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What Is Low-Fat Pizza?

Jennifer Leigh
Jennifer Leigh

The basics of low-fat pizza are simple; it has healthy ingredients substituted for unhealthy ones. Pizza does not have to be junk food if it is made using a nutritious crust, low-fat sauce, and healthy toppings. Cheese is often the biggest problem with pizza, so low-fat pizza is made using a healthier cheese and less of it. A tasty pizza can still be created that fits with many major diet plans, and can be homemade or found at the store and purchased.

Crust is the base for low-fat pizza, so it needs to be made using whole wheat instead of bleached white flour. Whole-wheat flour has the major parts of the wheat berry intact to provide most of the nutrition. People looking to enjoy low-fat pizza can either read ingredient labels and look for whole-wheat pizza crust or make it themselves using whole-wheat dough.

Mozzarella with tomatoes and basil leaves.
Mozzarella with tomatoes and basil leaves.

Sauce is the next element that can be made healthy for low-fat pizza. Instead of using creamy bases such as Alfredo sauce, individuals can stick to simple tomato sauces that do not have a lot of added sugar or sodium. Other sauces can be made from herbs, vegetables, avocados and nuts to provide a rich, nutritious base for a low-fat pizza.

Using healthy toppings such as vegetables and lean meats add a lot of flavor to pizza without making it high in fat. Basically, any vegetable that a person enjoys eating can be added to a pizza, so the options are virtually endless. Lean meats include chicken, turkey, and selections of red meat that do not contain a lot of fat within them. Pizza lovers can add as many of these healthy ingredients to top the pizza as they desire; in fact the more vegetables added, the healthier the pizza will be.

Onions are a low-fat pizza topping.
Onions are a low-fat pizza topping.

A pizza does not have to have a lot of cheese on it for it to be delicious and satisfying. A sprinkle of low-fat cheese, such as skim milk mozzarella or Parmesan, can do the trick without making the pizza high in fat. There are recipes available for cheese-less pizza that include enough satisfying toppings that cheese is no longer needed. When low-fat pizza is bought from the store, individuals need to look at the labels to determine the fat content. Pizza can be a regular meal for people even if they are dieting if it contains enough healthy ingredients.

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    • Mozzarella with tomatoes and basil leaves.
      By: Studio Gi
      Mozzarella with tomatoes and basil leaves.
    • Onions are a low-fat pizza topping.
      By: Natika
      Onions are a low-fat pizza topping.
    • Whole wheat flour may be used to make low-fat pizza.
      By: womue
      Whole wheat flour may be used to make low-fat pizza.