Georgie,
I love pizza and could probably sustain my life on it. Is there a healthier version that is not too difficult to make?
I am SO with you! I love pizza, and we are certainly not alone! The good news is, your healthy lifestyle and your pizza addiction don’t have be enemies! I wrote a brief article not long ago for LiveSTRONG.com called Nutrition Guide For Pizza, which has some quick tips to get you started. Check it out, but that’s the just basics!
Ok, so what are the less-than-healthy aspects of pizza? First, the white flour crust. To address this, you can opt for whole wheat flour if you make your own. While it provides more fiber and nutrients to go whole grain, even whole grain crust is full of high-glycemic carbs and contain a lot of calories. Not to mention that making your own pizza crust with yeast and flour does take a chunk of time.
I love to use high-fiber, lower carb tortillas as a thin crust for pizza. Some great brands are La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious line, Flat Out’s “Light” or “Healthy Grain” products, Toufayan Low Carb wraps, and Tumaro’s Low in Carbs wraps. You can also use Light English Muffins, Arnold Sandwich Thins, or Pepperidge Farms Deli flats for crust options that aren’t as thin as a tortilla – and get 2 mini crusts for 100 calories.
So what else do we worry about with pizza, now that we’ve slashed calories and carbs in the crust? The toppings. Cheese is high fat, (and it’s the artery-clogging kind) so if you like cheese on your pizza (and who doesn’t?) choose a low fat or light variety and a light hand. 2% Italain shredded is great, and I also like reduced fat feta. I also usually have light string cheese in the fridge, so I’ll string that apart and use it too. If you like pepperoni on your pizza, look for turkey pepperoni by Hormel or Bridgeford for an option with 70% less fat and lots of flavor.
Piling on veggies can add a lot of flavors to pizza, fill you up, and boost the nutrition on your pizza. The sky’s the limit! Around here, pizza toppings include chopped spinach (frozen, just thaw and squeeze out the moisture), peppers of every color, both sweet and hot, artichoke hearts, olives, fresh tomatoes, onions and mushrooms. Sometimes, grilled zucchini and eggplant show up too, or roasted red peppers from the jar. I pile the veggies an inch deep, and put the cheese on top. A dash of hot pepper flakes, garlic powder and italian herbs and I’m in healthy pizza heaven.
Tomato sauce is actually one of the healthiest parts, and is rich in the antioxidant lycopene. You can use any tomato sauce or pizza sauce from a jar or can, but a quick and easy tip I’ve found is to mix a 6 ounce can of Contadina Tomato Paste with Italian Herbs with one can full of water. Presto! 2 ingreidents, and it’s just enough pizza sauce for one or two meals, without a ton left over! (If you can’t find the one with herbs in it, just use plain tomato paste and add some oregano, basil, and garlic.)
Lastly, try recipes with pizza flavors, without actual “pizza” form. Tomato sauce, garlic and cheese are really what that pizza craving is after, so I’ll just pile those critical elements on some vegetables in a pinch! Check out Eggplant Mini Pizzas, Pizza Wrap, 5 Minute Flatbread Pizza, and Italian Vegetable & Pepperoni Strata for more pizza-inspiration.
Anyone else got some great healthy pizza tips or personal creations? Leave a comment! I’ll also entice you by telling you that I have a new stovetop pizza recipe in the works!! Stay tuned…..
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I couldn’t agree more. “Pizza” does not have to be a dirty word. I make it healthy like you. In mindful portions with clean, healthy ingredients pizza can be a wonderfully balanced meal. Cool that u write for Livestrong, I reference it in my blog often!
If you want to eat healthy Pizza then eat chicken fajita flavor, its the best, healthy and delicious, I love it