by Heidi Hauptly

Created on: May 12, 2009

When you think about Pizza normally we don't think healthy. That is certainly not one of the things high on my list when I think Pizza. In this day and age everyone seems to be going healthy. Whether it be a birthday party, family reunion, or like my family good old fashioned Friday night pizza and a movie with the kids it doesn't matter. Pizza can be something we all enjoy even if it's healthy. Some even have said that they like the healthier versions of pizza better then the ones with more calories and fat added.

Having kids I came up with a couple healthy options for pizza. In most local grocery stores now days they are selling whole wheat pizza crust. It's really thin and once it's topped with whatever you want on it the pizza bakes up in just minutes. The thinner the pizza the less calories because you don't have all the bread from the dough. I must admit though I am hooked on Chicago style pizza with that thicker crust. Oh what flavor. Who says healthy pizza has to lack flavor? No sir it can pack a punch. I have bought the thin whole wheat pizza crust from the store and it's rather tasty. My six year old will eat is so I know it's good. Toppings you put on it are endless. If you still want to have meat I would though switch out your traditional pepperoni and use Canadian bacon. It has quite a bit less fat and It is really lean.

As far as the sauce goes in the stores now you can get almost any sauce you want. I go to the spaghetti sauce aisle and usually go for something that says heart healthy and has chunks of vegetables in it. Do look for one that does not have corn syrup in it. Just because it's cheaper usually means that they make it cheaper by adding corn syrup of some kind to it. Corn syrup is not that good for you and yes all things in moderation but the healthier stuff tastes better. Even if you don't think you will like sauce with chunky vegetables in it you might surprise yourself. When it comes to cheese do go for the part skim milk cheese of your choice because it is less fat but still all the same great taste because only part of it is made with skim milk. This non fat cheese does not have that much taste. Kind of like eating cardboard.

So let me build your pizza for you. If you start with a whole wheat crust, a heart healthy or chunky sauce, add your Canadian bacon and your part skim milk cheese there you go. You can however cook up some veggies to put on top of the pizza if you are a vegetarian. Some people will add egg plant, shredded carrot, zucchini or whatever you have in the house. Just remember to get creative with this and have fun. The more fun you can have the less boring and more flavor your food will be.

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