Kamil Perry
Pizza is often considered unhealthy, but it can be a nutritious meal when made at home. A basic cheese pizza can be made healthier by adding vegetable toppings, limiting the cheese, and rolling the crust to a desired thinness. This reduces calories and increases nutrition. Even commercially prepared pizzas contain all the necessary macronutrients and are high in micronutrients. Cheese pizza can be a good source of calcium, as can the tortilla base in a low-carb, low-calorie pizza.
Is Cheese Pizza High in Calcium?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Calcium Content | 487mg |
| Health Benefits | Pizza can be healthy in moderation, especially with whole-wheat crust, vegetable toppings, and reduced cheese |
| Recommended Cheese | Gruyere or Emmental |
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What You'll Learn
Health benefits of pizza
While pizza is often seen as an unhealthy food, this is a narrow view of its actual health benefits. Even commercially prepared pizza can be beneficial to your health when consumed in moderation. The best way to ensure you're getting the most out of pizza is to make it at home, where you can control the ingredients and their quantities.
One of the main health benefits of pizza is its calcium content. Calcium is essential for maintaining strong bones and preventing conditions like osteoporosis. A high-calcium pizza, such as one made with low-carb, low-calorie tortillas, can be a tasty way to meet your daily calcium needs.
In addition to calcium, pizza can also be a good source of other nutrients. For example, making the crust with whole-wheat or whole-grain flour can increase the amount of fiber, vitamins, phytonutrients, and minerals in your pizza. Adding various vegetable toppings to a basic cheese pizza can further enhance its nutritional value.
However, it's important to remember that the health benefits of pizza can be diminished if it's loaded with excessive amounts of cheese or high-calorie toppings. To make pizza a healthier meal, it's recommended to limit the cheese and choose low-calorie options. Preparing pizza at home allows you to control the ingredients and their quantities, ensuring you get the most nutritional value from your pizza.
Overall, while pizza may have a bad reputation nutritionally, it can be part of a healthy diet when consumed in moderation and prepared with nutritious ingredients. By making smart choices and controlling portion sizes, you can enjoy pizza while still reaping its potential health benefits.
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Whole-wheat crust for more fibre
Pizza often gets a bad rap as an unhealthy food, but this is a narrow view of its potential health benefits. When made at home, pizza can be a nutritious meal. One way to make pizza healthier is to use a whole-wheat crust, which provides more fibre than a traditional crust. Whole wheat flour is derived from finely ground wheat grains, and it includes much of the grain seed's natural bran, endosperm, and germ. This makes it a darker-coloured flour. In contrast, white flours have had the germ and bran, which contain much of the nutritional fibre and vitamins, removed.
There are many ways to make a high-fibre crust using whole wheat flour. One option is to combine whole wheat flour with ground flaxseed meal, which contains primarily insoluble fibre. This type of fibre adds bulk and helps food pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines. Flaxseed meal usually has no gluten or very little gluten, so dough made with flaxseed will rise less and produce a denser loaf. For this reason, it's important to use relatively new whole wheat flour and ground flaxseed meal, as these ingredients can go rancid quickly.
Another option is to add wheat bran to your recipe. Wheat bran is 100% wheat, and a quarter of a cup will add seven grams of fibre to your crust. You can also add seeds to your crust, such as sesame, poppy, caraway, or sunflower seeds, which will add one to two grams of fibre per serving. For the most fibre, try flaxseeds, which add six grams of fibre per serving.
When making a whole-wheat crust, it's important to note that the dough may rise more slowly and to a lower height than dough made with bread flour. This is because whole wheat flour has less gluten than bread flour. Gluten helps to trap the CO2 produced by the yeast, so using a flour with less gluten will result in a denser loaf with fewer "air" pockets. However, you can add a product called vital gluten to help your dough rise more and improve the texture of your crust.
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Vegetable toppings for nutrition
While pizza is often considered an unhealthy food, it can be a nutritious option if you add the right toppings. Choosing a variety of vegetable toppings can increase the nutritional value of your pizza and make it a healthier meal. Here are some vegetable toppings to consider for a nutritious pizza:
Spinach
Spinach is a great choice for a pizza topping as it adds a fresh and earthy flavour to your pizza. It goes well with other toppings and can be chopped into smaller pieces if you're not a fan of its texture. Spinach is also a good source of vitamins and minerals, making it a nutritious addition to your pizza.
Peppers
Bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, and pepperoncini peppers are all excellent choices for pizza toppings. They add a rich vegetable flavour and a kick of heat to your pizza. Roasted red peppers are a classic option, but you can choose any colour of bell pepper you prefer.
