Nutritious Pizza
by Judy Campbell-Gordon, R.D.
Links to Recipes: Pizza Splendita Super Nutritious Pizza Splendita
Pizza can form a healthy and tasty, well-rounded meal, including one or more food choices from every food group, if ingredients are wisely chosen.
The toppings usually begin with a lycopene-rich layer of tomato sauce. Lycopene has been shown to significantly decrease risk of developing prostate cancer in men. Other vegetables that add great taste and colour variety as well as vitamins, antioxidants and fibre include: peppers, spinach, red onions, tomatoes and broccoli. Usually darker vegetables are more concentrated in health-promoting vitamins A (includes antioxidant Beta Carotene) , B (includes folate) and C. Cruciferous vegetables in the cabbage family, which includes broccoli and cauliflower also contain components that are cancer-preventive. Also, if the peel is edible and left on, vegetables will contain more fibre as well as vitamins, since these are more concentrated in and just under the peel. A 1/2 cup serving of vegetables or tomato sauce may meet 20% of one's recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables according to Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating (Health Canada, 1992) and the Food Guide Pyramid (USDA, 1992). Fruit and vegetable consumption is related to decreased risk of heart disease.
Cheese is a rich source of protein, bone-strengthening calcium and riboflavin (a B vit), important for skin health. However, a source of protein other than cheese is often included on pizza. This is where the nutritional quality of pizza can be greatly influenced. Some meat choices, such as traditionally popular pepperoni, are very rich in fat as well as salt. Excess fat consumption may result in weight gain since fat is twice as concentrated in calories as compared to the other two macro-nutrients: carbohydrate and protein. Moreover, a large proportion of the fat in meat consists of saturated fatty acids, strongly linked to the development of heart disease due to their effect on blood cholesterol. A high sodium intake is linked to hypertension (high blood pressure). Some alternatives to consider that are lower in total and saturated fat content yet still important sources of iron and zinc include: lean ham, pastrami, lean smoked turkey, BBQ chicken breast, fish, seafood, marinated tofu, Italian Capicolli. Since most of these options are also rich in sodium content, versions that are reduced in salt content should be sought for. Fish and seafood are lower in sodium, and are also good sources of omega 3-fatty acids that promote heart -health.
Spices and herbs, especially fresh ones, add a special touch and distinct flavour, and can tastefully compensate for the excessive use of salt. They are also packed with antioxidants, as they are colourful and from plant sources, not unlike fruits and vegetables mentioned above.
By limiting the amount of cheese, by choosing skimmed or partly-skimmed milk cheese, limiting high fat, salty meats, including generous amounts of fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices and some low-fat, sodium-reduced meats , seafood or tofu, a pizza can be an outstanding nutritious food, and wonderfully tasty, especially when made on a fresh home-made pizza crust.
The resulting pizza follows the recommendations of the eating plan used in the study "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" (DASH) (originally published in The New England Journal of Medicine, April 17th,1997; 336: 1117-24). This study included examining the effect on blood pressure of a "combination diet", rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods. The DASH diet was found to lower blood pressure and, so, may help prevent and control high blood pressure. Details of the study can be read at: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr97/Dash.htm
The following tables display two versions of Fleischmann's Pizza Splendita with accompanying approximate nutritional values per serving.
Approximate Nutrient Content Per Serving
| Nutrients |
Pizza Splendita
(per 69 gram serving size) |
Super Nutritious
Pizza Splendita
(per 61 gram serving size) |
| Calories |
204 |
122 |
| Carbohydrate |
27 |
19 |
| Protein |
8 |
5 |
| Fat - total (g) |
7 |
3 |
| Fat - Saturated (g) |
3 |
1 |
| Fat - Mono-unsaturated (g) |
3 |
1 |
| Dietary Fiber (g) |
1 |
2 |
| Vit A - Beta Carotenoid (mcg) |
7 |
96 |
| Vit C (mg) |
2 |
9 |
| Sodium (mg) |
382 |
224 |
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