Un Chained Recipes

This recipe was a finalist in the SparkPeople Un-Chained Recipe Contest!

I chose to re-make the Crunchwrap Supreme from Taco Bell because Taco Bell used to be one of my favorite fast food restaurants. Also, it is still my boyfriend's favorite fast food chain and nearly every time he goes there, he will order a crunchwrap supreme.

The funny thing is that most Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes are fairly simple to make... so I knew that it would be fun, delicious, and not too challenging to re-make this item!

Diced, grilled chicken breast; shredded cheddar; diced apples; dried cranberries; and grape tomatoes. Served with sliced, toasted almonds and Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing. My healthy way for my favoite take out salad.

Olive Garden's Soup or Zuppa, this is my low sodium, lower in fat version of my favorite soup to dine out for. Easy to make and leftovers are even tastier the next day! Great along side a salad for lunch or beginning course at dinner.

Arby's Market Fresh Rueben Sandwich, one of my favorites to re-create saving you a whopping 340 calories, 18 grams fat and 29 grams of carbohydrates. If you can find a leaner cut of corned beef, it will make this re-creation even healthier!

Fast food fried chicken is chock-full of cholesterol and fat but I love the crunchy coating so this oven-baked version of KFC's menu is my go-to recipe when I'm needing a fast food fix.

I eat breakfast on the run almost every day, and McDonald's Egg McMuffin value meal was a common breakfast choice. Then I discovered I could make my own sandwich at home in the time it would take me to go through the drive-thru, and I could make it much healthier (and I think tastier, too!). I have even made this sandwich at work to eat at my desk by just cooking the egg and warming the ham in the microwave. I pair it with a serving of fruit, and my day is off to a great start!

I love Wendy's Honey BBQ Wings, but at 580 calories I can't even get fries or a frosty to go with them. I came up with this to satisfy my craving, and still be able to enjoy a side.

I have always liked vegetarian "burgers" as an alternative to their high fat, high sodium meat counterparts. When my co-workers and I decided to go to Chili's for lunch, I assumed that the "Guiltess Black Bean Burger" would be just that...or at least a healthy alternative. It sounded delicious, but when I looked up the nutritional content before we left the office, I was shocked to see that one burger contained 1790 mg of sodium...More than I would like to consume for an entire day!! Since I'm watching sodium content, this was clearly not a good choice and I ordered something else. I figured I could make a much more heart healthy recipe and add some avocado, one of my favorites! Here it is:

Oh, Quesadilla Explosion Salad! How I love you!
I have eaten plenty of these at Chili's and was "Oh so surprised!" to see it listed as #2 on the 10 worst restaurant salads! Number T-O-O! Too much fat, Too many calories, Too many points!

It's a salad! How can it be so bad for you?

Something had to be done! This is my response. I have also created recipes for the various ingredients used in this salad. They are named as they appear in the list of ingredients. Feel free to use them or your own. Beware the nutrition data of this salad will change if you use another version.

This is (a) an improvement on Corner Bakery Cafe's Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup; (b) a large pot of vitamin-rich, naturally sweet, nutritious, chicken soup that (c) is very easy to make, (d) freezes well, (e) feeds about a dozen hungry people, and (f) I make throughout the year after having and making many different variations on a theme for many years

Although it can take a little time to get the chicken off the bones, it's SO worth it! Also, if you don't want to use a whole chicken or shredding it just isn't your thing, you can use chicken parts or whole breasts instead, cut off the big chunks, and dice or shred them. They'll take less cooking time, too.

There's nothing better for you, especially when ONLY chicken soup will do! It's not ambrosia (nectar of the gods), but it's as close as I can get! I appreciate your feedback and input. Enjoy! SparkPeople rocks my world! Nancy, a/k/a KEEPITMOVING

I love this salad at Applebee's. I knew I had to find a way to make it better for you. This is does not have as much of a kick but is almost half the fat and calories.

A slimmed-down version of sesame chicken from PF Chang's and other Chinese restaurants.

I love Mexican food, especially Chevy's Fresh Mex. I often order cheese enchiladas--oh so yummy, but oh so full of grease and fat! Their enchiladas contain between 230-290 calories and 10-27 grams of fat PER ENCHILADA!

This guilt-free version is quick and easy and satisfies even the most discerning cheese lovers in our family. They look really cheesy, with 1/2 cup of cheese on top, but looks can be deceiving. The filling is tasty and lower-fat, and the tortillas are softened in the microwave, reducing the fat and calories even further.