Pizza is a soul food, it tastes divine, comforts the soul and uplifts your mood instantly! But unfortunately, despite being such a great treat, it comes with a great deal of guilt and is considered as “junk food”.
Being junk food, we all know that this food must be avoided as much as possible. And if one does eat pizza, trying to make a pizza healthier, often means adding more vegetables or eliminating cheese from it and it still is considered junk and a portion of food that is not good for health.
In attempts to make pizza healthier, one main factor that is commonly forgotten is the pizza base! No matter what kind of toppings you add to the pizza, but with a base that is made of maida, it will always be considered as ‘junk food’. Maida is a very finely processed wheat that is devoid of nutrition, spikes blood sugar levels and even causes digestive troubles.
To best way to make pizza healthier is to simply swap the regular maida pizza base with better alternatives. It reduces the calorie intake, is easier on the digestive system and is far better health-wise. Have a look at some pizza-based alternatives that are healthier and still taste great!
Whole Wheat Roti Pizza
We all love pizzas that have a crunchy thin crust. This pizza alternative gives the same taste and feel and is nourishing for the body too. The best part is that this pizza can also be an excellent way to reuse leftover roti as well.
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serve: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 whole wheat roti
- 2 tsp pizza sauce
- ½ cup toppings of choice
- ¼ cup grated mixed cheese (mozzarella and processed cheese)
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- ½ tsp olive oil/ghee
Procedure:
- This recipe can easily be made on a regular pan without an oven. Simply take a regular whole wheat roti, heat a flat pan, and on low flame, add some olive oil and roast the roti on it. Try to make one side crunchy.
- Now on the crunchy side of the roti, quickly spread some pizza sauce, toppings and cheese and place it on the same flat pan, with the softer side on the pan. Cover this pizza with a lid and on a low flame, cook till the cheese melts and remove from flame.
- Being a whole wheat roti, the base might burn very fast, so care must be taken to keep the flame low and not keep it on the pan for longer than needed.
- Once the cheese melts, place on a dish, sprinkle the mixed herbs and use a pizza cutter to cut into 4-6 slices. Enjoy immediately while crunchy.
Low Carb Chicken Crusted Pizza
For all those who follow a low-carb lifestyle, and want to increase their protein intake, this recipe is for you! You can enjoy the goodness of a pizza without the carbs and even get a great dose of proteins too.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 250gms ground chicken (chicken keema)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- ½ cup toppings of choice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- Fresh basil leaves
Preparations:
- Set your oven to preheat to 300’C. Take a mixing bowl and add the ground chicken along with an egg. Season this with salt and pepper, and mix it well. Now take a baking tray and line it with butter paper. Brush the butter paper with some olive oil. Now using a spatula or your hands, flatten the ground chicken mix on the butter paper, and shape it like a pizza.
- Bake this base for 15-10 minutes or until the base has gained a solid consistency. Now on the base, spread some pizza sauce, and add toppings of choice. Add the mozzarella cheese to the pizza.
- Now put the pizza in the oven once again. Bake it for another 10 minutes or until the cheese melts well.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle some mixed herbs and torn basil leaves. Cut the pizza into 4 slices and enjoy.
Cauliflower Crusted Pizza
Cauliflower is an excellent alternative to many unhealthy carbs. You can prepare your delicious pizza base easily using cauliflower. This is a low-carb and low-calorie option that can also be suited to the pizza cravings of vegans.
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 small cauliflower head
- 1 egg
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup pizza seasoning
- ½ cup toppings of choice
- ½ tsp olive oil
- ½ tsp mixed herbs
- 3-4 fresh basil leaves
Preparations:
- Preheat the oven to 300’C. Grate the cauliflower to get a fine powdery texture. Flash-boil the cauliflower in salted boiling water for not more than 1 minute. Strain the cauliflower and drain out all extra water.
- Transfer the cauliflower to a mixing bowl, and add an egg and half the quantity of mozzarella cheese to it. Season it with salt and pepper. Take a baking dish and line it with butter paper, brush the paper with some olive oil.
- Now using a spatula or your fingers, flatten some of the cauliflower mixture on the paper. Shape it like a pizza. Add the baking tray to the oven and bake the cauliflower crust for 15 minutes or until it forms a crust-like texture.
- Remove from the oven and add the pizza sauce, toppings of choice and the remaining mozzarella cheese. Put the tray into the oven again and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Remove from the oven and tear some fresh basil leaves on it and sprinkle some mixed herbs. Cut into 4-6 pieces and enjoy hot.
Oats and Semolina Pizza Base
While the combination of oats and semolina may sound unusual, the final product is a healthier base for a delicious pizza. It requires some simple preparations and you can indulge in your favourite fast food, without fear of health issues.
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- ½ cup oats
- ½ cup semolina
- 4 tsp curd
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ tsp olive oil
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- ½ cup pizza toppings
- ½ tsp mixed herbs
Preparations:
- Add the oats to a mixing jar and blend to form a fine powder, similarly repeat for semolina. In a mixing bowl, add the oats and semolina and season it with salt and pepper. Now add some curd to it and mix well. Add a few drops of water to make the mixture slightly runny (cake batter-like consistency). Now allow this to sit for about 10 minutes.
- Now heat a non-stick pan, and brush some oil over it. Gently pour a ladle full of the oats and semolina mix on it. Cover with a lid until one side is cooked. Flip the base and cook evenly on both sides.
- Use this as the base for your pizza. On one side, spread the pizza sauce and add the toppings of choice on it. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese on top and place this pizza once again on the pan. On a low flame, cover the pizza and cook until the cheese melts and the lower side turns crunchy.
- Remove from flame, sprinkle the mixed herbs and enjoy while hot.