Category — Pizza

There are dozens if not hundreds of different ways to make quick and easy pizza at home. What you need is a spirit of adventure and a willingness to be creative. Combine that with a selection of healthy ingredients and you have well…healthy pizza.

Here’s a recipe for making pizza for one. A serving that consists of two small pizzas made with two Whole Wheat Arnold Thins sandwich halves, tomato sauce, sweet peppers, sweet corn, diced cooked chicken, and reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese blend is only 300 calories.

If you are making pizza for more than one person increase the ingredient amounts by the total number of people, unless you have a hungry crowd who can afford more calories. This recipe keeps the calorie count low by limiting the amount of cheese. For anyone who can afford the extra calories and a little more saturated fat go ahead and add more cheese. Or make more little pizzas for each person.

This recipe is good for using up leftover cooked chicken as well as whatever fresh or frozen veggies you might have on hand. And it’s nutritious. Two small pizza halves serve up 28.5 grams of protein, 7.8 grams of dietary fiber, 424 mg of calcium, 24 mg of vitamin C, and only 11.8 grams of fat (5.1 grams of sat. fat). (37.3 grams of carbs).

I did not include seasonings here so you can season to taste. Go easy on any salt but do add oregano or other no calorie herbs to your hearts content.

Roasted Chicken Pizza

(serving for one person on a low calorie diet)

Ingredients

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1 roll (2 halves) Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins (Arnold)

1/4 cup chopped or thinly sliced green peppers

1/4 cup whole kernel sweet corn (fresh or frozen, thawed)

1.5 oz. diced cooked chicken breast

3/8 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. or 3 tbsp. per pizza)

Season as you might like (a little salt, oregano, etc.)

Spread each sandwich thin with half the tomato sauce. (You may want to very lightly toast the bread first.) Add seasonings. Top with green peppers and sweet corn (pre-cook lightly in a microwave oven if necessary). Add diced chicken breast meat. Top with 1/4 cup cheese + 1 tbsp. of cheese on each sandwich thin half. Bake on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or till cheese is melted.

NOTE: If you cannot find Arnold Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins (100 calories per roll) where you live and shop, you may want to try Thomas Whole Wheat Muffins (130 calories per muffin) or a 6-inch whole wheat pita (about 80 calories per pita).

Do you like gyros made with lamb? These sandwiches can be very tasty but I don’t like the idea of eating lamb for many reasons so coming across this recipe for turkey gyros with apples was a welcome find.

Each pita pocket turkey apple gyro will have about 260 calories and 5 grams of dietary fiber.

Turkey Apple Gyros

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 medium apple cored and thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 cup thinly sliced onion

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 tsp. olive oil

8 ounces cooked turkey breast, cut into strips

6 whole wheat pita rounds, lightly toasted and partly sliced open (for receiving the meat filling)

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 garlic clove minced

Directions:

1. Toss apple with lemon juice and set aside.

2. In a large nonstick skillet saute onion and peppers in hot oil, stirring frequently until crisp tender.

3. Add turkey to skillet and stir until heated through.

4. Stir in the apple mixture.

5. Add the garlic to the yogurt and mix.

6. Fill the pita “pockets” with the turkey mixture and drizzle with the yogurt.