This Healthier Beef and Broccoli Dish Is Better Than Takeout

It’s hard to enjoy Chinese food takeout without feeling weighed down afterward. More often than not, restaurant dishes are laden with extra oil and salt, which pack on extra calories and can leave you bloated. But that doesn’t mean we’re done with the likes of lo mein forever. Rather, we’re on a mission to find ways to use healthier ingredients in our favorite Chinese dishes.

Take beef and broccoli: The classic order is delish. But it usually comes in a gooey sauce that’s full of ingredients you can’t even pronounce (not to mention sugar). To solve that issue and still get our takeout fix, we’ve revamped the recipe with nourishing ingredients you’ll actually recognize.

This dish’s sauce only calls for two teaspoons of sugar, but it still has a thick, satisfying texture thanks to small quantities of better-for-you fat sources, like sesame oil and peanut oil. With flavorful additions like low-sodium soy sauce, chicken broth, and dry sherry, the flank steak comes in a delicious marinade that tastes even better than the one from your go-to restaurant. Plus, the meal clocks in at just 260 calories per serving!

Go ahead and use jasmine rice as your base, but don’t forget the greens. Adding a hearty amount of broccoli florets to the mix boosts the nutritional value of the meal. Broccoli is a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C, as well as vitamin B6, manganese, and phosphorous. New research suggests broccoli might even slow down the aging process.

Watch this video to learn how simple it is to cook up healthier beef and broccoli, right in your own kitchen.