Is pizza healthy?
Healthy
by Kathleen Richardson
Pizza is as healthy as you make it. Prepare it at home and you have more control over the ingredients. Buy it in a supermarket or in a pizza parlor and you can't be certain of the nutritional value, but you can have some say in the final product that goes on your table and into your family's mouth..
Most over-the-counter pizzas and frozen pizzas are made with "white" wheat crusts. Some will be advertised as wheat, but check to see if that means processed wheat flour was used. If your supermarket has a health foods section, you may be able to find pizza made with healthy 100% whole wheat, preferably stone-ground.
A basic pizza crust recipe calls for flour, water, yeast, sugar, oil and salt. It's similar to making homemade bread except that it requires only a minute or two of kneading. Using 100% whole-wheat flour does not mean you're going to use only whole wheat. You will want to use some white flour (try "unbleached"). Using all whole wheat makes very heavy dough.
Honey works well in place of granulated sugar. It has more calories but people tend to use less of it since it is sweeter. One source stated: "Some nutrition experts say honey, unlike table sugar, contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals and that honey can aid in digestion."
Store-bought pizza sauces may contain sugar and too much salt. If you want to make your own sauce, start from scratch with fresh or canned tomatoes, or even tomato sauce or puree. If you buy a canned product, check the ingredients label, again looking for the addition of sugar or salt.
Make your own sauce with the tomato product of your choice, adding basil, oregano, garlic and other fresh herbs. Cook over a low heat until as it reaches the thickness you want. Make extra and freeze it in small batches for future pizzas.
If you buy a pizza, don't be fooled into thinking that you can get nutrition every time just by carefully choosing added ingredients. Your local pizza parlor may be using frozen, processed broccoli and canned mushrooms. Even when fresh vegetables are used, they may be sparsely scattered over the crust. If you don't want to make the crust yourself, buy a crust. Or just buy a basic pizza with sauce (with or without cheese).
Cheese is wonderful. Cheese tastes so good. Mozzarella. Cheddar. Processed cheese. Any one, or any mixture, that melts easily. That's what you'll find on most pizzas. Your biggest concern is going to be the fat content in the cheeses.
Pizzas without cheese can be just as tasty if the toppings are well seasoned. If, however, you choose an alternative to the cheesy flavor, such as some type of white sauce, beware. It, too, can be highly fatty, depend on the ingredients.
Your best bet for a healthier pizza is in the toppings. If your family insists on pepperoni or sausage, don't deny them. Just reduce the amounts used on each pizza. Also, be sure to drain all the grease off the sausage or other meats and pat them dry with a paper towel. In addition to the traditional meat toppings, offer chicken or turkey shredded or cut in small pieces.
Start introducing them to small amounts of vegetables. Depending on what your family prefers, you can cut up their favorite vegetables finely, saute slightly and season, then add them to the unbaked pizza; or, if they want to see what they're getting, cut their favorites into larger chunks.
For those who absolutely refuse to partake of vegetables, shred a small amount and place in a blender with some of the sauce. Blend them together. Always start small. You can add more as your family gets used to it.
Your choices of toppings are endless: broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, onions, garlic, chopped spinach or other cooked greens, zucchini, yellow summer squash. You can even shred turnips, white or sweet potatoes, yams, or parsnips. One of my all-time favorite pizzas was topped with dozens of roasted garlic cloves.
Making the pizza at home gives you more control over the type and amount of cheese. If your family is used to lots of greasy cheese and you'd like to promote something healthier, take small steps in the transition. Replace part of the traditional cheeses with low-fat or fat-free cheese. At the very least, reduce the amount of cheese used. It's not necessary to cover every inch of space with cheese. Just top your well-seasoned, yummy vegetables with a scattering of cheese.
Like I said, pizza can be healthy... just as healthy as you make it.