Healthier pizza options

by Nicole Weston, Posted Jun 2nd 2006 @ 12:07PM

The fat and calorie content of some pies is enough to make nutritionists cringe, but let's face it: pizza tastes good. Really good. The Miami Herald says that 93% of Americans have pizza at least once per month. Very few people are willing to swear of pizza for more than a brief period of time, even during a diet, let alone for any substantial length of time. Can you make pizza a healthier part of your diet? Sure. There are quite a few ways to cut down on the worst parts of pizza and still enjoy it.

The first option is to limit yourself to one slice of pizza. Good luck with that - though it is a good idea to pair a pizza with something lighter, like soup or salad, to prevent yourself from reaching for that last slice.

The second option is to eat low fat, low calorie pies. This is actually a great way to get your fix without blowing your diet or your top button. The taste is the same or similar to regular pies, especially if you sprinkle on some of your own toppings, like a bit of parmesan cheese or red pepper flakes.

The best thing to do, however, is to cut back on some of the worst ingredients and increase the good ones. For example, try thin crust instead of deep dish. You'll still get the chewy bread and the crisp crust, but for probably only half the calories. Cheese-stuffed crusts and extra cheese can be left off, too, since there is plenty of cheesiness in the regular amount, especially if you want toppings which might otherwise get lost in the cheese.

When it comes to toppings, cut back or skip the meat. Ordering a pizza laden with vegetables is not the nutritional equivalent of a salad, but they are far lower in calories than sausages, ham and pepperoni and add some vitamins and fiber to your dish. If you're worried about losing flavor, opt for more flavorful toppings, like olives and roasted garlic

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Filed Under: Newspapers, Lists, Light Food, How To
Tags: bread, calorie, calories, cheese, diet, dining out, fat, health, light food, low fat, LowFat, meat, nutrition, options, ordering pizza, pepperoni, pizza, pizzas, sausage, takeout, toppings, weight

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

6-02-2006 @1:43PM unhealthily obsessed with health said... Don't forget about getting a pizza with a whole-wheat crust or if
you're making it yourself, using a whole-wheat pita for the crust:

http://www.healthbetold.com/2006/06/02/eating-a-healthier-pizza/
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6-02-2006 @6:49PM Erica said... I used to eat pizza a lot and love thick crust with extra cheese, but realizing now how bad all that cheese was to digest i've had to choose healthier pizzas if i want to enjoy them.
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6-02-2006 @6:55PM M-L said... What exactly makes a pizza "HEATHIER"

gaw!
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6-02-2006 @8:44PM yelena said... the best pizza is a simple foccacia pizza with basil and sundried tomatoes. oh, the memories...
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6-02-2006 @10:34PM e honda said... My favorite "healthy" pizza is spinach, chicken breast, and brocolli...yum.

What is everyone else's favorite healthy pizza topping combination?
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6-09-2006 @2:11PM qaz said... My favourite 'healthy' pizza topping combination is (in addition to good tomato sauce and mozzarella, naturally) the following:

Onions and red bell peppers lightly fried in oil
Chopped sun dried tomatoes
lots of fresh basil
some capers
fresh rucola (after getting the pizza out of the oven)
a sprinkling of good olive oil

and sometimes

good Kalamata olives
grilled artichoke hearts
fried zucchini
garlic
fresh tomatoes
etc..

When I prepare the dough I usually put in some whole wheat flour as well, maybe 1/3 or even 1/2 of the total so that the crust is a little bit more "bready". I prepare a normal thin crust and use a baking sheet.

I also try not to go overboard with the amount of mozzarella, but I tend to use olive oil quite generously otherwise (it's good for you!) which means that my pizzas aren't exactly diet food, but apart from the calories, I wouldn't say that they are particularly unhealthy either.

Besides, if you exercise even semi-regularly you don't have to worry about calories that much, just watch out for too much of saturated fat because it's not good for you.
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