Healthy Pizza Tips

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  • Make your crust using whole grains. It is easiest to do this by simply substituting whole-wheat flour for some or all of the white flour in your crust.
  • If you want to increase your intake of antioxidants, use an extra amount of tomato sauce. Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.
  • When making your tomato sauce, omit the salt if you are on a salt-restricted diet. White sauces are usually high in fat, so skip them or use them spread very thinly on your crust.
  • Load up your pizza with vegetables. They will give your pizza great flavor and will help fill you up. They also are packed with nutrients and vitamins.
  • A thinner crust is better for you. You can reduce the amount of carbohydrates in your pizza just by rolling your crust out a little thinner.
  • Instead of loading up your pizza with piles of cheese, cut the cheese in half. If you really want to go as healthy as possible, skip the cheese altogether. If that sounds too drastic, add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese to your pizza when it comes out of the oven. In terms of flavor, a little Parmesan cheese goes a long way.
  • Choose cheese that is low-fat. Instead of placing slices of cheese on your pizza, grate it and spread it thinly. To use even less cheese, choose a strongly flavored cheese, such as feta or blue cheese and use it very sparingly. You will get great cheese flavor from a very small amount.
  • If you want to eliminate olive oil in making and topping your crusts, add some extra flavorings, such as herbs and spices to deepen the flavor.
  • Precooking vegetables in oil can add calories. If you want cooked vegetables on your pizza, instead of sauteeing any vegetables, roast them without any oil. You will get great flavor without the added fat.
  • Meat toppings on pizza can be high in fat. Use turkey sausage or chicken breast meat to lower the fat.
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