Unfortunately, there’s one universal truth to snacking. If it’s tasty, it’s usually bad for you. But that’s no longer set in stone. Today, we’re showcasing how to get the most out of your pizza!
Who doesn’t love pizza? It’s almost the perfect food. You can even customize it to your liking with different toppings. Unfortunately, pizza is only almost the perfect food. Between the toppings, cheese, and sauce, it’s very easy to pack on the calories, and the dough is even worse.
Is there any way you could enjoy a pizza while not busting your diet?
Rethinking the Dough
Luckily, if you’re looking for healthy alternatives, you can start with the crust. The simplest option that many turn to is choosing a healthier bread. Two popular picks are pita and naan bread. Both are available in your local grocery store and easy to work with.
While these may be healthier than regular pizza crust, they’re still not great. For full alternatives, we look to the vegetable kingdom. Portobello mushrooms are the top pick for veggie pizza crusts. All you do is clean the cap and pile on the sauce, cheese, and toppings.
If you’re really adventurous, you can also shred other vegetables in a food processor, and form them into a healthy dough. Cauliflower, zucchini, and sweet potatoes are all good places to start if you’re looking to try this.
A happy medium between veggie and regular crusts is polenta.
Want to try a healthier option, but not interested in veggie crusts? A happy medium between the two is polenta. Polenta is a boiled cornmeal dish from Italy. Once you boil the cornmeal, form it into a crust and bake it in the oven. You can find polenta in most grocery stores in tubes and grain form.
Other Little Hacks
If you’re looking to cut calories on your pizza, there are a few things you can do besides changing the crust.
The sauce is one of the hidden culprits of an unhealthy pizza. Most store-bought sauces are packed with sugar, salt, and oil. Making your own tomato sauce or using pesto are easy ways to make your pie lighter. If these aren’t options, using less sauce will lower the calorie count.
Skip white pizzas, though. It may look like these are healthy, but they replace tomato sauce with ricotta cheese and oil. Some even use Alfredo sauce.
White pizza may seem healthy, but they replace red sauce with ricotta cheese, oil, or Alfredo sauce.
Changing up the cheese also helps. Instead of regular mozzarella, try out part-skim mozzarella or parmesan. These options cut calories without sacrificing flavor.
As for toppings? Pepperoni, bacon, and sausage may all be popular picks, but none are very healthy. Instead, vegetables are safe bets. If you need your protein fix, lean options like grilled chicken or chicken sausage can replace many of the meats on your pizza. Turkey and mushrooms are also good substitutes.
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Pizza is a go-to dinner for millions of people around the world. With these healthy alternatives, a delicious, healthy pizza is easier than ever.
