You are here: Home > Diet & Health

Pizza to please

By Karen Inge
Friday, October 17, 2008
Photos by Getty Images

With a recent surge in gourmet offerings the scope of today's pizza is huge. No longer is it simply a high fat, high salt takeaway food best limited in the diet. Let's explore what's hot in the latest offerings and how best to choose a pizza to please.

That's the TICK

Crust Gourmet Pizza Bars have launched a range of healthier choice pizzas that have earned the Heart Foundation Tick of approval. They have half the fat and saturated fat of comparable takeaway pizzas, virtually no trans fats, and up to 50-70% less sodium. In addition they have a wholegrain base to boost fibre content, use fresh lean meat instead of processed meat and are loaded up with vegetables to help contribute to your daily vegetable intake.

Smart choices

There are so many ways you can lighten up your local delivered pizza and save on fat and kilojoules:

Base – opt for a thin and crispy base rather than one stuffed with cheese.

Vegetables – go heavy on the veggies asking for extra capsicum, fresh or roasted tomatoes, mushrooms and more gourmet offerings like artichoke hearts, roasted pumpkin and rocket leaves.

Cheese – see the light and opt for a gourmet pizza which tend to have a smaller quantity of a strong flavoured cheese like goat or feta. With regular pizzas ask for ½ the normal cheese content so you can see and taste the other toppings.

Herbs – fresh herbs add flavour without fat and can also boost your antioxidant intake.

Meat – favour fresh over processed meats and control the portion of meat on the pizza. Bypass the meat lovers special and always including veggie toppings too.

YOUR SAY: What are your tips for a healthy pizza option? Tell us below...


SHARE:
MESSENGER
FACEBOOK
MORE
Blog on Spaces
Add to delicious
Add to Digg
Share on MySpace
?
Share, bookmark, and save your favourite ninemsn articles and features.  Learn more.
User comments
I'm so lucky (and spoilt)! My husband make his own pizza bases from scratch and then makes his own tomato sauce base. That being said, it's not that hard and is a great week end meal. Even better shared with friends. We use super fresh, simple ingredients and always top them with fresh basil and drizzle with a good olive oil when they are cooked! Yummo !!!
i make our pizza's at home from scratch, i always make extra to put in the freeza for days im buzy of im not home, also handy for emergencies or for side dishes when having someone over. i always make 2 flavours to have a mix.
Hi - we make our pizzas from lebanese or pita bread and have done so for quite sometime. If you use wholemeal instead of white you can barely taste any difference at all. We do put some twiggy sticks on, they are a type of salami, but we cut them so small it doesn't make much difference to the fat level. These are really nice and everything can be sliced up earlier to save you time later. We also use low fat cheese. It's a great way to get kids involved in cooking and preparing too. They can also make their own which they really love to do.

Write a comment
Email: *
Your email will not be shared with any third parties or published with your comment.
Nickname: *
Location: *

Subject:
*
Comment:
*
Maximum characters 1000

Comment guidelines
Avoid using:
  • Personal attacks
  • Irrelevant comments
  • HTML tags
  • Personal information
  • Offensive language
  • Text in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
See full comment guidelines
Comment guidelines X
Thank you for sharing your opinions with other users of NineMSN. People will find your comments more helpful if you include relevant information and avoid some common pitfalls.
Please note: All reviews and comments submitted are subject to moderation, NineMSN reserves the right to alter and / or remove any content that does not comply with usage guidelines.
What to include in your comment:
  • A title that briefly summarizes the opinion expressed in the comment.
  • Additional comments adding more detail.
  • Comparisons to other similar products, if this is relevant.
  • To create a new paragraph, press the Enter key twice.
What not to include:
  • Information that will quickly go out of date.
  • Comments on other comments or commenters.
  • Language that other users may find offensive.
  • comments of one sentence or less. Provide information to support your opinion.
  • Personal information like your email address or telephone number.
  • HTML coding. Tags like <b> or <i> will not be recognized.

Also in this section

Recipe Search

Tip: Try "lamb & potato" or "Low GI"
advertisement
Features
Pictures
Video
Say good riddance to fat: Manage the IN vs OUTMagazines feature new fad diets every week. Low fat, no carbs, South Beach Diet, cabbage soup diet, high fat, Atkins … are you confused? Fed up with all the hype and the fact you are still trying to lose weight? Read on. Robin Hood for divorced womenYou hear the same old story trumped out a lot, the woman who was happily married to a well off man in a wealthy suburb, has three young children then all of a sudden, he moves out. The no-diet weight loss strategy that actually worksThe no-diet weight loss strategy that actually works. Strength training for women; the secret to an amazing body at any ageStrength training does not make you 'big'. To get big muscles you need to train a lot, very hard and with very heavy weights and you also need testosterone. This is hard enough for men and extremely difficult for women... Overcoming the weight loss plateauHere’s something you won’t read about all that often: weight loss is not a linear process. In other words, you’re unlikely to lose a predictable 1 or 2 kilograms per week until you get down to where you want to be.
ww |

inspire me

Barbecued soy and ginger lamb with...

Barbecued soy and ginger lamb with coriander potatoesThe barbecue is the perfect way to cook a butterflied leg of lamb. Have your...More >

Char-grilled t-bones with potato pancakes

Char-grilled t-bones with potato pancakesLet the crisp potato pancakes soak up some of the zesty chilli and ginger...More >

Recipes in your inbox

Recipes in your inboxWe send you the latest recipes from the weekly straight to your inbox.
Sign up now >
ww |

topics

Handy hints(740)/ Expert advice(533)/ natural health(427)/ diet(265)/ Gardening(190)/ Books(179)/ Craft(165)/ Cleaning tips(149)/ Kids(121)/ Health(101)/ Beauty(95)