Can You Make a Healthy Pizza?

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When you think of pizza, you probably think of words like delicious,
tasty, filling ... and unhealthy!
Pizza has a bad reputation for being greasy and lacking in nutritional
value, but prepared correctly, nothing could be further from the
truth. Creating a healthy pizza is quite possible when prepared
correctly. With pizza, nutrition doesn't need to take a back seat, and
you'll find that you can enjoy a variety of healthy pizza meals.
In regards to pizza nutrition, an important thing to keep in mind is
there really is nothing unhealthy in terms of the basic ingredients.
Cheese is good for you when consumed in modest quantities; while
tomatoes are high in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Think of how
healthy a pizza made with red and green peppers, onions and small
amount of lean meat can be! Remember, the toppings you choose play the
biggest role in how healthy your pizza will be. Make sure your
ingredients are fresh and that you only use meat that is low in fat.
The best way to make a healthy pizza is to make it yourself. Frozen
pizzas usually contain a very small amount of vegetables, if any, and
a large amount of high-fat meats. Take out and delivery pizzas can be
quite bad for you as well, since there is a substantial amount of fat
in the toppings and in the cooking process, while the ingredients used
are generally poor in nutrition. When you make your own pizza at home,
however, you can control the nutrition and fat content of the
ingredients and can tailor your pizza to meet your specific
nutritional needs. In fact, pizza can be prepared in a variety of ways
to accommodate just about any diet - even low-carb! More than that,
you'll be surprised by how much better it tastes too! Try topping your
pizza with nutritious vegetables and low-fat cheese. Use fresh herbs
to add more flavor and try low-fat ground beef or turkey sausage to
cut back on fat and calories.
Pizza isn't just for dinner either. You can bake a pizza crust topped
with eggs, cheese, vegetables and low-fat turkey sausage for a
delicious breakfast pizza. You can even top it with fruit for a
delicious dessert pizza. There are many ways to make a pizza healthy,
and you are only limited by your imagination.
Another important consideration for making a healthy pizza is the
crust. Make your pizza dough with whole wheat flour and you will add
essential vitamins and minerals, along with a healthy dose of fiber.
Make your pizza with a very thin crust and you can cut down on your
carbohydrates considerably.
Choose the ingredients you put on top of your pizza wisely, and also
be careful with your choice of sauces. A tomato sauce is an excellent
option because it's low in fat and calories while being loaded with
nutrition. Stay away from white sauces based on butter and cheese, but
you can use a pesto sauce made with a small amount of olive oil. These
are just a few of the healthy options you have at your disposal.
When looking for ways to make your cooking healthier, think about what
you can do with a pizza. You can top it with just about anything you
like and the options are nearly endless! I hope you will never again
automatically lump this delicious meal into the junk food category.
For more fun pizza recipes, visit my site for Easy Italian Cooking