Is Veggie Pizza Crust Healthy?
By Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen, MDs
The latest stats on Americans' pizza passions make it clear: We love this (usually) white-flour, high-fat, processed-meat-laden food. There are approximately 61,269 pizzerias in the U.S., dishing up about 100 acres worth of pies each day. That's enough to provide everyone with 46 slices annually.
Fortunately, people are starting to realize that a refined-flour crust and the high-fat cheeses and meats that top it are not healthy choices.
Special: World's Most Anti-Inflammatory Food?
That trend has led purveyors of pies to cook up some supposedly healthier alternatives. One favorite faux-pizza crust is made with cauliflower. Yet while this heat-at-home pie version is billed as low-carb and nutritious, that’s not always the case.
Some cauliflower pizza crusts contain as much as 26 grams of net carbs per slice — about the same as a regular frozen pizza slice.
And sometimes the calorie content comes close to regular pizza — up to 170 per slice.
Clearly, you have to check the ingredients/nutrition labels carefully. Cauliflower should be first on the crust's ingredient list, indicating it's the main component. But often the top spot is held by a calorie- and carb-dense flour such as tapioca or cassava.
And beware of added sugar.
Remember, you can't fool Mother Nature. If you want a healthy pizza, go for a 100 percent veggie/whole-grain crust topped with olive oil, tomato sauce, and roasted veggies. Add broiled salmon or chicken breast for healthy protein.
By Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen, MDs
The latest stats on Americans' pizza passions make it clear: We love this (usually) white-flour, high-fat, processed-meat-laden food. There are approximately 61,269 pizzerias in the U.S., dishing up about 100 acres worth of pies each day. That's enough to provide everyone with 46 slices annually.
Fortunately, people are starting to realize that a refined-flour crust and the high-fat cheeses and meats that top it are not healthy choices.
Special: World's Most Anti-Inflammatory Food?
That trend has led purveyors of pies to cook up some supposedly healthier alternatives. One favorite faux-pizza crust is made with cauliflower. Yet while this heat-at-home pie version is billed as low-carb and nutritious, that’s not always the case.
Some cauliflower pizza crusts contain as much as 26 grams of net carbs per slice — about the same as a regular frozen pizza slice.
And sometimes the calorie content comes close to regular pizza — up to 170 per slice.
Clearly, you have to check the ingredients/nutrition labels carefully. Cauliflower should be first on the crust's ingredient list, indicating it's the main component. But often the top spot is held by a calorie- and carb-dense flour such as tapioca or cassava.
And beware of added sugar.
Remember, you can't fool Mother Nature. If you want a healthy pizza, go for a 100 percent veggie/whole-grain crust topped with olive oil, tomato sauce, and roasted veggies. Add broiled salmon or chicken breast for healthy protein.