There is nothing like a great slice of pizza. But the problem is that one slice usually leads to two, which leads to four and before you know it, half the pie is gone! Add on toppings like extra cheese, sausage, meatballs, bacon and more, and the next morning you are suddenly astounded when you can't fit into your pants. But believe it or not, pizza doesn't have to be fattening; it can be healthy. Here's how!
Instructions
1. Lose the meat. Toppings such as sausage, meatballs, bacon and other meat-based products usually pack on the fat and calories. Skip those altogether, and you will drastically reduce the caloric intake.
2. Limit the cheese. While a lot of people like to order double cheese, many people don't realize that you can tell the pizza parlor to go "light" on the cheese, or even use part-skim milk mozzarella. Another option is to ask for Parmesan cheese. Parmesan cheese has a much lower fat content compared with standard mozzarella.
3. Get thin crust. Crusts come in as many variations as toppings--deep dish, thick crust, stuffed crust and of course thin crust. Dough has a very high caloric value and a fairly low amount of dietary fiber, meaning it takes the body some time to digest. (This is true of most white breads.) By getting thin crust, you will be consuming less dough. Some progressive pizza shops offer whole-wheat crust as well. This is also a better option than the traditional crust.
4. Load on the veggies! Another way to eat healthy pizza is to add vegetables as toppings. Vegetables have a very low caloric value and are high in fiber. Therefore your body burns more calories while trying to work off that fiber.
5. Buy frozen pizza. While it may be hard to get healthy pizza from Domino's or Pizza Hut, scanning your grocer's freezer is a great idea. Smart Ones, Healthy Choice and South Beach are all brands that produce a frozen pizza that is lower in calories than those from your local pie shop.
6. Create your own. The best way to decipher everything that is in the ingredients and to make your pizza as healthy as possible is to make it yourself. If you don't want to make your own dough, you can usually buy it from your local pizza shop uncooked. Then simply let it rise and spread it thin on the pan so there is not too much dough in the crust. Then place sauce and toppings as you desire and place it in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove when the cheese is golden brown and let cool. Congratulations, you now have some great ideas on eat healthy pizza!
Tags: healthy pizza, thin crust, caloric value, from your, from your local, frozen pizza