Everyone loves pizza, but most of us look at it as a diet buster with little nutritional value. Pizza can serve as a healthy meal, though. Roll out some whole wheat pizza dough and smother it with healthy toppings. Healthy dinners couldn't get much easier.
Healthy Pizza is All About the Ingredients
Look for whole wheat or multi-grain pizza dough at the grocery store. Then, search the store for vegetables and meats that appeal to you. Chicken, shrimp, chicken sausage, grass-fed ground beef, and prosciutto are all good meat options. Fresh produce? The options are endless. Corn, mushrooms, red peppers, spinach, onions, broccoli, and pineapple make all kinds of tasty combinations. Canned or frozen vegetables are good ideas as well. Artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and frozen spinach are great toppings that store well.
When selecting cheese, choose one that can be used in moderation. Pecorino Romano, blue cheese, and feta cheese all have strong, distinctive tastes. Because they have attitude, you can sprinkle, rather than heap them, on top of the pizza. Think of them as serving a complementary, rather than a central, role in your creation. You won't sacrifice taste, and your heart and waistline will benefit from limiting the saturated fat in your meal.
Finish grocery shopping by selecting a sauce. Pizza and spaghetti sauce both work well. Pesto is also a great alternative.
Pizza Making Basics
- Pre-heat the oven to 450F
- Roll out the pizza dough, creating a thin crust
- Spread sauce to the outer edges of the dough
- Arrange toppings on the pizza
- Bake for 10 minutes
Tasty Pizza Combinations
Let your imagination guide you. When making pizza, even a novice to the kitchen can test out ideas and get creative without running into too many culinary disasters. Below are some ideas to inspire:
- Top dough with pesto sauce. Arrange prosciutto, fresh pineapple, and rosemary on top. Sprinkle Pecorino Romano on the pizza after baking.
- Spread spaghetti sauce onto dough. Top with cooked chicken strips, sliced artichoke hearts, and drained, frozen spinach. Sprinkle blue cheese on top.
- Spoon pesto sauce onto the dough and spread. Slice cooked shrimp in half and scatter on dough. Add sliced red peppers, sliced mushrooms, and feta cheese.
- Spread spaghetti sauce onto dough. Top with cooked chicken strips, diced kalamata olives, sliced mushrooms, and feta cheese.
- Spread pesto onto pizza dough. Drain frozen spinach and arrange on the dough. Then, slice cooked shrimp in half and place it on. Cut corn off a fresh cob and add it. Finish with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano and a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Begin with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce. Slice your favorite chicken sausage into thin wedges and arrange. Add sliced onions and steamed broccoli florets. Complete with feta cheese.
Pizza is a Quick, Healthy Meal
Forget pizza's bad reputation: it can make a quick, wholesome meal. Experiment with your favorite foods to come up with a healthy favorite the whole family can enjoy. Serve with a big green salad and close the kitchen doors. You are done, and you've made a delicious meal that everyone is sure to finish tonight.
Readers may also be interested in Cooking May be Your Best Diet Strategy, Ten Healthy Ways to Prepare Blueberries, and Make Whole Foods Your Convenience Foods.
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