave home to enjoy one. Just get Nutrisystem’s Margherita Pizza and top it with grilled chicken coated in barbecue sauce. Pile on shredded gouda cheese and red onions, then put it in the oven and wait for just a few minutes for it to come out warm, crisp and oh-so-tasty. Get the full recipe! >

9. Homestyle Pancake Breakfast Sandwich with Turkey Bacon >

Get your day off to a healthy start by making your own fast food style breakfast sandwich, which can be ready faster than a stop at the drive-thru window. Heat Nutrisystem’s Homestyle Pancakes while you cook up low-sodium turkey bacon and scramble egg whites. Layer the bacon and egg on the pancakes with a slice of cheddar cheese and you have a perfectly portioned breakfast sandwich. You can also make this meal with sausage! Check out the recipe! >

10. Roasted Turkey and Avocado BLT >

When it comes to sandwiches, the calories can really add up. Add meat and toppings to your bread and before you know it, your sandwich has turned into a weight loss saboteur. Make it our way and you can get all of the same taste sensations—crunchy, creamy and salty—for just 223 calories. The multigrain sourdough toast adds flavor, texture and valuable fiber. If you have leftover turkey or chicken breast, this sandwich is a quick and tasty way to turn it into a delicious and healthy new meal. Try out the recipe here! >

11. Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps >

Enjoy restaurant dining right at home with these fresh and flavorful Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps! Dig into crisp lettuce leaves stuffed with tender chicken, marinated cucumbers and crunchy peanuts. Topped with a homemade peanut sauce, these healthy wraps are perfect for busy weeknights or work lunches! Get the full recipe right here! >

12. Green Goddess Cobb Salad >

Crunchy, creamy and colorful, every bite of this super salad is filled with fabulous flavor and nutritious ingredients. Topped with a healthy, homemade Green Goddess dressing, this high-protein salad features tender chicken with hunks of rich avocado, hard boiled eggs and non-starchy vegetables. Check out the recipe here! >

13. Asian Sesame Salad >

Calling all vegetarians! Enjoy a plant-based twist on a popular salad pick from your favorite café. Edamame, baked tofu and tons of crunchy veggies come together in this Asian Sesame Salad that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Complete with a homemade sesame salad dressing, it’s a vegetarian dish that even meat lovers will enjoy. Give it a try here! >