Pizza doesn't have to be unhealthy. It's when the local joint loads it up with highly processed junk and ships it cheap. Cheaper food = worse for ya. Here's the kicker, you can have pizza and it still be healthy. Just make it at home with a little pre-planning.
1. CRUST- you have a few options available, an easier step to make.
A) Make it yourself, it's just yeast/flour/sugar/salt/water/oil. Google or B&B could provide a recipe.
B) Buy frozen or pop & peel tube (the stuff in the dairy cooler area) bread or pizza dough.
C) Buy some from a local pizza joint that uses the above mentioned recipe, and makes it in house. As ex pizza crew, it's what I do. They are used to it, so ask away.
D) Get some french bread, even day old stuff, etc. Don't let standards hold your boundaries. Low carb, gluten free, healthy bread products. Make minis on bagels or English muffins.
2. SAUCES- just a lovin' spoonful, maybe two.
A) Olive oil, that's it. Traditional pizza is just flat bread drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with fresh herbs, maybe garden veggies & light cheese (if any). It's peasant food. As Americans we have learned to over do it, like everything else.
B) Homemade, always best. Do you or your mom/cousin/aunt/best friend make a kick *** sauce? Doesn't matter what kind, bbq/marinara/cream base/pesto, pizza loves all sauces. Even healthy ones. Let your imagination run wild.
C) Buy a nice limited ingredient, close to natural sauce. All natural and organic stuff are good options to look at. Read your labels and look for the best option. You can always thin down your sauce with water/milk to healthy it up.
D) Go naked! Sauceless I mean... Who says you have to have it? Let your toppings shine! This is the way to to it AND cut some calories.
3. TOPPINGS- where dreams are built & heartburn nightmare lives.
A) Leftovers from the weeks at home dinners. That bomb chicken the wife made, shred it and put it on top. Leftover ham/bacon from breakfast, dice it on top. Cook a bit Xtra through the week to save for pizza night. Nice sausage/Canadian bacon/healthy pepperoni all good options.
B) Veggie supreme! Load the veggies on, they're already in your sauce, onion/peppers/garlic/mushroom/tomato put them on top. Get creative with your veggies. Artichoke hearts/corn/potato/spinach (put it on bottom so it doesn't burn)/cauliflower all go great on pizza pie. Let pizza be the vehicle that helps you learn to appreciate new veggies.
C) Is for CHEESE! The gold mine of it all. Get some nice quality flavorful cheese. Try fresh mozzarella and parmesan on top. Don't use the shredded block stuff, it's bland in comparison. Though block cheese is OK, just read your labels as always. Be modest with your cheese, it's there to help build flavor not be the favor.
D) Naked time again! Well, maybe just scantily dressed... Don't be afraid to go bare bones on your pie. Skip cheese and heavy toppings. Make your pie a salad on a bread plate. Some of the best pizzas I've had were stripped down, BLT pie with lite ranch lighty drizzled on top for example.
4. PUTTING IT TOGETHER- if you build it, they will come.
Start with a small dough ball and stretch it out thin crust style, saves on carbs and calories. Spoon on some sauce, not a heavy layer, just a modest amount to build flavor off of. Next is your "flat" stuff, spinach, pepperoni, etc. Next go your veggies, butted against the sauce to layer flavor in and take flavor on. Sprinkle on the rest, bacon/ham/shredded chicken, and give a dusting of cheese. You can give a light bead of olive oil on the crust & fresh oregano on top before it bakes. Bake at 350°\375° until crust is as brown as you like it. Guaranteed to make the house smell awesome.
Remember remember remember, modest portion size and quality ingredients will yield a wonderful pizza. Quality ingredients taste better so you'll need less of them, and not have to pile them on. Your building a flavor bouquet. You might try seeing if you can dial mfp into helping you build a healthy pie. Or try and divy it yourself and tell mfp, it's just scraps put together to make a whole item.
Alright everyone, who's got great healthy pizza recipes, ideas and alternatives? Who makes "good for you" pizza, and what's on it? What about the healthiest best tasting combo you've come up with? Don't post up all the garbage stuff we see commercials, just the healthy options you've found.
