No way. Pizza can be super nutritious and totally creative. Figuring out how to make it healthy AND yummy for ALL the people in your life is a bit of insanity but part of the fun. Aunt Sally might like anchovies, for example, and you might as well but you never knew until you tried them! A sense of adventure and a little sharing is all that’s required.
Creative crusts can be made from just about anything these days. Eating Well magazine has a two-ingredient recipe of self-rising flour and greek yogurt, another for whole wheat crust and a third for cauliflower crust. That’s right cauliflower. I’m telling you, it’s deeelish, honest.
There are plenty of other options including a myriad of gluten-free ideas. King Arthur Flour, Bob’s Red Mill and Pamela’s products all have options with or without their pre-made mixes.
An article from Bustle.com gives recipes for cauliflower, eggplant, quinoa, sweet potato and even beet crusts. Seriously, anything can become a healthy base for tossing with veggies, organic sauce, and organic, humanely raised, grass-fed, antibiotic-free cheese. Whew! Doesn’t get healthier than that!
Or does it? When it comes to healthy eating, there are a lot of rules. And the rules are ever changing. Nutrition science is moving at the speed of light leaving us dazed and confused at every turn. We famously say in Vermont, “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.” Nutrition do’s and don’ts now live in that same company.
And don’t dare bring up food topics at parties or you’ll go down the same rabbit hole as often occurs when talking politics. Like pushing a cure for the common cold, we each rattle off our die-hard fix-it codes not to be undermined. The latest craze, the latest ingredient to avoid, the latest industry to try to kill us, the latest research gone bad… ARGH! It’s enough to make you curl up in a ball. Food is loaded.
So how do you have a fun, healthy meal with loved ones without trauma? Pizza.
The only rule we suggest is that everyone bring their own rendition (or ingredients) so they can all stay on their own target for their current healthy eating plan and can offer some to share, anchovies or not.
Beyond that, one simple food rule (as of today) is to limit the hidden and added sugars in your crust and sauce recipes (sauces are notorious for sneaking in a ton of sweetners). White flour can be as hard on the body as sugar too so limit it where you can.
For ultimate health, though, when all the dust settles on these eating do’s and don’ts, the ingredient that matters most is being together. We know that. Human nature requires it. Other people matter.
Toss ideas together, learn from each other, be creative, eat a lot of plant-based foods and enjoy sharing. Again, other people matter. We just can’t say it enough.
“When the moon hits your eye like a pizza pie, that’s amore!” (Songwriters: Harry Warren / Jack Brooks)
See you on the PATH Ahead,
Gillian, Shevonne, Amy, Ashley and the whole VEHI PATH Team.