Food & Fitness Fundamentals

Did you realize that 93 percent of Americans eat at least one slice of pizza per month, and that 350 slices of pizza are eaten every second? For fun and interesting facts found about pizza, click here

Taking the initiative to create your own pizza allows for the opportunity to use your imagination, and to construct a tasty healthy concoction using fresh ingredients that may not be typically found at your local pizzeria. Making pizza at home is not only quick and easy, but can be a fun family event as well as easy on your wallet. Ordering from a restaurant or cooking a frozen pizza at home is commonly more expensive.

Photo provided by Lori Dodds, RD, LD

Special equipment is not a necessity; however, I do highly recommend using a pizza stone and pizza wheel. A pizza stone when preheated in a hot ~450 degree oven creates the perfect even cooking and browning needed for a nice yet delicate crust. Nothing is more disappointing than picking up a soggy, limp piece of pizza! The stone can also be used as a cutting board and is additionally a good method to keep pizza warm. The use of a simple pizza wheel for slicing is really the way to go. It provides quick clean cuts without disturbing the toppings and making a mess of the end product.

If you are not up to making your own pizza dough, fret not. Prepared dough is now commonly found in many grocery stores, pizzerias, and certainly in the specialty markets. Pizza dough can be purchased frozen or refrigerated, and enables the pizza making process to be extremely fast and carefree. Once the dough is lightly floured and rolled out, the next step of adding toppings is creativity at its best! The basic sauces used can range from marinara, to pesto, white sauce, bbq or my latest creation … sweet chili sauce. Layering the remaining ingredients is only limited by your imagination. I encourage adding fresh herbs and vegetables, such as basil, dill and red bell peppers, as it not only immediately showcases the pizza esthetically, but also brightens and enhances the flavor, and contributes nutritionally toward a healthy low-calorie meal.

So the next time you are craving a pizza, consider taking as little as 30 minutes and create your own healthy pizza instead of ordering out or purchasing a frozen meal from your local market. Not only is homemade pizza more convenient and less expensive than retail; it can be an enjoyable meal making experience that engages both family and friends.

Get one of my newest recipe creations called High Thai’d Shrimp.