Pizzas are tasty and may pamper your taste buds every time you grab a bite of this scrumptious delight. It can be grabbed in jiffy, had on the go, and be really comforting at times, however there is one downside about pizza that always stops you from having it often and that is its health quotient! Pizza consumption brings along guilt of gulping too many calories in every bite, but now with research carried out by Health and Nutrition Institutes worldwide, your favourite fast food is also found with many health benefits.
As revealed by the nutrition experts, there are many elements present in pizza like toppings, crust, cheese, and lot more that together work towards increasing its health quotient. Here are some good reasons to have more pizza next time you are hungry and of course without guilt!
1. Antioxidant Rich Sauce for Younger Self – Red coloured sauce on the pizza bread is believed to be taste enhancer and you would be glad to know that this sauce is also the powerhouse of antioxidants. This sauce is prepared from fresh cherry tomatoes that contain antioxidants and other vitamins vital for cell regeneration. You can be generous on sauce if it is freshly cooked with spices and herbs that make it healthier. Most of the pizza sauces also contain garlic that is another healthy ingredient known for cutting bad cholesterol and adding good cholesterol to your body. There are many different ways of preparing the pizza, hence checkout for the freshly made variety for richer ingredients.
2. Crust Would Not Mean Empty Calories – Thick crust pizza prepared from refined flour would mean empty calories that are strictly not recommended. However, authentic Italian thin crust pizzas have helped pizza lovers to overcome this problem as well. Even these thin crust pizza are prepared from whole wheat to reduce the amount of empty calories in every pizza. Whole wheat thin crust pizza gives you energy for body functioning without loading your body with too many empty calories.
3.Choicest Toppings With Unlimited Health Benefits – Pizza can be the best dish to experiment with! There are no set rules about selection of toppings and no limit to your imagination. Whatever goes well with your appetite can be used to top up your pizza. You can restrict your choice to the toppings that are vitamin, mineral, and anti-oxidant rich. You won’t be short of options even if you opt for readymade pizzas served in the restaurants as most of them have taken care of the health quotient of this popular food by introducing variety of toppings in all categories. Check out with Papa Johns, one of the world’s renowned pizza makers that claim different toppings, variety of crusts, and great discounts for healthier pizzas.
4. Say “Cheese” – Say “Cheese” when you next time order the pizza as this cheesy delight is good on calories, but at the same time it’s a good source of protein too. Combination of different varieties of cheese would ensure that your pizza contains good amount of protein for healthy living. Apart from protein, it also gives you good amount of calcium to take care of bones and teeth. Some toppings like seafood, broccoli, olives, and soy would add up to the overall protein and calcium content of your pizza. As per the research, single slice of 14” pizza amounts to about 22 percent of your daily calcium requirement!
5. Herbs that Matter! – Any pizza is incomplete without dash of herbs and spices. Oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme that add taste to your pizza would also add health too with their cholesterol lowering and anti-oxidant enhancing properties. You can sprinkle mixed herbs generously to double the taste and health. However, go easy on salt as you don’t want your pizza to taste extra salty and make your blood pressure numbers go up. Chilli flakes can be added for that kicking taste and cardiovascular benefits. Spices bring their health benefits just by a gentle sprinkle, hence don’t overload your pizza with them else it will affect the entire taste.
6. Happy Hormones – Pizza tickles your taste buds to pump up your body with endorphins for happier you! It instantly lifts up your mood, removes stress, and offers comfort that you may want from your food. So, next time you feel low or want to remove the stress related to month end targets, order a pizza and see the magic. You will be relaxed both physically and mentally to put in extra efforts for better results.
Pizzas are considered junk and that is why most of the times people avoid this tasty treat, but with little care, minor modifications, and right choices, you can make this food healthy treat too. No need to feel guilty about grabbing your share of pizza next time as it contains enough health triggers to justify your indulgence.