Healthy Pizza with PIZZAZZ!
Your Taste Buds Won't Know the Difference
-- By Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered Dietitian
Who doesn’t like pizza? Nearly every mouth waters at the thought of sweet tomato sauce, tangy toppers, and that rich golden-brown crust, baked to perfection. This combination food can be a healthy choice, filled with complex carbohydrates, B-vitamins, calcium, protein, vitamin A, and vitamin C. However it often ends up being an indulgent, high fat, calorie-packed nightmare. Whether you're starting from scratch, opening a convenient frozen creation, or placing an order at your favorite pizzeria, the following pizza pointers will surely come in handy.
Consider the Crust
Crust is the foundation of your pizza, so be creative and open your mind to new crust possibilities, such as lower calorie versions. Keep in mind that whole-grain breads or crusts add fiber and additional nutrients to your pizza as well.
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Pizza sauce is loaded with lycopene, an antioxidant carotenoid thought to protect against several cancers, heart disease, and possibly bone loss. Many tasty, low-sodium versions are now available.
Load It Up
Pile on the vegetable and fruit toppings—mushrooms, olives, green peppers, broccoli, onions, spinach, pineapple, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers—for less fat, less calories, more fiber and more vitamins A and C.