1. CRUST- you have a few options available, an easier step to make.
A) Make it yourself, it's just yeast/flour/sugar/salt/water/oil. Google or B&B could provide a recipe.
B) Buy frozen or pop & peel tube (the stuff in the dairy cooler area) bread or pizza dough.
C) Buy some from a local pizza joint that uses the above mentioned recipe, and makes it in house. As ex pizza crew, it's what I do. They are used to it, so ask away.
D) Get some french bread, even day old stuff, etc. Don't let standards hold your boundaries. Low carb, gluten free, healthy bread products. Make minis on bagels or English muffins.
2. SAUCES- just a lovin' spoonful, maybe two.
A) Olive oil, that's it. Traditional pizza is just flat bread drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with fresh herbs, maybe garden veggies & light cheese (if any). It's peasant food. As Americans we have learned to over do it, like everything else.
B) Homemade, always best. Do you or your mom/cousin/aunt/best friend make a kick *** sauce? Doesn't matter what kind, bbq/marinara/cream base/pesto, pizza loves all sauces. Even healthy ones. Let your imagination run wild.
C) Buy a nice limited ingredient, close to natural sauce. All natural and organic stuff are good options to look at. Read your labels and look for the best option. You can always thin down your sauce with water/milk to healthy it up.
D) Go naked! Sauceless I mean... Who says you have to have it? Let your toppings shine! This is the way to to it AND cut some calories.
3. TOPPINGS- where dreams are built & heartburn nightmare lives.
A) Leftovers from the weeks at home dinners. That bomb chicken the wife made, shred it and put it on top. Leftover ham/bacon from breakfast, dice it on top. Cook a bit Xtra through the week to save for pizza night. Nice sausage/Canadian bacon/healthy pepperoni all good options.
B) Veggie supreme! Load the veggies on, they're already in your sauce, onion/peppers/garlic/mushroom/tomato put them on top. Get creative with your veggies. Artichoke hearts/corn/potato/spinach (put it on bottom so it doesn't burn)/cauliflower all go great on pizza pie. Let pizza be the vehicle that helps you learn to appreciate new veggies.
C) Is for CHEESE! The gold mine of it all. Get some nice quality flavorful cheese. Try fresh mozzarella and parmesan on top. Don't use the shredded block stuff, it's bland in comparison. Though block cheese is OK, just read your labels as always. Be modest with your cheese, it's there to help build flavor not be the favor.
D) Naked time again! Well, maybe just scantily dressed... Don't be afraid to go bare bones on your pie. Skip cheese and heavy toppings. Make your pie a salad on a bread plate. Some of the best pizzas I've had were stripped down, BLT pie with lite ranch lighty drizzled on top for example.
4. PUTTING IT TOGETHER- if you build it, they will come.
Start with a small dough ball and stretch it out thin crust style, saves on carbs and calories. Spoon on some sauce, not a heavy layer, just a modest amount to build flavor off of. Next is your "flat" stuff, spinach, pepperoni, etc. Next go your veggies, butted against the sauce to layer flavor in and take flavor on. Sprinkle on the rest, bacon/ham/shredded chicken, and give a dusting of cheese. You can give a light bead of olive oil on the crust & fresh oregano on top before it bakes. Bake at 350°\375° until crust is as brown as you like it. Guaranteed to make the house smell awesome.
Remember remember remember, modest portion size and quality ingredients will yield a wonderful pizza. Quality ingredients taste better so you'll need less of them, and not have to pile them on. Your building a flavor bouquet. You might try seeing if you can dial mfp into helping you build a healthy pie. Or try and divy it yourself and tell mfp, it's just scraps put together to make a whole item.
Alright everyone, who's got great healthy pizza recipes, ideas and alternatives? Who makes "good for you" pizza, and what's on it? What about the healthiest best tasting combo you've come up with? Don't post up all the garbage stuff we see commercials, just the healthy options you've found.
First time for her there, and she was nervous, but impressed me in the hour we spent there. She is on MFP as well and starting to work on her journey as well!.
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