Pizza is a go to American meal. Whether you are watching a sporting event, studying, or looking for a quick dinner there is no doubt pizza is the number one comfort food in America. It comes with a price though, a bulging waistline from over-indulging in this heavenly but often high fat treat.
Cutting down on cheese and fatty meats will help trim the fat and cholesterol in your pizza pie. While bulking up on healthy vegetables (which contain anti-oxidants) will not only help your heart, but will fill you up while slimming you down.
Another way to improve the profile of your pizza is to use a wheat based crust. Some pizzeria's now offer wheat dough and if making it yourself add some wheat flour to the recipe or try it on a wheat pita bread. The wheat flour is healthy for your heart and will add fiber as well.
Some Tips About Great Healthy Pizza
Crust
Healthy pizza starts with the crust. Most standard pizzas are white flour based adding extra calories through this flour, oils, fats and lard. If ordering out ask the Piazziola to stretch you a thin crust if they don't offer wheat. When making at home try to add at least half wheat flour and use good fat like extra virgin olive oil as opposed to lard or butter. Pizza Sauce
Pizza sauce is usually made from concentrated tomato puree or paste. Try to find one low in sodium and find a brand that is not full of unpronounceable chemicals and oil, unless it is olive oil, preferably, extra virgin olive oil. If your really ambitious, you can always make your own pizza sauce from fresh Roma tomatoes or canned plum tomatoes.
Cheese
Feta cheese is the best choice to top your pizza followed by reduced calorie or skim milk cheeses. A goat's digestive system is much closer to ours than a cow's, therefore their milk is more digestible for humans. There is also soy cheese, but again read the ingredients. Just because it's soy doesn't mean it's healthy.If using regular cheese just try and use it sparingly.
Toppings
Filling your pizza with fresh vegetables is going to fill you up and save your waistline from greasy artery clogging meats. Try to use at least three toppings like: tomatoes, onions, black & green olives, mushrooms, all types of peppers, broccoli and spinach. Even try fruits like apples, pears and pineapple to add some good calories and nutrition.
Pizza Dough (Yield 1 Pound):
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 package quick-rising yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons), such as Fleischmann's RapidRise
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4 cup tepid water (80-120°F)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Combine yeast with water and sugar and whisk until it foams
- Add oil salt and flours and mix into a sticky ball
- Place on a floured work surface and let rest 10 minutes.
- Roll into a thin crust and top with healthy toppings
- Bake on a pizza stone or cookie sheet at 450 degrees until crispy 12-14 minutes
Chris Albano - My Name is Chris Albano and I have been a working chef for over 20 years. I was born in Springfield Massachusetts, a city 90 miles west of ...
