Pizza vs. Me

I always try to eat right, but when it comes to pizza I often lose the battle. I love pizza, who doesn't. I need to find a way to either totally avoid it, or find an alternative to it. Maybe a different type of pizza. Let's break it down and get to know what a traditional pizza has in it and come up with substitute ingredients for a healthier alternative.

Traditional Pepperoni Pizza

- pizza dough (all-purpose flour)

- sauce

- mozzarella cheese

- pepperoni

each slice of a 14" pizza has about 36g of carbohydrates! Wow!!! Too high for me.

Alternative - Cauliflower Pizza

- pizza dough (all-purpose flour and cauliflower)

- sauce

- mozzarella cheese

- pepperoni

each slice of a 14" pizza has about 30g of carbohydrates! Not much of a difference.

Alternative - Zucchini Pizza

- pizza dough (coconut flour, eggs, and zucchini)

- sauce

- mozzarella cheese

- pepperoni

each slice of a 14" pizza has about 4g of carbohydrates! Excellent!

As you can see the Zucchini alternative is the best choice if you want to reduce the carb intake and enjoy a pizza that will not add inches to your waist. Reducing the carbs in your diet has a bunch of health benefits that will impact your physical energy and mental sharpness.

The Recipe

You may experiment with different toppings to keep it interesting; experimenting is allowed as long as you don't add hidden carbs to the mix.

Ingredients:

8 oz shredded zucchini 3 large eggs 1 cup mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup coconut flour (no substitutions) 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-14 inch non-stick pizza pan or cookie sheet (use coconut oil).

2. Place grated zucchini on the pan in a thin layer. Sprinkle with salt.

3. Bake zucchini for 15 minutes until softened and mostly dry. Pat dry with paper towels.

4. Combine eggs, cheese, coconut flour, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.

5. Add dried zucchini to the bowl and mix well.

6. Clean off non-stick pizza pan and grease with coconut oil.

7. Spread mixture onto the pan in a thin circle, about 12 inches in diameter. Bake for 20-30 minutes until there are brown spots on top. Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees F.

8. Once the zucchini pizza crust has rested and cooled for 10 minutes on the counter, top with sauce and toppings. Thicker sauces work best. Cooked pizza for 10 minutes until cheese melts.

9. Allow pizza to cool slightly to add firmness to the slice.

If you don't mind, share your experience preparing it and your own personal recipes, I want to try new alternative foods that keep me satisfied and healthy.

I hope that you enjoy this information. Leave any comments below and make sure you Subscribe.

Luis M. Serrano

Retired but always active!