Delicious Fakeaway Recipes to Enjoy While Dieting
We have all been there. It is Friday night. You have had a long, tiring week at work. The fridge is looking a bit empty, and the leaflet for the local Chinese takeaway is staring at you from the kitchen counter.
You want to order that greasy, delicious food. But you also want to stick to your diet. It is a tough choice.
Normally, you might think you have to choose between losing weight and eating food you actually enjoy. But what if you could have both with these fakeaway recipes?
This is where the “fakeaway” comes in. It is one of the best tools you can use to stay on track with your healthy eating goals without feeling miserable.
In this post, I am going to look at what fakeaways are, why they are great for diets like Slimming World, and give you some amazing ideas to try at home.
What exactly is a fakeaway?
The word “fakeaway” is a mix of the words “fake” and “takeaway”. It simply means a homemade meal that looks and tastes like the food you would order from a restaurant, but it is cooked in your own kitchen.
Because you make fakeaway recipes yourself, you know exactly what goes into it.
When you order a takeaway, it is often cooked in lots of oil. It might be packed with sugar and salt to make it taste good. According to the British Heart Foundation, traditional takeaways are often high in saturated fat and salt. This is not great for your heart or your waistline.
When you cook a fakeaway, you are the boss. You can swap deep frying for air frying. You can use low-fat sprays instead of oil. You can use fresh vegetables instead of sugary jar sauces.
The result is a meal that scratches that itch for comfort food but still helps you fit into your jeans.
Why fakeaway recipes work for weight loss
If you have ever tried a strict diet where you only eat plain salad and boiled chicken, you know it is hard to stick to. You get bored. You start craving flavour.
Fakeaway recipes stop you from getting bored. They allow you to enjoy curry, burgers, and chips while still being healthy.
This approach fits really well with the NHS Eatwell Guide. The guide suggests we should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and base our meals on starchy carbohydrates. Most fakeaways are packed with veggies and served with rice, pasta, or potatoes.
Slimming World and fakeaway recipes
If you are following a plan like Slimming World, you will know about “Food Optimising”. This is their method of helping you lose weight by filling up on “Free Food” like lean meat, eggs, pasta, and potatoes.
Slimming World encourages members to satisfy their appetite with these foods so they do not feel hungry. A Slimming World fakeaway is often made almost entirely of Free Foods. This means you can eat a big plate of food without using up all your “Swips” (which is what they call treats like chocolate or alcohol).
By cooking fakeaway recipes from scratch, you remove the hidden high-calorie ingredients found in restaurant food. This makes a fakeaway Slimming World style meal a very popular choice for anyone counting calories or points.
Fakeaway recipes to make if you are on a diet
Ready to get cooking some fakeaway recipes? Here are 10 of the best fakeaway recipes and ideas that are perfect for a Friday night treat.
1. Chinese Chicken and Mushroom Curry
One of the most popular dishes to order is a curry. But creamy sauces can be a disaster for a diet.
If you are hunting for a Slimming World Chinese chicken curry, you have to try this healthy chicken and mushroom version. It uses stock pots and spices to create a rich flavour without needing heavy creams or oils.
The sauce is thick and savoury, just like you would get from the local takeaway. You can serve it with boiled rice or even chips.
Get the recipe for Chinese Chicken and Mushroom Curry here.
2. Doner Kebab
A kebab is usually something people eat after a night out, and it is definitely not known for being healthy. The meat in a shop-bought kebab can be very fatty.
However, you can make a brilliant loaf-style kebab at home using lean beef mince (5% fat or less). You mix the mince with spices like garlic powder, cumin, and oregano, and then bake it in the oven.
Once it is cooked, you slice it thinly. Serve it in a wholemeal pitta bread with lots of fresh salad and some homemade garlic sauce. It tastes incredibly close to the real thing but leaves you feeling much better afterwards.
Find out how to make a healthy Doner Kebab fakeaway recipes here.
3. Salt and Pepper Chips
Chips are the ultimate comfort food. But deep-fried chips are full of oil.
Salt and pepper chips are a huge trend right now. They are spicy, salty, and addictive. The good news is that you can make them perfectly in an air fryer or oven.
You simply chop potatoes into chips and cook them until they are soft inside. Then, you toss them in a pan with peppers, onions, chilli flakes, Chinese 5-spice, and salt. They are far better than soggy oven chips!
See the recipe for Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chips here.
4. Singapore Chow Mein
Noodles are a fantastic base for a healthy meal because they are filling and low in fat. Singapore Chow Mein is a spicy noodle dish that is packed with flavour.
This dish is dry rather than saucy, relying on curry powder and soy sauce for its taste. It is brilliant for using up leftover veggies in the fridge. You can add chicken, pork, prawns, or just keep it veggie.
It takes about 15 minutes to make, which is faster than waiting for a delivery driver to arrive.
Try this tasty Singapore Chow Mein recipe.
5. Beef in Black Bean Sauce
If you prefer a savoury, salty sauce over a spicy curry, beef in black bean sauce is a classic choice.
Takeaway versions can be very gloopy and salty. Making it at home lets you control the salt levels. You can use green peppers, onions, and mushrooms to bulk out the meal.
