You might be seeing advertisements for deals on National Cheese Pizza Day on Tuesday, which might have you wondering how you can eat pizza while sticking to your health goals.
Don't worry. You can fit pizza into your diet by using these tips from the Cleveland Clinic.
The Cleveland Clinic offers five basic tips for a healthy pizza: Choose a healthy crust, be smart about sauce, get cheesy in moderation, pile on the veggies and pick lean proteins.
The Cleveland Clinic says cauliflower, thin whole-grain and whole-wheat pita all make good alternatives to standard pizza crusts. They also recommend avoiding cream-based sauces like alfredo and sticking with a traditional tomato sauce, or perhaps some pesto or olive oil.
Another recommendation is to use a moderate amount of cheese that is low in sodium and fat.
Vegetables also are a good way to add nutrients to a pizza. The Cleveland Clinic says veggies like bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives, and yes, pineapple, make good additions to a pizza.
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While pepperoni and sausage are delicious, they can pack a lot of calories and sodium. But that does not mean you have to go meatless. The Cleveland Clinic says other proteins such as turkey and chicken are good additions to pizza.
"Most pizza shops offer a variety of choices for crusts and toppings that can help keep your pizza healthy and still delicious," Cleveland Clinic cardiology dietitian Fawziah Saleh said. “Don’t be afraid to ask.”
Food Network offers its own tips for a healthy pizza. The network also recommends utilizing veggies, lean proteins and alternative crusts.
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