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Pizza perfection – with a healthy twist

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It’s National Pizza Month – hurrah! Lisa Salmon reveals simple ways to pimp a pizza for guilt-free gorging

Pizzas aren’t generally known for their health-boosting properties, but there’s a reason they’re one of the world’s most popular foods – they’re so darn tasty!

And October is National Pizza Month, so it would be rude not to indulge in a slice – or two – right? But, that doesn’t have to mean ruining your healthy-eating efforts, if you choose your toppings – and base – wisely.

“Unhealthy, fatty pizzas tend to be the shop-bought and takeaway varieties, not their potentially much healthier cousin, the home-made pizza,” says Nigel Denby, head of nutrition at Grub4Life (grub4life.org.uk). “Home-made pizzas can be as healthy or unhealthy as you like – cutting down on the saturated fats and processed meats and adding lots of vegetables, and even fruit, will ensure it’s full of goodness.

“With just a bit of creativity, you can have all the taste with much less of the unhealthy aspects.”

Shop-bought or takeaway pizzas are often packed with saturated fats, carbohydrates and salt, not to mention calories. A single slice of a thin-crust cheese pizza can contain around 250 calories – add calorie-laden toppings and a thick crust, and you’re up in the 300-plus calorie bracket per slice.

This wouldn’t be so bad if it was just a couple of slices we were munching. But considering a standard pizza might contain eight slices, it’s suddenly easy to rack up a massive 2,400 calories in just one meal, which is roughly a man’s entire recommended daily calorie intake, and well over the recommended 2,000 calories a day for a woman.

Don’t despair, pizza-lovers! Follow these top tips for giving your pizza a healthy makeover…

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PIZZA HEALTHY

:: Instead of traditional refined white flour, use wholewheat flour in the base.

:: Use a wholewheat pitta bread for a healthier individual pizza.

:: Avoid shop-bought tomato sauce that can be packed with sugar. Instead, make your own, using tinned tomatoes, olive oil, seasoning, basil and garlic – which are full of antioxidants and calcium.

:: Spread pesto on the crust. Made with basil, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil, it adds some healthy vitamins and minerals, plus omega-3.

:: Substitute regular cheese for low-fat mozzarella to lower the pizza’s saturated fat and cholesterol content. Low-fat ricotta is another option.

:: Pile on the veggies for extra fibre and nutrients – it should be easy to get two or three of your five-a-day on one pizza.

:: For an extra crunchy pizza, add broccoli for vitamin C, folate and fibre. Asparagus, courgette, aubergines and spinach all work well too.

:: We’re always being told that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest, so copy the Med folk and pile on the olives. They’re full of antioxidants, including vitamin E, minerals like selenium and zinc, and phytonutrients that can help fight inflammation.

:: Try roasting some beetroot, which contains essential nutrients like fibre, folate, manganese, potassium, iron and vitamin C. Add sun-dried tomatoes and goats cheese for a healthy and unusual pizza.

:: Instead of processed meats like ham, pepperoni and salami – which have been linked to increased risk of diseases including cancer, if eaten in excess – use grilled chicken, which is full of protein but contains less fat.

:: Believe it or not, fruit can make a great pizza topping too. As well as the standard ham and pineapple, try throwing on some slices of pear or apple and grapes, or even grilled peaches. Figs are a great option and go very well with goat’s cheese, which has less fat and more protein than many other cheeses.

:: Try throwing on some pine nuts for extra goodness – they’re packed with protein and plenty of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E and magnesium.

:: Adding pulses like black beans will give a great protein boost to your pizza.

:: Why not add an egg? Scrambled, poached, or boiled, eggs are full of goodness and make a tasty and underused addition to a pizza. As well as being low-fat and containing plenty of protein, eggs contain almost every essential vitamin and mineral we need.
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