This week's Nutrition Newsletter - Low Carb Pizza!
Pizza -- it's one of the most popular foods, at least in the U.S. Can we have our pizza and our waistlines too? How about healthy levels of blood glucose? Well, think about it. Most pizza toppings aren't high in carbohydrates. So what we need to do is to find different vehicles for those toppings. Here are some ideas, and several recipes, for low carb pizza. Before we turn to the crust, though, let's learn a bit about toppings.
The Sauce
Most pizza sauce has sugar in it. Yep, you heard right -- just look at the label. Furthermore, most (but not all) red pasta sauce has sugar as well. I find that sugar-free pasta sauce works very well for pizza, and most grocery stores have one or two brands that work. Look for sauce with no ingredients masquerading as sugar in it - usually these sauces have about 6 to 7 grams of effective carbohydrate per ¼ cup serving.
The Cheese
Whole milk mozzarella cheese has about 2.5 grams of carbohydrate per cup, and partial skim has slightly more. Most other mild cheeses have similar carb counts. Parmesan cheese has about a gram of carbohydrate per ounce (about 5 tablespoons of grated cheese).
Other Pizza Toppings
Most meats only have scant amounts of carbs, although some sausages have some added carb. Most vegetables typically used on pizza are low in carbs, including mushrooms (1.5 grams per cup, sliced), green peppers (2 grams per ½ cup, chopped), olives (1 gram per 4 large olives), or other low-carb vegetables.
Non-Crust Alternatives
If you don't want to take the time to make your own pizza crust, try these ideas for having that combination of flavors we all know and love:
1. Just Eat the Toppings
I call this the "when all else fails" technique. It's the most flexible, although messy, way to go. When your friends or family are ordering pizza, just don't eat the crust (and get a salad on the side).
2. Low-Carb Tortillas
The only trouble with this method is that you can't spread much on the tortilla, or it will tear. But you can smear a little sauce, cheese, and toppings, and then heat in the oven or microwave. As an alternative, try a "pizza burrito" by wrapping pizza sauce and toppings in the tortilla.
3. Portobello Mushrooms
Scrape the gills out of a large Portobello mushroom and bake or grill it to get some of the moisture out. Fill with toppings, then broil or bake.
4. Pizza Burgers
Make a thin hamburger, then cover with pizza toppings and cook in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
5. Pizza Omelet or Frittata
Make an omelet, mixing in your favorite pizza toppings, and use the sauce as a condiment.
Here is an amazing low-carb pizza crust:
I know this egg-based crust is going to sound strange, but I urge you to trust me and try this. I've tried a whole lot of low-carb pizza crusts over the years, and this is really the best one. No, it isn't like regular, but it's really good. I got the recipe on which this is based from the Protein Power Forum, and have altered it somewhat.
Based on some of the comments, I'm now realizing that some people are expecting a crisp crust, or a thin crust. This crust is neither crisp nor thin. However, you can make it thinner by using fewer eggs and less cream cheese.
Ingredients:
Heat the oven to 350° F.
1) Be sure the cream cheese is at about room temperature. Using a regular blender, food processor, or (my preferred) stick blender, mix the egg and cream cheese until well blended. Add the salt and spices and blend again.
2) Spread cheese in bottom of well-buttered 9X13 pan. I often use an Italian blend such as Trader Joe's Quattro Formaggio. Pour egg mixture over the cheese, and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the top is browning.
3) Remove from oven, add pizza toppings, and bake until done - about another 10-15 minutes.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutritional Information: Each serving has 1.5 grams effective carbohydrate plus 11 grams protein, and 179 calories.
Pizza -- it's one of the most popular foods, at least in the U.S. Can we have our pizza and our waistlines too? How about healthy levels of blood glucose? Well, think about it. Most pizza toppings aren't high in carbohydrates. So what we need to do is to find different vehicles for those toppings. Here are some ideas, and several recipes, for low carb pizza. Before we turn to the crust, though, let's learn a bit about toppings.
The Sauce
Most pizza sauce has sugar in it. Yep, you heard right -- just look at the label. Furthermore, most (but not all) red pasta sauce has sugar as well. I find that sugar-free pasta sauce works very well for pizza, and most grocery stores have one or two brands that work. Look for sauce with no ingredients masquerading as sugar in it - usually these sauces have about 6 to 7 grams of effective carbohydrate per ¼ cup serving.
The Cheese
Whole milk mozzarella cheese has about 2.5 grams of carbohydrate per cup, and partial skim has slightly more. Most other mild cheeses have similar carb counts. Parmesan cheese has about a gram of carbohydrate per ounce (about 5 tablespoons of grated cheese).
Other Pizza Toppings
Most meats only have scant amounts of carbs, although some sausages have some added carb. Most vegetables typically used on pizza are low in carbs, including mushrooms (1.5 grams per cup, sliced), green peppers (2 grams per ½ cup, chopped), olives (1 gram per 4 large olives), or other low-carb vegetables.
Non-Crust Alternatives
If you don't want to take the time to make your own pizza crust, try these ideas for having that combination of flavors we all know and love:
1. Just Eat the Toppings
I call this the "when all else fails" technique. It's the most flexible, although messy, way to go. When your friends or family are ordering pizza, just don't eat the crust (and get a salad on the side).
2. Low-Carb Tortillas
The only trouble with this method is that you can't spread much on the tortilla, or it will tear. But you can smear a little sauce, cheese, and toppings, and then heat in the oven or microwave. As an alternative, try a "pizza burrito" by wrapping pizza sauce and toppings in the tortilla.
3. Portobello Mushrooms
Scrape the gills out of a large Portobello mushroom and bake or grill it to get some of the moisture out. Fill with toppings, then broil or bake.
4. Pizza Burgers
Make a thin hamburger, then cover with pizza toppings and cook in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
5. Pizza Omelet or Frittata
Make an omelet, mixing in your favorite pizza toppings, and use the sauce as a condiment.
Here is an amazing low-carb pizza crust:
I know this egg-based crust is going to sound strange, but I urge you to trust me and try this. I've tried a whole lot of low-carb pizza crusts over the years, and this is really the best one. No, it isn't like regular, but it's really good. I got the recipe on which this is based from the Protein Power Forum, and have altered it somewhat.
Based on some of the comments, I'm now realizing that some people are expecting a crisp crust, or a thin crust. This crust is neither crisp nor thin. However, you can make it thinner by using fewer eggs and less cream cheese.
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- 6 oz cream cheese (3/4 package) at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoon oregano or other Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinches of black and/or cayenne pepper
- 1 cup (or a little more) shredded Italian cheeses, at least half of which is a hard cheese (Parmesan, Assagio)
Heat the oven to 350° F.
1) Be sure the cream cheese is at about room temperature. Using a regular blender, food processor, or (my preferred) stick blender, mix the egg and cream cheese until well blended. Add the salt and spices and blend again.
2) Spread cheese in bottom of well-buttered 9X13 pan. I often use an Italian blend such as Trader Joe's Quattro Formaggio. Pour egg mixture over the cheese, and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the top is browning.
3) Remove from oven, add pizza toppings, and bake until done - about another 10-15 minutes.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutritional Information: Each serving has 1.5 grams effective carbohydrate plus 11 grams protein, and 179 calories.
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