Tomatoes
Fresh tomatoes can be a delicious addition to your pizza, especially when combined with tomato sauce. Try using different varieties like Roma, grape, or heirloom tomatoes to add texture and flavour to your pizza. Sun-dried tomatoes are also a great option for a more intense tomato flavour.
Artichokes
Artichoke hearts add a tangy and briny flavour to your pizza. They are a unique and tasty option for a vegetarian pizza and pair well with other vegetable toppings.
Mushrooms
If you're looking for a meaty texture and flavour without the meat, mushrooms are an excellent choice. Button, cremini, baby bella, portobello, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms all have distinct flavours and textures that can elevate your pizza.
Onions
Red onions, in particular, can add a mild sweetness and a pop of colour to your pizza. They pair well with other vegetable toppings and can help bring out their flavours.
Olives
Black olives add a deeply savoury and salty taste to your pizza. They are perfect for taking a rich, meaty pizza to the next level. If you're not a fan of olives, you can always pick them off your slice!
Avocado and Pineapple
While not traditional vegetable toppings, avocado and pineapple can add a unique twist to your pizza. Avocado slices provide a fresh and creamy texture, while pineapple offers a sweet and tart contrast to the other toppings.
Remember, when making a pizza at home, you can get creative and combine various vegetable toppings to suit your taste preferences and nutritional needs. Enjoy experimenting with different combinations!
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Low-calorie tortilla
While pizza is often considered an unhealthy food, it can be a nutritious choice if made at home with controlled ingredients and portion sizes. For instance, a homemade cheese pizza can be made healthier by adding vegetables, limiting the amount of cheese, and rolling the crust to the desired thinness, thereby reducing calories.
If you're looking for a low-calorie tortilla option to use as a base for your pizza or for wraps, there are several products available:
- Mission Foods offers Yellow Corn Tortillas that are diet-friendly and gluten-free, with only 25 calories each. They are 5" in size and pair well with enchiladas, flautas, or chilaquiles.
- Olé Extreme Wellness tortillas are also a good option, with each tortilla containing 50 calories. They are low carb and comparable in size to regular flour tortillas.
- La Banderita Carb Counters are another brand that offers 50-calorie tortillas. These are high-fiber tortillas and are sometimes repackaged as Ole Extreme Wellness.
- Tumaro's offers 60-calorie wraps in a variety of flavors, although some of their options contain 80 calories, so be sure to check the labels.
- If you're looking for a whole wheat option, Weight Watchers offers whole wheat tortillas with 80 calories each.
- Mission Carb Balance Flour Tortillas are another soft taco-sized option available, but the calorie count is not mentioned.
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Kidney stone prevention
While pizza can be a part of a healthy diet when consumed in moderation, it is important to be mindful of its calcium content if you are at risk of kidney stones. Calcium oxalate stones, the most common type of kidney stone, form when calcium and oxalate combine in the urine. Therefore, if you are prone to kidney stones, it is advisable to limit your intake of calcium-rich foods, such as cheese, and opt for calcium-fortified foods or supplements only if you have a specific medical need.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water, to dilute your urine and prevent stone formation. Aim for 10-12 glasses of fluid per day. Dehydration caused by excessive sweating from activities like hot yoga, heavy exercise, or being outdoors in the heat can also lead to kidney stones.
- Limit animal protein: Reduce your consumption of red meat, organ meats, and shellfish, which are high in purines. High purine intake increases uric acid production, making it easier for uric acid stones to form.
- Reduce oxalate-rich foods: If you have been diagnosed with calcium oxalate kidney stones, limit your intake of foods high in oxalate, such as beets, black pepper, black tea, chocolate, nuts, potatoes, rhubarb, soy products, and spinach.
- Increase fruit and vegetable intake: A diet rich in fruits and vegetables helps prevent kidney stones. When making a cheese pizza at home, add a variety of vegetable toppings and limit the amount of cheese.
- Choose whole grains: Opt for whole-wheat or whole-grain flour for your pizza crust to increase fiber and nutrient content.
- Limit sugar and alcohol: Avoid sugar-sweetened foods and drinks, especially those containing high-fructose corn syrup. Alcohol can also increase uric acid levels, so it is advisable to consume in moderation.
Remember, while pizza can be part of a balanced diet, it is important to be mindful of your overall calcium intake and make necessary adjustments to prevent kidney stone formation.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, cheese pizza is high in calcium.
To make sure your cheese pizza has enough calcium, you can add vegetable toppings and use whole-wheat or whole-grain flour for the crust when making it at home.
Yes, in addition to being a good source of calcium, cheese pizza can also provide other health benefits such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Yes, cheese pizza can be included in a kidney stone diet as a tasty way to get your calcium needs met. However, it is recommended to seek professional advice from a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) like Jill Harris who specializes in kidney stone prevention.
