Homemade pizza allows you to customize and design your family's favorite pie, using only the ingredients you think taste the best. But making pizza at home also allows you to cut out many of the unhealthy aspects of restaurant pizza, found in the cheese, toppings, sauce and crust.
Cheese
When choosing cheese for your homemade pizza, look for low-fat cheeses or cheese made from skim milk. While an important part of your daily protein and dairy requirements, cheese can also contain a lot of fat. Once you have chosen you cheese, sprinkle it on top of the pizza sparingly. A little cheese goes a long way, and as it melts it should spread over more of the pizza.
Toppings
There are nearly infinite options available when selecting toppings for your pizza, and some of the most popular toppings are also the most unhealthy. Instead of greasy, fatty pepperoni sausage and bacon, choose vegetables and low-fat meats like chicken, Canadian bacon and turkey. Peppers, onions, fresh tomatoes and fresh herbs, like basil, add plenty of flavor without adding extra calories. When adding fresh toppings, add more delicate ingredients such as tomato slices and basil toward the end of the cooking process so they don't overcook.
Sauce
Simple marinara sauce is a classic addition to most pizzas and quite healthy. Consider using organic sauce when available or make your own sauce from canned tomatoes and your favorite Italian herbs and spices. Avoid fatty sauces like Alfredo sauce, which add many calories because of their cream content. You may also consider using a light coating of high quality olive oil instead of a tomato-based sauce. Olive oil is low in fat and adds delicate flavor to your homemade pizza.
Dough
Choose store-bought dough varieties that are made with whole wheat instead of simple white flour or bread flour. Whole-wheat dough contains fewer carbohydrates and less preservatives than its bleached-flour or white-flour alternatives. If you have a favorite dough recipe that contains white flour, substitute half of the total flour content with wheat flour. When rolling out the dough for your pizza, make it thin, approximately 1/4 inch. Thick dough contains lots of carbohydrates and sugars that are unhealthy in large portions.
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