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Pizza toppings and nutrition
Anything goes for pizza toppings in these days of gourmet pizza recipes.
There are many delicious choices for pizza toppings; some healthy and
some you may want to save for a dieters “cheat day”! Here’s a list of a
few nutritious pizza toppings and why they are good for you:
Onions
Onions offer a rich, strong flavor, so they add taste and health
benefits to your pizza. The health benefits include lower blood sugar,
lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of colon
cancer thanks to the chromium, vitamin C, and fiber.
Black Olives
Olives are full of healthy unsaturated fats that fight heart disease and
lower cholesterol. You’ll also be getting some good things known as
polyphenols and flavanoids. The fat will also help you absorb the
nutrients from your other toppings.
Red Peppers
These are similar to green peppers, but with a stronger, sweeter flavor.
These are a bit harder to find, but worth looking for since they are
chock full of Vitamin C, A, and B6, along with antioxidants like
beta-carotene. Whether your peppers are red, yellow, orange, or green,
be sure they’re on your pizza!
Garlic
I don’t see many pizza places offering chopped garlic as a topping, but
there’s no harm in asking. If you’re cooking your own pizza, I recommend
making a paste out of chopped garlic and olive oil. You can spread that
on the crust before you load it down with everything else. Lots of
health benefits from garlic, plus the heart-healthy fats you get from
olives.
Spinach
Spinach is Popeye’s topping of choice for a reason. Not only is it
loaded with antioxidants, but it’s full of iron, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
The iron will build your blood (no EPO necessary) and the lutein and
zeaxanthin will protect your eyes from macular degeneration.
Pineapple
One of the few fruits that works on pizza. It contains Vitamin C and an
enzyme called bromelain. Bromelain will aid digestion, a good thing if
you eat as much pizza as I do, and it even acts as a natural
anti-inflammatory, easing your aching muscles. If you were just out
hammering for 5 hours, pour on the pineapple!
Mushrooms
While being neither fruit nor vegetable (mushrooms are actually a
fungus,) they add great flavor and great nutrients. They are packed with
selenium and riboflavin (and other B vitamins,) along with other
nutrients that could ward off cancer.
Tomatoes
Sliced tomatoes make great toppings, especially on a white or pesto
pizza. Even if you already have tomato sauce on there, adding tomatoes
just increases the healthiness.
Broccoli
Another green vegetable that you can get on your pizza. This one is full
of Vitamins C, A, and K, along with quite a bit of folate and dietary
fiber. Broccoli offers significant anti-cancer effects, and when paired
with tomatoes or tomato sauce, the veggies can boost each other’s
effects for even better cancer fighting.
Chicken
For all you meat lovers that can’t resist, get some nice white meat
chicken on your pie. It’s full of protein, but not full of saturated fat
and sodium like pepperoni. Chicken also has some good stuff like zinc
and selenium (to boost your immune system) and essential B vitamins. My
personal preference is to find a barbecue chicken pizza, but you can
also get chicken as a general topping or find a Hawaiian Chicken Pizza.
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94% of the population of the U.S. eats pizza.
