caleycampbell
Assistant Cook
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I love pizza but its just packed with calories! Any ideas on a way to make it healthier?? I had a wholemeal pizza in Spain once which was amazing!
Any way to make a low fat (and I mean loooow fat :) ) pizza??
- Thread starter caleycampbell
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Try making it using one of the Eastern breads as a base - a lot of them are very low fat. I sometimes use Pita bread for mine, but truly prefer to make my own dough and go from there.. Use low fat cheese etc.
Honestly, if you want to enjoy pizza, go the whole hog now and again. Tomorrow you can go 'fat free'
Honestly, if you want to enjoy pizza, go the whole hog now and again. Tomorrow you can go 'fat free'
all things in moderation...
Crust: use a whole grain crust, look for the fiber content, 3 grams per serving
Sauce: make your own from a quality, low sodium tomato product, or fresh tomatoes
Cheese: use a quality cheese, but just don't pile it on
Other toppings: meat - use a lowfat option, pile on the veggies
share with somebody, don't have to eat the whole thing by yourself! (or have leftovers to freeze)
Crust: use a whole grain crust, look for the fiber content, 3 grams per serving
Sauce: make your own from a quality, low sodium tomato product, or fresh tomatoes
Cheese: use a quality cheese, but just don't pile it on
Other toppings: meat - use a lowfat option, pile on the veggies
share with somebody, don't have to eat the whole thing by yourself! (or have leftovers to freeze)
It's not necessary to always use cheese on a pizza. There are lots of pizzas that use a sauce base (low fat Alfredo-style as well as tomato based) and then a variety of low-fat or non-fat toppings. Flavor and the quality of the bread is what is important with a pizza, in my opinion, not the amount of fat you can pile onto it.
any number of ways to make a low fat whole grain crust, lots of veg toppings and very little cheese
can still be very tasty
can still be very tasty
babetoo
Chef Extraordinaire
make own crust. just a drip of olive oil brushed on. slice tomatoes, fresh basil, and just a small sprinkle of cheese. that is about as low cal as it gets. it tastes amazing.
caleycampbell
Assistant Cook
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Thank you so much for your replies. I def love the idea of just piling on the veggies! and maybe i will just add a 'sprinkle' of low fat cheese!
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
Another great lower-fat pizza topping? Turkey pepperoni! We LOVE the stuff, & frankly, find it indistinguishable from it's fattier counterpart. Hormel & 2 other companies now put it out - already thinly sliced & ready for pizza topping. We always have a package in the fridge for snacking & cooking.
ChefJune
Master Chef
Sure. Leave off the cheese!
Not all pizza has to have cheese. In fact, one of my all-time faves is about to come into season. It's a thin whole-wheat crust with herbs inside the crust and it's topped with crushed fresh tomatoes, finely chopped fresh garlic and chiffonade fresh basil. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and when it comes out of the oven, spritz it with really good extra virgin olive oil. That's all.
caleycampbell
Assistant Cook
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I honestly think i could replace anything with olive oil lol! i always use it instead of butter, in a sandwich for example! ChefJune yours sounds a lot like Pan amb Tomaquet! Which is a Spanish(Catalan) type of Tapas. It is basically fresh bread, toasted with Tomato and Olive oil but there are different variations including adding garlic, herbs etc! Mmm i want to go back to Spain now
urmaniac13
Executive Chef
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As Chefjune pointed out, there are quite a few options for cheeseless pizzas found here in Italy.
My favourite is a mixture of shredded onion and pepper seasoned with caper and garlic.
Another is thinly sliced potatoes with rosemary and garlic.
Another popular public choice is marinara, which is simply with tomatoes and herbs, and optional anchovy filets.
All needs to be accompanied by a drizzle of good olive oil, but generally comes out much lighter than cheese topping.
My favourite is a mixture of shredded onion and pepper seasoned with caper and garlic.
Another is thinly sliced potatoes with rosemary and garlic.
Another popular public choice is marinara, which is simply with tomatoes and herbs, and optional anchovy filets.
All needs to be accompanied by a drizzle of good olive oil, but generally comes out much lighter than cheese topping.
I love pizza but its just packed with calories! Any ideas on a way to make it healthier??
Any way to make a low fat(and I mean loooow fat
Pizza, by nature (bread, cheese and misc. toppings) is not low fat. If you want something "healthy and loooow fat" then don't eat pizza! But if you do eat a regular pizza, add a glass of wine.
ChefJune
Master Chef
Selkie, only in US is cheese "required" on pizza. All over Italy (and also in the south of France), there are many pizza choices with no cheese whatsoever. So it is VERY possible to make a low fat pizza. And they are quite delicious.
Selkie, only in US is cheese "required" on pizza. All over Italy (and also in the south of France), there are many pizza choices with no cheese whatsoever. So it is VERY possible to make a low fat pizza. And they are quite delicious.
I had mentioned that in an earlier post, but the more I've thought about it and read about the history of pizza, both in Europe and America, there are two components that have always been present, bread and cheese. In my opinion, If it lacks cheese, it's NOT a pizza... it's bread with some sort of topping, much like a quesadia, but it's NOT pizza.
It's like someone saying, "I want to go swimming but I don't want to get wet." Yes, there are ways of doing it: wearing a dry diving suit or lathering yourself with petroleum jelly, but absurdities aside, and returning to the topic, not every dish can be contorted into "healthy and low fat."
Changing a classic into something that doesn't resemble what it was originally intended to be, to me, is just wrong. There ARE absolutes in the world. A cabbage leaf with a slice of tomato and two pieces of papaya is NOT a pizza, no matter how many culinary awards a person has won!
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
Another thing to consider is the type of cheese you use. Besides all the new "low-fat" cheeses available, I've also made wonderful pizzas using low-fat ricotta - both authentic & delicious. In fact, a thin layer of ricotta is my cheese of choice when I make my infamous "Long Island Pizza" - aka "clam & garlic".
Chief Longwind Of The North
Certified/Certifiable
Alternate low fat, high flavor toppings:
1 Pesto
2 Capiocola
3 Ham
4 Pescuito
5 Marinated chicken, turkey, pork, or beef strips
6 fresh or sun-dried tomato slices
7 mushrooms
8 onions
9 Very sharp cheddar, or a well ripened Parmesano Regiano or an aged Romano, or Asiago cheese (you can use just a sprinkling because of the intense flavors)
10 Pineapple
11 capers
12 home-made tomato based pizza sauce (typically, tomato, oregano, onion, garlic, touch of sugar)
13 Low fat cottage cheese (drained)
Hope this list helps a little in your quest for a great pizza with fewer callories. And yes, use whole grain bread, and a touch of extra-virgin olive oil.
Seeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
1 Pesto
2 Capiocola
3 Ham
4 Pescuito
5 Marinated chicken, turkey, pork, or beef strips
6 fresh or sun-dried tomato slices
7 mushrooms
8 onions
9 Very sharp cheddar, or a well ripened Parmesano Regiano or an aged Romano, or Asiago cheese (you can use just a sprinkling because of the intense flavors)
10 Pineapple
11 capers
12 home-made tomato based pizza sauce (typically, tomato, oregano, onion, garlic, touch of sugar)
13 Low fat cottage cheese (drained)
Hope this list helps a little in your quest for a great pizza with fewer callories. And yes, use whole grain bread, and a touch of extra-virgin olive oil.
Seeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
