For an extended period, people have considered pizza to be one of the unhealthiest junk foods. However, after years of research and various changes made to recipes, pizza can be termed healthy food!
It's essential to keep in mind that not all pizzas are healthy. By keeping an eye out on the ingredients chart, using the best pizza toppings combo, you can achieve your way to a healthy pizza. When you enjoy a pizza from Pizza Bien, you're getting an authentic Neapolitan pizza made from the freshest and healthiest ingredients available in the market.
However, it's understandable to want to know how pizza can be made healthy. Hence, in today's article, we will be discussing how pizza can be good for you and the healthiest toppings for any pizza.
Without any further ado, let's begin!
Pizza Is Good For You: Here’s How
While many places advertise pizza as fatty food and nothing good, we're here to tell you that it just isn't true.
After years of intricate research, food scientists have discovered that pizza isn't just junk food that causes weight gain. In fact, pizza is so beneficial that a healthy pizza can contain most of the items you need from your food pyramid in a daily meal.
Let's see a few pointers on why pizza is good for you and what nutrition you gain from it.
1. Great protein source
One of the most needed elements in your daily meal is protein. Massive and multifunctional proteins are the building blocks of every cell in the body. Their primary purpose is within cells, where they play an essential role in tissue and organ development, function, and regulation.
Protein is one of the most compulsory elements that need to be in your diet. Fortunately, pizza has an abundance of protein. Using lean meat for your pizza can give you 15 grams of protein per slice. You can enjoy your pizza and have your protein intake met!
2. Antioxidant Lycopene Absorption
One of the carotenoid pigments in certain fruits and vegetables, lycopene, gives them their red color. It's an antioxidant, a compound that protects cells against oxidative stress. About 80% of the lycopene consumed in the United States comes from tomatoes.
Fortunately, pizza contains raw tomato sauce. Tomatoes heated to a high temperature during the processing process have lycopene that is more bioavailable to the body. Hence, pizza is the perfect source to fill up on your lycopene absorption!
3. Balanced meal source
It can be a balanced meal source when you order a healthy pizza with a thin crust and healthy vegetable toppings (which we'll discuss further along with the article).
You shouldn't have to stick with an unhealthy pizza when you don't want to. Since pizza is one of the most customizable items available in the world of cuisines, you can make it your own.
Maintaining your carbs, proteins, and fat is extremely convenient with pizza. Hence, don't be afraid to throw the craziest and healthiest pizza topping combinations together to make it a dish that'll benefit your body in your way.
4. Great Brain Booster
Folate is abundant in spinach, a favorite pizza topping. This vitamin helps to increase blood flow to the brain. Spinach, which is rich in vitamin K, may slow cognitive decline in older people.
Due to the serotonin boosters found in pineapple, spinach, and cheese on pizza, eating it may make you feel good and keep your weight in check.
Serotonin levels are influenced directly by serotonin levels, which are influenced by the food you eat. Pizza indeed gives us the dopamine rush and causes a brain boost!
5. Good for Immunity and Disease Prevention
Pizza sauce is good for you in a lot of ways. The strong vitamin C content of the sauce aids your body's ability to combat illness. You will benefit from the sauce through the addition of oregano due to the presence of carvacrol. It's an active compound in oregano that helps protect the liver, regulate blood sugar, and enhance immunity all at the same time.
Antioxidants are present in many other toppings and the pizza in itself. Cancer and heart disease are both prevented as a result of this. Therefore, eating a healthy pizza can also give you the relief of knowing you're boosting your body's immunity.
6. Minimum Oil
There are many fast food options, but pizza is a better choice since it is quick and easy to prepare. This is because pizza is baked rather than deep-fried in contrast to many other fast-food options.
The lack of oil in a pizza recipe is what makes it so great! An oven-baked authentic pizza with healthy ingredients can lower the risks of thousands of diseases. It'll also make your skin radiant and help you age slower.
