Pizza is one of the world's most popular foods. A simple, savoury, crisp blend of cheese, tomato and whatever your favourite toppings may be, it has a cross global appeal like few other fast foods. Yet when people go on a diet it is often the first thing on their list of no-nos. The twin dangers of melted cheese and plenty of dough, plus the added fat content of whatever you stick on top, has earned pizza the reputation of being a food which must be avoided if you want to lose a few pounds.
Yet it does not have to be that way. In fact, with the right ingredients and toppings you can seriously alter the fattening quality of a pizza while keeping all the things you love about it. While it is unlikely you will find a take away pizza which is low in fat you can make it at home on your own in a manner that is fun, fast and deliciously tasty.
The main thing you need to do is heighten the content of fibre in the recipe, while lowering the carbohydrate. A little bit of carb is fine but you need to steer clear from the carb-overload that comes with most pizza recipes. To start, use whole wheat dough to make the base. This is not complicated to make from scratch but if you do prefer to buy your bases, you should be able to find delicious whole wheat bases in the supermarket. The next thing to do is use low fat mozzarella cheese instead of the regular high cholesterol kind. Already you have dramatically lowered the fat content of the pie, while doing no damage at all to the taste factor.
When it comes to toppings this is where you get to be creative. Avoid layering on the pepperoni, salami, ham and extra cheese. Instead go for lots of mushrooms, onions, pepper, sweet corn and capers. If you want to add protein, go for some anchovies or tuna. The choices here are almost limitless, just stay away from fatty meats and fried toppings.
So, healthy pizza – fun to cook, tasty to eat and much easier to find than you might think.