There are many ways to boost the nutrition content of your pizza. Choosing whole-grain crust, adding vegetables and practicing portion control are just a few ways to make it healthier. Pizza is not only delicious but can also be a healthy meal choice when thought is put into its preparation.
Though many frozen and fast-food varieties tend to be high in calories, fat, sodium and other unhealthy ingredients, pizza can be made healthier. Practicing portion control, choosing products with limited ingredients, adding healthy toppings and preparing it homemade are some options for health-conscious pizza lovers.
A new study claims that pizza is a better breakfast choice than cereal, but nutrition experts are decrying this proclamation. We delve into each…. Pizza may be delicious, but it is a major contributor to poor nutrition for children and teens.
Losing or maintaining weight can be challenging, especially with so many tasty food options available. Here are 11 foods that can contribute to weight…. The Mediterranean diet includes lots of healthy foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, seafood, beans, and nuts. This article details all you…. There is a lot of confusion out there about which foods are healthy, and which are not.
Here is a list of 20 foods that are generally very unhealthy. For many people, one of the best parts about traveling is getting to explore the local cuisines.
This article looks at 10 of the healthiest cuisines…. This is a detailed article about sugar alcohols and their health effects. They have several health benefits but can also cause digestive problems. Unless you've grossly overeaten, which can make you feel sluggish, you should feel fueled up. With food in your stomach, your body has stopped spewing out the hunger hormone ghrelin, so "Satisfaction" is your new middle name.
At this point, the acids in your stomach are working hard to digest all the fat you've eaten. As soon as the fat is broken down, it's ready to be absorbed into the bloodstream where it will hitch a ride to your liver and either be rerouted to muscles to be used for fuel, or — if your muscles have enough fuel to do their thing — converted into fat cells for safe storage. This whole process only raises your levels of triglycerides i.
It's a good thing that they don't stay elevated forever: Persistently high triglyceride levels, which can be caused by a diet that's high in sugar, alcohol, or unhealthy fats looking at you, pepperoni! If you're overweight or you have a family history of circulatory disease, your triglyceride levels will stay higher for longer, so eating just one slice can increase your risk of conditions like a stroke and heart attack.
If you're pretty healthy overall, your triglycerides levels should taper off within about six hours, assuming you laid off the pie after eating just one slice. The more fat you eat, the longer your triglycerides will remain elevated. A fatty meal love ya, pizza can make it harder for your blood vessels to expand, leaving less room for blood to flow and a residual increase in blood pressure. Because a high-fat diet can also promote blood clotting, this spells danger for anyone who heads over to Pizza Hut with existing heart disease risk factors like a parent who's suffered through it.
The good news is that your hormones — particularly leptin, which tells your brain you're full — have really gotten with the program, so the hunger pangs that made you order pizza in the first place have been put in their place. Pizza classics like pepperoni, bacon, and sausage are packed with unhealthy saturated fats and tons of salt. Skip 'em and opt for grilled chicken, sliced ham, or anchovies a potent source of healthy fats , instead.
You can still refer to it as pizza night when you're talking to the kids, but you should think of it as Mediterranean night.
Instead of getting a single pie, order various veggie and protein dishes like grilled veggies, a salad topped with grilled chicken or shrimp, and an appetizer-sized order of meatballs. Then ask for just a few slices of pie to share among the group. This way everyone can pick and taste all the different flavors on the table without filling up on too many empty calories. Ordering in? Whatever you do, eat off a plate—not out of the box!
Research shows that people consume more when their food is served on a larger plate. We can only imagine what those stats would look like is a giant pizza box was thrown into the mix. Not only does eating off a smaller plate trick your brain into thinking you've eaten more, keeping the other slices out of reach will make you think twice before going back for more.
Canned sauces can be a major sugar mine. While some are better than others, the safest bet is to make your own. Here's a really simple way to throw one together: Empty one ounce can of whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes into a bowl, add two generous pinches of sea salt, then crush by hand into a chunky pulp, suggests Chef Cozzolino.
If you really prefer to use something pre-made, give our report The 40 Best and Worst Pasta Sauces a read before heading to the store. You can lower a pizza's glycemic index—a measure of how quickly blood glucose levels rise in response to a certain food—by adding fiber- and protein-rich toppings.
For example, while a simple cheese pizza scores an 80 out of on the index, a veggie supreme pie clocks in at Raw veggies and lean meats make for the best toppers. This will help you feel fuller, longer, so you won't crave seconds or thirds. Looking for more helpful tips? Variety is not only more enjoyable, but it is also more nutritious because you get different benefits from different foods.
An all-pizza diet excludes many healthy foods and many toppings may not provide enough nutrients. The pizza diet is similar to other mono diets single-food eating plans out there.
Most are lacking in important nutrients, and don't meet recommended guidelines for healthy eating. The U. Department of Agriculture USDA guidelines suggest filling your plate with a balanced mix of protein, grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy. The number of calories you need varies based on age, sex, and physical activity level. The pizza diet doesn't have any associated calorie count, although Cozzolino says his custom-made daily pizza clocked in at under calories.
To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit by burning more calories than you consume. This is probably how McClellan's pizza diet worked; he increased his exercise level while also trimming the calorie count on the pizzas he ate.
To determine your own daily calorie target for weight loss, try this calculator. A pizza can adhere to USDA dietary guidelines, especially if you choose healthy toppings. However, an all-pizza diet is not a balanced diet for the long term and is not the whole food approach that many nutrition experts recommend. While a short-term "pizza diet" may help you lose weight, it isn't a solution for long-term weight management.
Loading up your pizza with vegetables could help offset calories from unhealthy options like processed meats, but would not ensure that you're getting enough servings of veggies a day. Depending on how many meals a day you swap out with pizza, you also miss out on important nutrients from other food groups. There are, however, health benefits associated with reducing your sugar intake and cutting out alcohol, which some followers of the pizza diet do as well.
In fact, depending on what they ate prior to their version of the pizza diet, these two changes alone could have been the driving force behind their short-term weight loss success.
While there are no common health risks associated with a short-term pizza diet, evidence generally points to pizza as an unhealthy food choice for most Americans.
Even Margherita pizzas, despite being a healthier, less greasy pizza option, are still lacking in essential nutrients like iron, zinc, vitamin B12 , and vitamin C.
A long-term pizza diet is not recommended since it could lead to weight gain, obesity , and even chronic disease. Can you include healthy pizza in a weight loss plan? But should you eat it every day, all day, for a week or a month? Probably not. For that reason, the pizza diet is not usually healthy or sustainable—unless you work hard to create well-balanced pizzas and eat a variety of other nutritious foods alongside them.
Pizza certainly can be part of a healthy diet. Pick one night during the week and experiment with healthy pizza recipes that include whole-grain crust packed with fiber and plenty of colorful vegetables. You'll enjoy the indulgence of comfort food and still gain the benefit of maintaining a healthy diet for long-term health and wellness.
While we do not endorse fad diet trends or unsustainable weight loss methods, we present the facts so you can make an informed decision that works best for your nutritional needs, genetic blueprint, budget, and goals. Exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle factors also play a major role in your overall health. The best diet is always the one that is balanced and fits your lifestyle. Looking to lose weight?
Our nutrition guide can help you get on the right track. Sign up and get yours! The pizza diet: Matt McClellan, cyclist, loses 24 pounds eating only pizza video.
Updated December 6, Chef Cozzolino. The pizza diet.
0コメント