One of the dishes I absolutely love at P.F. Chang’s is the Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps. And these would seem to be a healthy choice, right? Filled with chicken, mushrooms, green onions and water chestnuts.

According to the nutrition info on their website: 1 order of lettuce wraps contains 4 servings. Each serving is 160 calories, 7g fat, 15g net carbs, and 8g protein.

Not too terrible, right? Except, remember, this is for only 1/4th of the order. So, here’s a recipe that cuts that net-carb count in half, while still retaining the flavor and (most) of the texture. (Okay, bean sprouts aren’t a 1:1 texture replacement for the crunchy rice noodles—but they work.)

Lower-Carb Chicken Lettuce Wraps

• 2 Tbsp. light/low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp. Splenda brown sugar blend, not packed (if you’d prefer to use real brown sugar, increase quantity to 1 Tbsp.)
• 2 tsp. chili garlic sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 8–10 ounces boneless skinless chicken, cooked and cubed
• 1 cup canned water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 1 cup bean sprouts (I use the fresh ones from the produce section rather than the canned because they have better texture)
• 3/4 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions/green onions
• 8–12 leaves from lettuce such as iceburg, hearts of Romaine (not the dark-green, leafy exterior leaves), bibb, or escarole. You could also use green or red cabbage, if that’s more to your taste.

To prepare sauce, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, chili-garlic sauce, and sesame oil. Stir well and set aside.

In a large skillet preheated over medium heat, combine chicken, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, and mushrooms (if using). Sauté about 1 minute. Add the sauce and stir to combine well. Cook 2–3 minutes more, until sauce begins to thicken slightly. Add scallions, stir, and cook 1 additional minute.

Divide mixture evenly between the lettuce “cups” and wrap up to eat.

Serves 4

Nutritional Info (per serving):
Calories: 140
Fat: 2.75 g
Net Carbs: 7.5 g
Protein: 19g