On most diets, pizza is likely to be considered a forbidden food. Pizzas from restaurants and chains are typically loaded with fat and calories. For example, a supreme pan pizza from Pizza Hut contains 722 calories, 34g of fat and 1760mg of sodium. However, if you cook your pizza at home, you can make changes to the recipe to reduce fat and calories without sacrificing taste.
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Start your pizza by using whole wheat pizza dough. Check labels to find versions without any trans fats and lower calories than bleached or enriched flour pizza dough varieties. Using whole wheat pizza dough has the added health benefit of boosting your fiber content. In lieu of whole wheat pizza dough, you may also create your pizza on whole wheat pita bread.
Lighten Up the Cheese
By only using half the cheese that you normally would on your pizza, it cuts back on the total fat, saturated fat and sodium amounts. Use low fat and fat free cheese on the pizza instead of full fat versions to cut down on the calories. Skip the mozzarella altogether and flavor the sauce and dough with olive oil or Parmesan cheese suggests the Cleveland Clinic.
Healthy Toppings
Forget using any meats if you want to keep your pizza low in calories. Instead, cut up vegetables or fruit to add more taste to your pizza. Some examples include zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, onions, pears, olives, apples and pineapple. If you feel that the pizza is lacking flavor, use fresh herbs, like oregano and basil to add more seasoning. If you insist on having meat, choose healthier low calorie options, such as grilled chicken and shrimp. Beans and tofu can also be added to your homemade healthy pizza.
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