FitSugar

Do You Blot Your Pizza Before You Eat?

FitSugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:47:15 -0700

Pizza is one of my weaknesses, and I definitely indulge in it once in a while. Some slices are especially greasy, and I can't stand it when I take a bite and oil drips onto my plate -or pants! So I've gotten into the habit of blotting my pizza. I feel this makes it a bit healthier. What about you?

Healthy Recipe: Pizza Quinoa Polenta

FitSugar — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:01:00 -0700

I'll admit that a slice of cheesy pizzeria pizza is one of my weaknesses, but at 272 calories a slice, it's not something I want to indulge in on a regular basis. Not only because of the calories, but since the dough is usually made with white flour, it's not exactly nutritious. So here's a recipe that'll satisfy your need for something chewy, gooey, and tomatoey, but it's made with Quinoa Polenta.

To see this simple recipe that can be served as an appetizer or main dish keep reading

Healthy Eating Tip: Add Veggies to Plain Pizza

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:00:00 -0700

For a quick meal, I like to keep a frozen cheese pizza in the freezer, one made with whole-wheat crust - I like Kashi and Newman's Own the best. It's a little boring as it is, and doesn't contain much fiber or vitamins, so I like to make it a little healthier by adding my own veggies. I chop up some mushrooms, spinach, peppers, carrots, zucchini, broccoli, or whatever I have in the fridge. I sauté them with fresh herbs, garlic, and olive oil, spread them on top of the pizza and bake it as usual. Not only is it more flavorful and full of interesting texture, but it's also more filling, so I end up eating fewer slices.

Do You Blot Your Pizza?

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:00:00 -0800

Last week we dished about comfort foods, and I must say that pizza is one of mine. It must be since I love cheese. One way I make my pizza a bit healthier is to blot the grease off the top. If this makes me a health food nut, so be it.

But what about you . . .

Source

Food Review: Frontera Four Cheese Pizza

FitSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:30:00 -0700

For a quick meal, pizza is definitely a party pleaser with my entire family including me. Pizzeria pizza might be delicious, but who knows how many calories are in a slice. Since making my own pizza isn't always an option, I like to keep some frozen pizzas for when I am in a dinner pinch.

I just tried a Frontera Stone Fired Pizza ($7.99), and I think you might be interested to hear what I thought of this pie, so read more.

So many frozen pizzas lately seem to be the thin-crust variety, so I appreciated that this crust was a little thicker. It had a satisfying chewy texture, and I felt full after the recommended serving size. When I first took a bite, it seemed like any other frozen pizza; pleasingly cheesy and full of tomato flavor. Then after a few bites, I realized that the sauce had a wonderful zesty spiciness to it, which made this pizza taste more unique than other frozen pizzas I've tried.

For one third of the pizza, the nutritional info seems pretty normal. The 3g of fiber and 16g of protein made me happy, and 310 calories isn't that bad. I wasn't thrilled with the 5g of saturated fat, but what else can you expect from a pizza that's made with mozzarella, provolone, asiago, and white cheddar? I thought this Frontera pizza was quite tasty and I'd definitely buy it again.

Kashi Pizza: Original-Crust vs. Thin-Crust Pizza

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:00:00 -0700

I like to keep frozen pizzas in my freezer just in case my family needs a quick meal. I love ones made by Kashi because the crust is made with whole grains and they're really flavorful. They used to only make regular-crust pizza, but then they came out with thin crust.

If you want to know how these two compare then read more.

As you can see, the one on the right definitely has a thinner crust. It was so thin that it took less time to cook, and it had a much crispier texture than the regular, chewy crust.

Nutritionally speaking, the thin crust pizza does has fewer carbs and calories, but it also contains more sodium. I guess it comes down to personal preference because they tasted so much alike. Personally, I prefer the regular crust because it fills me up more, and the thin-crust pizza feels less like a meal and more like an hors d'oeuvre. If you haven't tried either of them, they're definitely worth checking out.

Do You Blot Your Pizza With a Napkin?

FitSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:30:00 -0700

Pizza is one of my weaknesses, and I definitely indulge in it once in a while. I have to say that some slices are especially greasy. I can't stand it when I take a bite and drips of oil fall onto my plate. To solve this issue I blot my pizza; I feel this makes it a bit healthier. What about you?

Source

Wolfgang Puck's Pizza: Margherita

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:30:00 -0800

Wolfgang Puck is an awesome chef, so when I saw one of his frozen pizzas, I thought I'd give it a try.

