Most Americans and Canadians love pizza! Industry statistics show that we eat about 100 acres of pizza each day, or about 350 slices per second. Kids and teens are also eating a lot of pizza, but unfortunately the kind of pizza they’re eating (high in fat, calories, and sodium) is causing concern among health experts. A recent study showed that on days youth are eating pizza, it makes up more than 20% of the daily intake of calories, mostly from energy dense foods.
We have the Italians to thank for inventing this treat, but the idea of an edible plate actually originated in Greece. Pizza became popular in the U.S. after World War II, and the simple pizza that soldiers enjoyed in Italy soon evolved to suit American tastes. The most popular pizza toppings today are pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, and mozzarella, although pizzerias have topped their crusts with all types of food (including lox and artichoke hearts!).
Healthy Pizza
Although pizza can be a healthful meal, most take-out options and home cooked options are high in calories and saturated fat.
If you don’t have any choice, opt for a small slice balanced out with a side salad and fruit for dessert. If you are cooking or ordering, you have plenty of options to make your pizza more healthful. . . .
Making Your Own? Easy Ways to Increase the Nutrition
Top with plenty of vegetables. Not only will this make your pizza look spectacular, but it will ensure that you’re getting a variety of disease-fighting compounds. And if those veggies are sitting on tomato sauce, you’ll benefit from one of the most potent sources of lycopene, an antioxidant that several studies have linked with a reduced risk of several types of cancer. Processed or cooked tomatoes are a concentrated source of lycopene, which is why ¼ cup of pizza sauce has about seven times the amount of lycopene that’s found in ½ cup of chopped raw tomatoes.
Pizza can be high in fat, especially when topped with generous amounts of cheese and traditional meat toppings such as pepperoni. This high fat content makes pizza high in calories. If you’re making your own pizza, use small amounts of part-skim mozzarella, or simply add less full-fat cheese combined with small amounts of a strong cheese such as Parmesan or asiago. You can omit the meat, or opt for lower fat alternatives such as grilled chicken or ground turkey.
Instant Options
Queen Margherita of Italy refused to enter a pizzeria, but she was anxious to try this popular “peasant” food. So began pizza delivery in 1889, with a simple tomato, mozzarella, and basil combination. Today pizza delivery is booming. The availability, convenience, and great flavors of takeout pizza make this an attractive meal choice for many people!
Takeout pizza has the potential to be quite nutritious.
Here’s how to order:
- Ask for half the cheese and twice the vegetables
- Choose a whole-wheat crust
- Eliminate or limit traditional meat options
Frozen pizza is another popular convenience food. Look for a brand with plenty of vegetables, and compare labels for for fat, saturated fat, and calorie content before buying. Consider adding additional vegetables (chopped pepper, mushrooms, onions), to improve the flavour and make the pizza more nutritious.
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