You should avoid fried foods if you can. Fried food may cause various health issues, including weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a heightened chance of heart attack or stroke. The nutrients included in pizza, on the other hand, will help to protect your body and its organs in every way.
7. Great Breakfast Option
Whether it's piping hot from the oven or fresh out of the refrigerator, pizza is a beautiful meal to have first thing in the morning. Pizza has been researched and found to contain more antioxidants and beneficial elements than a typical breakfast cereal.
Hence, you can always eat your healthy pizza guilt-free, even if it's in the morning the next day!
8. An Abundance of Good Fibers
Your pizza crust is quite literally a fiber factory. It's loaded with suitable fibers, which can help you eat lesser by making you full quicker. It also meets your daily fiber content, which is excellent for digestion.
It's essential to remember that whole grains — or even whole-grain blends — are generally considered healthier options than processed grains. The use of natural, whole-food ingredients in the crust is favored above pizza chemicals and preservatives.
Hence, we always prefer to use whole-wheat crusts instead of any other crust.
How You Can Make Your Pizza Healthy
When you can customize your pizza to be healthy, there won't be any restrictions on eating it every other day. Hence, we've come up with a few tips and the 5 healthiest toppings for any pizza which will help you achieve a perfect healthy pizza!
Tips to Make Your Own Healthy Pizza:
While buying pizza from different pizzerias restricts your pizza nutrients, you can always make one for yourself. Below are the few tips you can utilize to get your healthy factor to the next level.
- When making your crust, opt for whole-grain ingredients or use a cauliflower crust.
- If whole-grain flour isn't available, use nut flour.
- Make your pizza sauce with no-low sugar.
- Avoid pan pizzas as they contain excessive amounts of oil.
- Use veggie pizza toppings, which are full of iron, potassium, calcium, and more macronutrients.
- Avoid highly processed toppings; fatty meat added artificial colors and other artificial preservatives.
- Make a thin crust to bring your portion control under the habit.
- Ensure to order or make a side of salad when eating a pizza by yourself.
- Save some pizza for the next meal, so you don't overeat. You can also cut your pizza slices to be thinner.
- Avoid high-calorie options and pick lean meat such as pepperoni slices, lean sausages, and more for meaty topping combinations.
5 Healthiest Toppings for Any Pizza:
We understand- it may be a confusing decision to decide on healthy pizza toppings. Thus, we've handpicked the best pizza toppings combo, which is equally healthy. Now you can enjoy your favorite food by staying healthy at the same time!
1. Red Peppers
They're an excellent source of vitamins, beta-carotene, potassium, and more. They can help improve your eyesight, reduce the risks of chronic illnesses, and decrease your chances of having cancer.
2. Tomato
Tomato is undoubtedly one of the most popular veggie pizza toppings in town. They're full of rich antioxidants that are good for your heart. They also provide a radiant-looking glow to your skin. In addition, they're full of folates, potassium, and more!
3. Spinach
Spinach may not be as popular as a topping, but it surely deserves a seat amid the 5 healthiest toppings for any pizza. Spinach contains iron, manganese, zinc, and magnesium, folates, and many more micronutrients. They aid in strengthening muscles, improving eyesight, preventing cancer, boost metabolism, and prevent osteoporosis.
4. Chicken
For all the non-egg lovers, this is your time to shine! Chicken that is stripped of oil and extra sauce is exceptionally healthy for you. They're rich with protein and best when paired with delicious veggie pizza toppings. Lean chicken meat will be your best non-veg option when making your pizza.
5. Cheese
Believe it or not - using plant-based cheese can be really healthy for you if you use it in the right amount. You can also use natural, fat-free cheese full of calcium, vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B12, and many more beneficial micronutrients.
Conclusion
Remember to always count your calories when making a healthy pizza for yourself. Now that you know all the tips and tricks, it's time to shift from your unhealthy pizza to a healthy one! Not only will a healthy pizza make you full, but it'll also leave you with a smile on your face. Till the next time, happy feasting!
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