For many, pizza is the ultimate comfort food. In addition to being affordable and accessible, it’s also very versatile and is a great dish to enjoy during house parties, in a bar, on game nights or lazy Saturday afternoons.
However, too much of a good thing can also be bad. In this case, “regular pizza” can be bad for your health. But why?
Is Pizza Bad for You?
Is pizza unhealthy? Well, if we’re talking about “regular pizza,” then yes. Eating pizza every day may sound like a dream come true, but most of the pizzas we buy are considered junk food because of the high amount of refined carbohydrates, fat and sodium that it contains.
This comes from the pizza crust, which is made from refined flour and has no fiber, vitamins or minerals. Eating refined flour increases your visceral abdominal fat, which puts you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, even breast cancer.
The cheese in pizza is also high in saturated fat, which increases your risk of developing high cholesterol and heart disease. Adding meat to your pizza also results in more saturated fat. Eating too much food rich in saturated fat can be addictive, leading to more unhealthy habits. Pizza is also high in sodium, which can be harmful when consumed in excessive amounts.
While it does have healthy toppings, the majority of ingredients used to make pizza are high in saturated fat and sodium, making it unhealthy when consumed in excess. Pixabay (CC0)
Like most processed foods, pizza can also contain unhealthy ingredients like preservatives, colorings and sugar. This is why while the occasional slice of fast food or frozen pizza is harmless, eating these regularly can lead to weight gain and a higher likelihood of developing chronic health conditions.
Luckily, pizza lovers who want to continue enjoying their favorite dish now have better, healthier options.
Making Healthy Pizza
When purchasing frozen pizza or from fast food, you won’t have any control over which ingredients they’ll be using. So how about just making your own?
That’s right, making your pizza gives you more flexibility in deciding what goes in it. Now here’s your chance to choose only fresh, healthy, wholesome ingredients that offer good nutritional value.
Bravadough! is a gluten-free and organic pizza dough. bravadoughgf.com
As for your pizza crust, there’s no healthier choice than Bravadough! Made by a nurse practitioner with gluten intolerance, Bravadough! is the industry’s only purely yeast-raised, artisan, gluten-free pizza dough and table bread dough. No wonder it’s widely recognized and has won multiple awards.
Gluten-, egg-, soy-, tree-nut free and non-GMO, Bravadough! is the perfect choice if you want to switch to a healthier and organic pizza crust. It’s also delicious and easy to mold. The dough can also be used for stromboli, calzone, breadsticks, cinnamon rolls and so much more.
As for a healthier pizza sauce, do try Otamot Organic Essential Sauce. Created by a dad dealing with a picky eater, the ingredient list for this sauce includes vegetables, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt and lemon juice. This ensures each serving will give you essential vitamins and minerals. It has no additives, preservatives or natural sugar, making this organic pizza sauce a must-buy.
Otamot Organic Essential Sauce makes use of only natural ingredients so you can enjoy pizza that is healthy and yummy. otamotfoods.com
Otamot is much thicker than typical commercial tomato sauces, making it a versatile vegetable product with multiple uses. It can be enjoyed as a dip, a base for soups and stews or sauce for your healthy pizza. For people counting their calories, a half-cup serving of Otamot Organic Essential Sauce only has 90 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of protein, 14 grams of carbs (with 5 grams of fiber and 8 grams of natural sugar), 532 milligrams of potassium and 350 milligrams of sodium.
From there, you can simply add more wholesome and fresh toppings for a healthy but still tasty pizza. This way, you get to continue enjoying your favorite dish minus the guilt and health risks.
Better Eating Made Easy
Luckily, there are now easy and healthier ways to prepare pizza. Organic ingredients like Bravadough! and Otamot Organic Essential Sauce gives you no excuse to not be able to easily whip up a healthy pizza in your kitchen.
Craving pizza? Click here to learn more about Bravadough! and click here for more on Otamot Organic Essential Sauce. Watch out for the brand’s Organic Pizza Sauce as well.