Pump Up Your Pizza's Nutritional Value Using Nutrient-Rich Toppings
Posted on: 24 September 2015
Even though you are trying to eat healthier, you may still have times when you do not have time to cook or just crave a mouth-watering pizza. However, just because you order pizza online for delivery does not mean it can't be healthy. When selecting your toppings, pump up your pizza's nutritional value by using one or more of the following nutrient-rich choices.
Select Spinach For A Super Topping
If you want to beef up your pizza's protein without adding cholesterol-containing meats, choose spinach as a healthy alternative. Not only does it contain protein without the fat, it is also packed with natural sources of iron and calcium. It also provides one of the best dietary sources of potassium, with almost 300 milligrams more than a banana provides per cup.
When selecting spinach, you may worry about your family balking at its addition, thinking it will not go well on a pizza. However, when cooked, it has a mild flavor that is often masked by the sauce and cheese, making its presence virtually undetectable.
Add Pizzazz To Your Pizza With Pineapple
Add some sweet pizzazz to your pizza while packing it with vitamin C by selecting pineapple as one of your toppings. One cup of this tropical fruit contains 131 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C that is crucial for boosting your immune system. It also contains 2.3 grams of fiber, providing you with 9 percent of what you need each day.
Although you may have heard of people topping their pizzas with pineapple, the idea of adding fruit to your pie may be foreign to you. However, the sweet flavor complements other toppings, especially when paired with a low-fat pork option, such as Canadian bacon.
Amp Up Your Vitamins With Mushrooms
If you want a topping that amps up the vitamin and mineral content on your pizza, make mushrooms a part of your pie. Mushrooms provide a myriad of nutrients, such as vitamin D, phosphorus, iron and riboflavin. They give you this myriad of nutrition while containing only 20 calories and no fat.
While selecting mushrooms for your pizza, look to see what types are available when ordering online. Or, call to find out the variety. If possible, select portobello or baby Bella mushrooms. When cooked, their flavor and texture resemble meat, helping to satisfy your cravings for the meat while giving you a healthier alternative.
Top Off Your Pizza With Sliced Tomatoes
Top off your pizza with a topping of sliced tomatoes. Tomatoes provide a power punch of nutrition, containing vitamin C, vitamin E, and all of the carotenoids, including lycopene. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that helps your body fight off free radicals that could cause cancer. Tomatoes are also packed with potassium, providing over 400 milligrams in one serving.
Although red pizza sauce contains tomatoes, you can increase their nutritional offering by requesting sliced tomatoes as a topping. Not only does this up their benefits, but they also add a tangy flavor to your pizza because the taste has not been diluted by other ingredients in the sauce.
A topping of sliced tomatoes also provides the peels not provided by the sauce. The peels are where most of the vitamins and minerals are concentrated, giving you an extra boost of nutrition when they are absorbed by your body.
The above are only a few healthy topping choices that may be offered by your pizza delivery restaurant. If you are looking for other nutritious options, you may want to contact them or peruse any nutrition information while ordering your pizza online so you can make the healthiest choices possible.
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