Whether it’s a burger, pizza, Mexican, or a curry, there are endless takeaway options for people to choose from.
However, before you place that takeaway order or venture to the nearest fast-food outlet to pick up your Friday night treat, why not try a homemade version that ticks all the boxes – taste, nutrition, cost and convenience.
Takeaways are the go-to for a quick, convenient dinner, yet more and more people are choosing to cook their favourite takeaways or ‘fake-aways’ at home.
Why cooking your takeaways at home is a great way to go
Food prices
Food prices have increased significantly over recent years and cooking at home is a growing trend. With some careful selection your favourite takeaway items can be made at home for a fraction of the price that you will pay at a takeaway outlet.
Nutrition
Many takeaway foods are hidden sources of sugar, salt and contain the wrong types of fats, while lacking in vegetables and fibre. Making your takeaways at home means you can use healthier cooking techniques such as oven baking versus deep frying, and include more nutritious ingredients such as fresh vegetables.
Time
If you factor the drive to the takeaway outlet and the wait time, in a lot of cases you could have made takeaways at home in the same amount of time. It just might need some pre-planning to ensure you have the right ingredients. But there are plenty of food hacks that can speed up the process such as preparing a few ingredients beforehand. See more information on food prep.
Making it a team effort
If you have kids at home, involve them in the planning and cooking of their favourite takeaways. Not only are you building their food skills and confidence in the kitchen, but there is a great sense of achievement in creating your own dish. My kids always say the burgers at home taste so much better than the burgers from takeaway outlets.
Suit your tastes
Making food for yourself allows you to include your favourite flavours, remove any ingredients that people don’t like, and/or cater to any specific dietary needs (e.g. gluten free). Try to experiment with new flavours to keep things interesting and exciting.
Tips for making healthier fast food
Below are some of our top tips for making the best takeaways at home.
Veg up – Include some vegetables on the side (e.g. a salad, or coleslaw) or use them as a topping or filling for flavour, texture and freshness. Choose vegetables that you like and what’s in season to make it more affordable. Even leftover vegetables can be used in a wide variety of takeaway foods.
Try different protein sources - Often, beef patties are the go-to for burgers, ham as the meat on the pizza, or chicken in a wrap. Consider leftover meats (e.g. roast meats) and different protein sources such as crumbed or seasoned fish or adding some beans or other vegetarian options like falafel.
Time saving ingredients - Consider what ingredients you have at home, and what you need to buy to speed up the process. Not everything has to be made from scratch. Crumbed fish fillets, premade burger patties or dumplings are great options to have in the freezer ready to go. Have some curry pastes and jar sauces in the pantry for whipping up a quick Thai curry, or butter chicken. When it comes to processed foods, read labels and try to include options with lower levels of saturated fat, sugar and sodium.
Flavour it up - Build in lots of flavour and tailor it to what you like. Chilli, herbs/spices, pickles and some of your favourite sauces can be a great way to boost the flavour. There are also plenty of different bread types like wraps, naan, roti and pitas which provide variety and keep things interesting.
The right equipment – In many cases, all you need is a stove top and an oven to make great tasting takeaways at home. However, investing in a good wok can be a great option if you’re recreating curries and stir-fries. An air fryer can also be a great tool to create crispy, textured food quickly and efficiently but with significantly less oil.
3 staple recipes to get your fast food fix with Dave Monro
Try these 5 great ideas and recipes
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Pulled pork and slaw sliders
Sliders, or small burgers, are popular these days in restaurants, bars and cafes as a small snack or light meal. These sliders are bursting with flavour for the whole family to enjoy. Cook the pork the day before or freeze it for a quick meal later. The pulled pork can be served in tacos/nachos, or with a baked potato/ or oven baked fries (loaded fries).
Serves 6
2+ hours to make1 tbsp oil
1 kg pork shoulder with bone in
2 cups water
2 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp taco spice mix
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups grated carrot
⅓ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup unsweetened yoghurt
8 slider buns- Cook the pork the day before serving
- Heat oil in a large pot or slow cooker
- Brown pork on all sides then add water, vinegar and spice mix
- Cover with a lid, turn down to low heat and cook for approximately 2-3 hours or until the meat is falling apart easily, top up with water if it’s getting low
- Remove any bones, skin and chewy parts then shred meat into small pieces and set aside
- Meanwhile turn heat back up under pot and reduce the cooking liquid to a thick sauce then mix meat back through
- Store refrigerated until ready to serve then reheat thoroughly
- Mix the cabbage, carrot, parsley, mayonnaise and yoghurt to make the slaw
- Serve pork and slaw with slider buns- either cut and filled or deconstructed
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Fish patties with Tartare sauce
A delicious light burger patty that can fill a burger bun, pita pocket or just by itself. Great served with salad and tartare sauce.