Serve this with some simple boiled rice or noodles for a filling dinner that feels like a real treat.
Check out this Beef in Black Bean Sauce recipe.
6. Chip Shop Curry Sauce
Sometimes you just want a bowl of chips with curry sauce. It is a British classic and one of the easiest fakeaway recipes.
The stuff from the chip shop is often full of fat and flour. But did you know you can make a delicious curry sauce using vegetables?
By blending cooked onions, carrots, and spices, you get a thick, smooth sauce that tastes just like the chip shop version. Because it is made mostly of vegetables, it is very low in calories and counts towards your 5-a-day.
Make your own Chip Shop Curry Sauce with this recipe.
7. Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet and sour is a family favourite, but the bright red sauce from a jar or takeaway is usually mostly sugar.
You can make a much fresher version at home. You can use pineapple juice and vinegar to get that tangy, sweet, and sour balance.
Load it up with peppers, onions, and pineapple chunks. If you want to be extra healthy, you can skip the batter on the chicken and just pan-fry the chunks. It is sticky, sweet, and delicious.
Here is a great recipe for Sweet and Sour Vegetables (add chicken if you like).
8. KFC-Style Fakeaway Burger
Craving fried chicken? You do not need a deep-fat fryer.
You can coat chicken breasts in a mix of spices and crushed cornflakes or wholemeal breadcrumbs. Then, you bake them in the oven or pop them in the air fryer. The result is crispy chicken that crunches when you bite it.
Serve it on a roll with lettuce and some low-fat mayonnaise. It beats the bucket meals hands down.
Learn how to make KFC Fakeaway Burgers here.
9. Fish and Chips
We could not have a list of fakeaway recipes without mentioning fish and chips.
Deep-fried batter is a sponge for oil. To make this healthy, use white fish like cod or haddock. You can coat it in seasoned breadcrumbs or a light batter mix and bake it.
Serve it with “mushy peas” (which are naturally healthy) and some homemade oven chips.
See healthy alternatives to deep-fried favourites here.
10. Pizza
Pizza is often seen as the enemy of weight loss because of the heavy dough and greasy cheese.
However, there are loads of ways to make a lighter pizza for fakeaway recipes. You can use a wholemeal wrap or a pitta bread as your base. Top it with tomato puree, lots of vegetables, lean meats like ham or chicken, and a measured amount of cheese.
Bake it until the cheese melts and the base is crispy. You get the pizza taste without the heavy feeling afterwards.
Look at these alternative pizza base ideas.
11. Nandos
Whilst Nandos isn’t overly unhealthy compared to some takeaways, you can make it healthier. Consider adding side dishes and less of the fatty ones and follow my recipe for a healthier Nandos with fakeaway recipes
Look at my Fakeaway Nandos recipes.
Tips for the perfect Fakeaway night
Making these meals should be fun. Here are a few tips to make your fakeaway night a success:
- Plan Ahead: Decide what you want to eat earlier in the week so you have the ingredients ready. If you have to go to the shop on Friday night when you are hungry, you might end up buying snacks you do not need.
- Use Spices: Diet food does not have to be bland. Stock up on basics like Chinese 5-spice, curry powder, garlic granules, and soy sauce. These add huge flavour for very few calories.
- Get the Family Involved: These recipes are not just for people on a diet. Kids love them too. Getting everyone to eat the same meal saves you from cooking two different dinners.
- Batch Cook: Many of these recipes, especially the curries, freeze really well. Make a double portion and freeze half for a day when you really do not want to cook.
Fakeaway Recipes – Frequently Asked Questions
Are fakeaways really cheaper than takeaways?
Yes, usually they are much cheaper. A takeaway for a family of four can cost over £30 or £40. You can make fakeaway recipes for a fraction of that price using fresh ingredients from the supermarket.
Can I eat these if I am not on Slimming World?
Absolutely. While these are perfect for a Slimming World fakeaway night, they are just healthy, low-calorie meals. They fit well with calorie counting, Weight Watchers, or just general healthy eating.
Do I need lots of fancy equipment?
No. You can make all of these with standard pots and pans. However, an air fryer is a great tool for making chips and crispy chicken with less oil. A slow cooker is also handy for curries.
Will it taste exactly the same as the takeaway?
It will taste fresher. Takeaways use lots of MSG and oil, which gives a very specific taste. Fakeaways taste like high-quality home cooking. Once you get used to them, you might find you actually prefer them to the greasy versions!
Ready to cook?
Changing your eating habits does not mean you have to say goodbye to the foods you love. It just means cooking them a little differently with fakeaway recipes.
By swapping the local takeaway for one of these delicious fakeaway recipes, you can save money, protect your health, and still enjoy a fantastic Friday night dinner.
Why not try the suitable for Slimming World Chinese chicken curry or the salt-and-pepper chips this weekend? You might be surprised at just how good healthy food can taste.
For more inspiration and recipes, explore my Fakeaway Recipes section.
Which are your favourite fakeaway recipes? Is there anything I have missed that you love? Let me know your family favourite fakeaway recipes in the comments below.