Want to know what I thought of the Margherita pizza? Then read more

Serving Size	1/3 of pizza	1/2 the pizza (more realistic)
Calories	330	495
Total Fat	14g	21g
Saturated Fat	6g	9g
Cholesterol	30mg	45mg
Sodium	700mg	1,050mg
Carbs	36g	54g
Fiber	2g	3g
Sugar	7g	10.5g
Protein	15g	22.5g

So aside from the fact that the actual pizza doesn't look as glamorous as the photo on the box, I thought it tasted delicious. It's made with all-natural ingredients, like spinach, wheat flour, tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese, which is a total plus. The crust was soft, chewy, and a little sweet. The pizza could have had a few more slices of tomato to make it even tastier and healthier, but then again you could always add some yourself.

From my photo, you can see that I could fit the entire pizza on a regular sized dinner plate, so it's pretty small. That means the serving size seems a little tiny, since most people would be more likely to eat half the pizza instead of just a third. So I figured out those numbers too so you can compare. Eating half the pizza isn't the worst thing you could do, but since it does have a lot of sodium, you'd have to limit the rest of your day's food so as not to exceed the recommended daily intake limit of 2,300 mg. Aside from that, this pizza is great in a pinch, and you can feel good eating it since it's made with simple ingredients.

Fit's Tips: The cooking directions say to bake it for 13-15 minutes, but it was done in my oven in seven minutes, so be sure to check on it halfway. You don't want to end up with a burnt pizza.

Domino's Breakdown (It's Pretty Scary)

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 07:30:00 -0700

A few weeks ago, I got all riled up while watching The Biggest Loser. All the food commercials were for seriously crappy food. It seems more than a little mean to advertise calorie laden food during an inspirational weight loss show. Especially if you consider that the majority of viewers are watching to get a little inspiration on their own path to get in shape.

The one that bothered me the most was by Domino's Pizza; they were advertising their amazing Oreo Pizza. What's the deal with that? It's not enough to make decadent, calorie-laden cheese pizzas, so they have to make dessert pizza too? I'm not even going to question how much crap is in it (although this commercial is pretty funny, I can admit that).

We can all agree that it serves no nutritional purpose, but if you're curious to how many calories are in a slice of this Oreo Pizza pie, read more

Here's the nutritional info on a typical meal from Domino's, including two slices of cheese pizza and one slice of Oreo Pizza. Their website is really sneaky because they give the info for each little part of the pizza. That means you have to do all the work and add up the calories in the crust, the sauce and the cheese in order to figure out how many calories are in one slice.

Item	Calories	Fat (g)	Sat. Fat (g)	Sodium (mg.)	Carbs (g)	Sugar (g)	Protein (g)
2 of 8 equal slices of cheese pizza (14-inch Large)	480	18	7	940	84	8	24
1 of 8 equal slices of Oreo Dessert Pizza	120	4	1	110	20	8	2
TOTAL (2 slices cheese pizza, 1 slice Oreo Pizza)	600	22	8	1,050	104	16	26

Now I know pre-made foods are typically high in salt, but yikes! 1,050 mg of sodium is way too much for one meal. Since the RDI of sodium is 2,300 mg a day, that doesn't leave much else for the rest of your day's food. Of course, you've got to splurge on pizza every once in a while, so it's good to know that 480 calories isn't bad for one meal, but I'd probably skip out on the Oreo Dessert Pizza (even if it is free).

If you're tempted to try Domino's Oreo Pizza, check out this video to see what it really looks like.

Tips to Slim Down Your Pizza

FitSugar — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Barbecue season has basically come to an end and pizza is taking over now. While we may be tempted to order a meat lover's pizza with extra cheese (this is NOT on the Atkins Diet by the way), we should rethink our topping choices so we can still have our pizza and enjoy it too! Plus, besides pizza being yummy, it can also be really good for you (think lycopene in the tomato sauce and veggies galore).

Here are some fabulous ideas from MSN for keeping your pizza healthy and tasty:

Vegetables are by far the best topping for a pizza and offer a wide range of options. Experiment with different varieties such as green and red peppers, zucchini, broccoli, or be adventurous and pick a fruity topping like pineapple or mango.
Cheese belongs to the Milk and Alternatives food group and is an excellent source of calcium and protein. Keep the fat content to a reasonable amount by ordering regular cheese, rather than "double." (I personally like to order "light" cheese, most pizza guys will know what you mean.)
Meat is a source of protein - and fat. Leaner choices are chicken and ham. Typically, pepperoni is leaner than beef and sausage. Multi-meat pizzas contain high levels of fat, calories and salt.
Crusts made from whole wheat or multi grain are more nutritious. They deliver a boost of fiber and fewer calories than traditional dough crusts.

Source