Healthier Swaps

I Biohacked Taco Bell's New Meal Kits (And You Should Too)

Y'all, let me spill the tea about my toxic relationship with Taco Bell's drive-thru at 2 AM 🌮

Like many of you, I've been there - sitting in my car, inhaling a Crunchwrap Supreme while promising myself it's the last time. But guess what? Taco Bell just dropped these meal kits at Walmart, and your girl HAD to investigate.

The Plot Twist Nobody Expected

Here's the thing - when I first saw these kits, I rolled my eyes SO hard. Like, why would I want to make my own Crunchwrap when I could just... you know, get one? But after some experimenting in my tiny NYC kitchen (and several questionable attempts), I realized something:

These kits are basically a blank canvas for your healthy cooking dreams. fr fr.

My Chaotic-Good Adventures in Kit Customization

Listen up, because I'm about to share how I turned these fast food replicas into actually decent meals that won't make your nutritionist cry:

The Protein Glow-Up

First things first - I ditched the suggested ground beef and tried:

Ground turkey (basic but effective)
Shredded chicken breast (my personal fave)
Impossible meat (surprisingly good???)
Black beans + quinoa mix (for my veggie besties)

The Veggie Revolution

Added ALL. THE. VEGGIES.

Sautéed bell peppers hit different
Spinach (sneaky nutrition, we love to see it)
Actual fresh tomatoes (not the sus canned stuff)
Grilled zucchini (trust the process)

The Sauce Situation

Let's talk about that sus cheese sauce. Instead, I used:

Greek yogurt (protein gains)
Homemade guac (because duh)
Cashew cream (fancy AF)

The Real Tea: My Results

Ok so here's what actually happened when I made these swaps:

The meals were more filling (hello, fiber!)
My post-Taco Bell guilt? GONE
Each kit made enough for meal prep (we love savings)
My roommate actually asked for the recipe???

But Wait, There's More...

Here's what nobody's talking about - these kits are actually cheaper than getting takeout, especially when you factor in delivery fees and tip. Plus, you can control your portions and ingredients like the health queen/king you are.

Pro Tips From My Kitchen Disasters:

Prep your veggies in advance (learned this the hard way)
Don't overdo the Greek yogurt (it gets weird)
Make extra sauce and store it (future you will thank me)
Air fry the tortilla for extra crunch (game changer!)

Let's Get Real For a Sec

Look, I'm not saying these are suddenly health food. But if you're trying to balance your fast food cravings with actually taking care of yourself, this might be the hack you need.

What's your favorite way to healthify fast food? Drop a comment below - I'm always looking for new ideas to try! And if you attempt any of these hacks, tag me in your kitchen victories (or hilarious failures - those are fun too).

Until next time, stay savage and eat your veggies! ✌️

P.S. Yes, I still hit up the drive-thru sometimes. We're all human here.

Originally published on Medium by Sarah Chen, your friendly neighborhood food chaos coordinator