Tips for a Healthier Pizza Night on National Pizza Day!
Today is National Pizza Day and pizza often gets a bad rap (especially in the health and fitness industry) as being a greasy calorie bomb. What we can often forget is that at the basic level, pizza is composed of carbohydrates from the crust, protein from the cheese, and fat from the cheese and toppings, and these are all the components of what a meal would typically contain it provides energy and flavor, and can really hit the spot.
Here are a few tips and tricks for making one of our favorite foods a healthy balanced meal.
Veggies are the Tops!
Ditching meat will slash fat, calories, and additives off your pizza. Load up on all your favorites for a colorful, flavorful, and balanced pizza. This is also a great opportunity to use up any leftover or extra veggies in your fridge. If you have to have your pepperoni, test out the meatless variety you’ve seen in your grocery store.
Skip the Thick Crust
Go for a thin crust when you can. Why? Thin crust means you can get more vegetable toppings in before getting full. Whether you’re making it at home, ordering out, or going frozen, choosing the thinnest crust prevents you from getting too many of your calories from a doughy flour-based crust.
You likely already know that eating a more plant-based diet is an all-around healthy way to eat. By going the thin-crust route, your main focus of the meal is the veggies, rather than the bread. If you’re making pizza at home, rather than making a thin crust from scratch, try making a pizza with a whole-grain tortilla or pita bread. You can crisp the pita or tortilla in the oven first, then load up with your favorite toppings and re-bake until it’s melted and delicious. Think outside the 9pizza)box! You can also turn vegetables like portabello mushroom caps, bell peppers, and eggplant into pizzas.
Try Smaller Slices and Smaller Plates
There are a few benefits associated with eating off a small plate instead of a larger one. You will have a limit to how much pizza you can fit on it. Also, your brain will register a packed small plate as more satisfying than a half-empty dinner plate. If you do use a large plate, you can fill up the majority of your plate with a vegetable-filled side salad. Keep it pretty by choosing a few different colored vegetables to match the vibrancy and appeal of the pizza.
Often times when that pizza arrives at the door, the slices can be cut quite large, and it’s common for us to think in terms of how many slices are you going to have for this meal, rather than just having enough pizza to satisfy our hunger. If you know that you are content after one large slice but enjoy being able to indulge in a second, you may consider slicing your larger piece into smaller pieces right off the bat.
Add Heat!
Top your pizza with jalapeños and/or red pepper flakes! You can remove the seeds and inside of the jalapeño to cater the spice level to your taste buds. Capsaicin has a natural anti-inflammatory effect, provides BIG flavor to your meal, can help you eat slower and feel fuller quicker. Studies show that there are properties in spicy foods that trigger your body into feeling satisfied and essentially fuller in a more timely manner than bland foods do. Score!
Go Organic When You Can
When choosing a frozen variety, scout out the organic pizzas. These are usually the ones with the most natural ingredients, no preservatives, and most veggies. Organic pizzas also typically have uber thin crusts (though there are always exceptions!) and are smaller in size.
How You Can Help
If you want to help clients with food, diet, weight management and improving the results of their fitness routines, the Fitness Nutrition Coach course is for you. You will learn about optimal nutrition, including proven techniques for increasing energy, optimal health and decreased dependence on medications. Instantly increase your job and career opportunities with this popular professional credential.
Become a Certified Holistic Nutrition Coach. Holistic health and well-being are essential to overall life success. Now you can earn a credential and gain the skills to help your clients achieve this success.
Check out what it takes to start a career in personal fitness training. This is your most affordable and fastest way to become a highly qualified personal trainer.
NESTA coaching programs are open to anyone with a desire to learn and help others. There are no prerequisites.
That’s it for now.
Take action!
