Pizza is an easy meal loved by people of all ages. With frozen, home delivery, take-out, home-baked, and gourmet options, pizza suits just about any occasion. Despite the fact that an occasional indulgence in the commercial version is fine, if it is a very common food in your diet, you may want to rethink your diet. Pizza can be a healthy option if you avoid the fatty, refined flour, and processed meat versions.
Fats, calories and sodium
Commercial pizza makers, from restaurant chains to frozen versions of supermarkets, offer an almost infinite variety of crust, cheese and topping combinations. A typical 35-centimeter slice of classic crust cheese pizza contains 250 to 350 calories and 10 to 17 grams of fat . Adding pepperoni, sausage, and cheese-filled crust increases your calorie and fat intake to nearly 500 calories per serving with 26 grams of fat.
“Gourmet” pizza restaurants that offer smaller individual pizzas don’t fare much better with pizzas that contain between 1,400 and 1,700 calories and 30 grams of fat each. Eating too many calories can cause weight gain. The high fat content in these pizzas comes largely from saturated fat , so it is highly likely that it increases your risk of developing heart disease.
In addition to being high in calories and fat, commercial pizzas are high in sodium, with 500 and 700 milligrams per serving. Frozen pizzas typically contain more than 900 milligrams of sodium per serving (and remember, health experts recommend that your daily sodium intake be below 1,500 mg). Enjoying take-out or frozen pizza will usually exceed this goal, causing water retention and increasing the risk of high blood pressure.
3 negative effects of eating pizza every day
Refined carbohydrates are made from carbohydrates that are extensively processed and transformed. Foods made with white flour and sugar are refined. Unfortunately, many of us eat refined carbohydrates on a daily basis. Soft drinks, candy, muffins, cakes, desserts, and baked goods are not the only foods that provide refined carbohydrates. You can also find plenty in breakfast cereals, breads, rolls, pizza dough, crackers, white rice, white pasta, pretzels, and fries. In addition to not containing important nutrients, refined carbohydrates could also adversely affect your health and longevity.
Obesity
The pizzas contain a lot of empty and unsatisfactory calories. Because these foods don’t give your body the nutrients it needs, they don’t promote satiety and actually lead to more carbohydrate cravings and overeating . Many people feel that they are addicted to refined carbohydrates and cannot stop eating them. One of the main negative effects associated with pizzas is weight gain. If you consume it regularly, you are more likely to be overweight or obese, which puts you at risk of developing chronic diseases.
Heart diseases
Most people believe that only fat can affect your blood cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk profile, but refined carbohydrates have an important role to play. Eating pizza can raise your triglycerides , a type of fat that circulates in the blood, increasing your risk of stroke and heart attacks . Refined carbohydrates also lower your HDL cholesterol levels , which have a role in protecting your arteries from plaque buildup and atherosclerosis. Additionally, the large amounts of sugar circulating in the blood after consuming refined carbohydrates can also damage your arteries and make them more prone to clogging.
Diabetes
The high sugar and starch content of refined carbohydrates can quickly increase your blood sugar levels after a meal. Your pancreas has to work harder when you eat this type of food to make enough insulin to try to control blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, your blood sugar levels could easily go haywire after eating pizza. And, if you are not diabetic, regular consumption of refined carbohydrates could increase your chance of developing it by promoting weight gain and depleting the pancreas.
Limit your intake of refined carbohydrates
Health experts advise that we limit the consumption of refined carbohydrates in the diet, especially refined grains and foods that contain added sugar. Challenge yourself to eliminate added sugar and all foods containing white flour and sugar from your diet for a month. Although it may be difficult at first, your cravings will slowly decrease. Read food labels and replace refined grains with whole grains whenever possible. To satisfy those with a sweet tooth, opt for fresh fruit, roasted nuts, plain yogurt or 85 percent dark chocolate.
Enjoy healthy homemade pizzas
Healthier options
Make your pizza experience healthier by adding less cheese . Also order a pizza with additional vegetable ingredients and avoid meat ingredients as much as possible. If you are a die-hard meat lover , ham or chicken are the healthiest options. If you can find a restaurant that offers a comprehensive base, perfect! Otherwise, always prefer a thin base to minimize your intake of refined white flours, which offer little fiber and can raise your blood sugar levels, causing cravings and overeating.
Make them in an artisan way
Limiting the consumption of commercial pizzas does not mean that you have to cross out the pizza entirely. You can make homemade versions that satisfy your cravings and need to eat a healthier diet. In any pizza dough recipe, substitute whole wheat flour for half the white flour for a more nutritious crust. Make your own low-sodium sauce with tomato puree without added salt, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, and a pinch of sea salt. Top with partially skim mozzarella and grilled or broiled vegetables. Put in a hot oven and cook until the crust is crisp and the cheese melts.
You can also make quick versions of healthy pizza using pita bread as a crust. Cover the crust with a few slices of fresh tomato, minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Top with partially skim mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese. Melt and add fresh basil leaves before serving.
