Easy and healthy pizza recipes you must try at home
One of the world's most popular junk foods today, pizza has gained reputation of being among the unhealthiest of all sinful foods. But it is possible to give it a healthy twist.
One of the world's most popular junk foods today, pizza has also gained reputation of being the unhealthiest of all sinful foods. The pizza that you generally order from your favourite restaurant is likely to be high in sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and preservatives and basically all the ingredients fitness and health experts warn your against. The delicious and irresistible pizza apparently ups your risk of several chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes and cancer.
At the same time pizza is a guilty pleasure for many of us that we like to enjoy on our day off and a companion to the endless chit-chat session we have with our friends and colleagues on a get-together. Instead of letting go of pizza altogether, it is possible to give its ingredients a healthy twist. Here are five healthy pizza recipes you would definitely like to try and enjoy with friends and family, suggested by Nina Maria Saldanha Executive Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Sahakar Nagar, Bangalore.
1. Oats Pizza
Ingredients
Oats flour: 1 cup
Yeast: 1 tbsp.
Sugar: 1 tsp.
Water: to knead the dough
Pizza sauce: 2 tbsp.
Toppings: Mushroom/chicken, olives, capsicum, etc.
Method
Make a regular dough, as you would for a standard pizza, however instead of using refined flour, make it with freshly ground oats or roasted oats flour. Use healthy toppings with less cheese on top. Bake till golden brown.
2. Cauliflower and veggie pizza
Ingredients
Cauliflower florets/any starchy vegetable: 2 cups (finely minced)
Cheese: ¼ cup
Pizza sauce: 2 tbsp.
Toppings: Corn, zucchini/cucumber, olives, etc.
Method:
Thoroughly wash the vegetables, and drain well; add in the cheese and mix well. Lay it into a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30mins. Use Healthy Toppings, with less cheese on top. Bake till golden brown.
3. Bhakri or millets pizza
Ingredients
Ragi/Multi-Millet Flour: 1 cup
Yeast: 1 tbsp.
Sugar: 1 tsp.
Water: to knead the dough
Pizza Sauce: 2 tbsp.
Toppings: pumpkin, basil
Method
Make a regular dough, as you would for a standard Pizza, however instead of using refined flour, make it with ragi/multi-millet flour. Use Healthy Toppings, with less cheese on top. Bake till golden brown.
4. Whole wheat pizza
Ingredients
Whole wheat flour/atta: 1 cup
Yeast: 1 tbsp.
Sugar: 1 tsp.
Water: to knead the dough
Pizza Sauce: 2 tbsp.
Toppings: paneer/chicken, capsicum, carrot,/radish, etc.
Method
Make a regular dough, as you would for a standard pizza, however instead of using refined flour, make it with whole-wheat flour/atta. Use healthy toppings, with less cheese on top. Bake till golden brown.
5. Other pizzas
Pizzas can also be made using a chicken breast as a base, instead of a carbohydrate based pizza. Other options to try can be with whole wheat bread as a base, etc.
How to make your pizza healthy
Nina Maria Saldanha suggests some ways to make your pizza healthy
* Using oats, or millets, or a multigrain flour to add more fibre in your diet
* Using cauliflower or a mixture of root and a few starchy and high fibre vegetables for the base, is a good way to add extra fibre to your diet, without the worry of gluten being added to it.
* Using non-standard items such as chicken, cabbage or lettuce leaves as a base, to give the pizza a different flavour.
* Minimizing the amount of cheese added on top can reduce the fat load on your pizza, (which is helpful for those trying to watch their weight).
* Using fresh locally available, and seasonal vegetables, and good variety of them can also ensure that you are getting a good dose of essential nutrients and fibre into your diet.