Serves 4
15-30 minutes to makeFish patties
200g fish fillets
1 medium courgette or carrot, grated
1½ tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp curry powder
1 egg
¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp oil- Finely chop or blend fish fillets in food processor until very finely chopped but not a smooth paste
- Add remaining ingredients except oil and mix thoroughly
- Shape into burger patties
- Heat a frying pan with oil and cook patties until brown on each side
- Add to a burger bun or pita pocket and serve with a salad and tartare sauce
Tartare sauce
2 gherkins, finely chopped
1½ tbsp capers, finely chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
⅓ cup unsweetened yoghurt
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
- Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve
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Chicken Fried Rice
This tasty chicken fried rice recipe is an easy and quick meal to make for when you're in a hurry. It can be a great option for using leftover veges.
Serves 8
45 min - 1 hour to make2 cups brown rice
4 cups water
3 tbsp oil
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
500g cooked chicked, shredded
8 cups frozen vegetables
3 tbsp soy sauce- Rinse the rice under cold running water
- Combine rice and water and cook in a saucepan with lid or in a rice cooker
- For the pot method - bring water to the boil then turn down to low
- Once water is below the level of the rice, turn the heat off and leave covered for 10 minutes
- Heat a wok, large pot or large frying pan with half of the oil. 6.
- Add beaten egg and cook until lightly scrambled. Remove eggs and roughly chop – set aside.
- Add the rest of the oil, onion, garlic and ginger and cook until lightly brown/clear.
- Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add mixed vegetables and cook for a further 5 mins.
- Add cooked rice, scrambled eggs, soy sauce and mix thoroughly.
- Add pepper to taste
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Chilli bean quesadillas
These quesadillas are made with canned chilli beans and are a super easy and convenient light meal. They are absolutely superb served with a green salad and some avocado or tomato salsa.
Serves 4
5-15 minutes to make400g chilli beans
100g frozen or fresh corn kernels
60g edam cheese
8 small tortillas or wraps- Mix together the chilli beans and corn kernels
- Spread the chilli beans and corn evenly over half of the tortillas
- Sprinkle the grated cheese over the chilli beans
- Place the remaining tortillas on top of the chilli beans and cheese
- Heat a frying pan over a low to medium heat without any oil
- Place the filled tortillas in the frying pan and cook slowly flipping after approximately 3-4 minutes until both sides are a golden brown
- Cut in half and serve hot with a salad
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Roast vegetable and meatball pizza
This pizza is loaded with luscious roasted vegetables and can be made with or without the meatballs. It’s bound to be a hit with the family.
Serves 4
45 min - 1 hour to make2 courgettes, chopped
1 eggplant, chopped
1 capsicum, chopped
1 tbsp oil
4 20cm pre-made pizza bases
½ cup tomato puree
1 cup cheese, grated
250g beef mince- Preheat oven to 225°C
- Place courgettes, eggplant and capsicum in a large roasting dish and mix with oil
- Roast for approximately 20 minutes or until softened and beginning to brown, then remove from oven
- Place pizza bases on baking trays and evenly spread tomato puree over the top
- Spread roasted vegetables over the tomato puree
- Place balls of mince on top of the vegetables
- Sprinkle cheese over the top
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown
- Remove from oven and serve
Meet the expert: Dave Monro
Dave Monro is the Heart Foundation’s Chief Advisor, Food and Nutrition and is responsible for overseeing the Heart Foundation's food and nutrition work, including nutrition position statements, nutrition-related communications, and advising into a range of Heart Foundation programmes. Dave is a New Zealand Registered Dietitian and qualified chef and enjoys combining both of these elements to develop practical, achievable solutions for New Zealanders to eat healthier. He has a passion for building partnerships and sees this as a critical strategy for bringing about public health improvements. In his spare time, Dave enjoys running, touch rugby, rugby refereeing, and having an active role in his children’s sporting activities.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional, tax or other advice. It does not take into account any individual’s personal situation or needs. You should consider obtaining professional advice from a financial adviser and/or tax specialist, or medical or health practitioner, in relation to your own circumstances and before acting on this information.
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