Have you ever been to a pizza expo? Dietitian Leslie Schilling attended the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas and shared her experience with us. Check out her video to see what went down at the expo!
Pizza has been a family-favorite meal for decades. This isn’t only true for my family but families across the United States. From time-to-time, this literally well-rounded meal catches flack for being on the not-so-healthy list. I believe that all foods can be a part of a family’s wellness routine and pizza is no exception.
At this year’s International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, NV, I had the pleasure of interviewing award-winning pizza makers and pizza enthusiast from around the world. And it seems we’re all in agreement. From the cost-effective nutrition provided from canned tomatoes and sauce to the delicious digestibility of slow-fermented dough, pizza isn’t just a favorite family meal, it can also be a healthy one.
We are the voice of the tomato products industry. We love all things healthy, nutritious, delicious, and tomato!
Did someone say delicious bite-sized cheese cauliflower pizza muffins, that are actually healthy, waistline-friendly and easy to prep for a busy weeknight dinner? We sure did—and we’re signing you up for a delicious mouthful of these little guys! As you may know if you’ve read our blogs, we often mention how we grew up in a healthy household where our parents were basically hippies (minus the drugs) with our mom cooking everything from scratch, especially her granola, and our dad doing something athletic outdoors, so you may be surprised to know that EVERY Thursday night was pizza night! Woohooo!! Of course, our mom made it herself– kneaded her homemade whole wheat dough after waiting for the yeast to rise, whipped her yummy sauce together starting with a splash of olive oil, adding canned tomatoes and fresh spices and then letting us add our own veggie toppings. No Domino’s Pizza here, folks! Yes, our pizza was a tougher crust (and as our brother would say in hopes of a softer crust, “Can you use half white flour?” ), fiber-filled creation, but even as picky kids, we didn’t mind it—because it was PIZZA!
And now one of our top requests from our clients (and from you) is to be able to enjoy pizza without feeling like its’ hurting efforts to be healthy, or to lose a few pounds, when that’s your goal. When dining out, we show our clients how to indulge and to meet their goals–and dining in, we’ve got some tricks up our sleeves– some that we learned from our mom, and some new ones including our newest creation, these Cauliflower Pizza Bites! These unbelievable little nips are an ooey-gooey, super satisfying, weight loss recipe that makes your taste buds happy and fills you up, leaving you feeling light, with just 120 calories yet with 12 satisfying grams of protein in 6 pizza bites. You can enjoy these and know they’re actually good for you!
Here’s how you rethink your plate: a fresh green salad and whole grain pizza all in one meal that you can whip up in 40 minutes. Now that’s quick and delicious eating for even the busiest night of your week! Pair it with my hearty Red Lentil Soup with Root Vegetables for a completely satisfying meal.
Serves 8 (1 slice each)
Ingredients:
ONE 16-OUNCE PACKAGE (454 G) REFRIGERATED WHOLE GRAIN PIZZA DOUGH, OR WHOLE GRAIN PIZZA DOUGH PREPARED FROM A MIX
CORNMEAL
1/3 CUP (86 G) MARINARA SAUCE
1½ TEASPOONS DRIED OREGANO
1 CUP (112 G) SHREDDED PLANT-BASED CHEESE (SEE NOTES)
2 CUPS (62 G) MIXED FRESH ARUGULA AND BABY SPINACH
PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350°F (180°C). ROLL OUT THE PIZZA DOUGH TO FIT A 14-INCH PIZZA PAN OR PIZZA STONE. SPRINKLE THE PAN OR STONE WITH CORNMEAL AND FIT DOUGH ON TOP.
SPREAD THE MARINARA SAUCE ONTO THE DOUGH AND SPRINKLE THE OREGANO AND PLANT-BASED CHEESE OVER IT. PLACE THE PAN OR STONE IN THE OVEN AND BAKE FOR 30 TO 35 MINUTES, UNTIL THE CRUST IS GOLDEN AND FIRM TO THE TOUCH.
AT THE LAST MINUTE BEFORE SERVING, REMOVE THE CRUST FROM THE OVEN AND TOP WITH THE ARUGULA AND BABY SPINACH, TOMATOES, BELL PEPPER, AVOCADO, AND PISTACHIOS. THE GREENS WILL WILT QUICKLY.
DRIZZLE WITH THE VINEGAR AND OLIVE OIL. SERVE IMMEDIATELY.
Note: Omit the plant-based cheese, if desired.
Variation: Substitute other firm greens, such as baby kale or chopped collard greens, for the arugula and baby spinach.
Per Serving: 276 calories, 12 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 8 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 466 mg sodium
Star Nutrients: vitamin C (28% DV), vitamin A (11% DV), vitamin K (19% DV), calcium (15% DV), iron (11% DV)
Switch out your pizza from Italian to Mexican with this South of the Border recipe. Use traditional pizza crust – just add beans, corn, peppers, taco seasoning, salsa and cheese. Is it Taco Tuesday or Pizza Friday? You decide.
1 CUP CANNED CORN, DRAINED AND RINSED (PREFERABLY LOW-SODIUM)
1 CUP DICED GREEN BELL PEPPERS
2 ½ CUPS DICED CANNED TOMATOES, DRAINED
2 ½ CUPS SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE
1 CUP SHREDDED LETTUCE
1 ¼ CUPS PREPARED SALSA (PREFERABLY LOW-SODIUM)
Instructions:
PREPARE THE PIZZA CRUST. PLACE FLOUR, SALT, SUGAR, AND DRY YEAST IN LARGE MIXER BOWL.
MIX WITH A DOUGH HOOK FOR 30 SECONDS ON LOW SPEED.
WHISK TOGETHER THE WARM WATER AND OIL. ADD LIQUIDS TO THE FLOUR MIXTURE AND MIX ON LOW SPEED FOR 5 MINUTES.
REMOVE THE DOUGH FROM THE MIXER AND GENTLY SHAPE INTO A LARGE BALL. LET SIT AT ROOM TEMPERATURE FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES BEFORE STRETCHING.
LIGHTLY COAT A LARGE SHEET PAN (13”X18”X1”) WITH COOKING SPRAY. SPRINKLE PAN WITH CORNMEAL AND SET ASIDE. PLACE DOUGH BALL IN CENTER OF PAN AND FLATTEN DOUGH BY ROLLING OR SPREADING WITH FINGERS TO THE RIM OF PANS. KEEP EDGES THICKER THAN CENTER TO CREATE A CRUST WHEN BAKED.
PREPARE THE PIZZA TOPPINGS. HEAT TOMATO PUREE AND REFRIED BEANS IN SAUCEPAN OVER MEDIUM HEAT. MIX WELL TO COMBINE AND SEASON WITH 2 TABLESPOONS TACO SEASONING.
IN A SEPARATE PAN, PLACE THE CORN, GREEN PEPPERS, DICED TOMATOES AND REMAINING 2 TEASPOONS TACO SEASONING IN A LARGE SKILLET.
COOK FOR 10 MINUTES, STIRRING OCCASIONALLY. DRAIN OFF ANY EXCESS LIQUID.
ASSEMBLE THE PIZZA. SPREAD TOMATO/BEAN MIXTURE ONTO PIZZA CRUST FOLLOWED BY TOMATOCORN-PEPPER MIXTURE. SPRINKLE ON CHEDDAR CHEESE AND BAKE UNTIL CRUST IS LIGHTLY BROWNED: CONVENTIONAL OVEN: 475°F FOR 15-18 MINUTES. CONVECTION OVEN: 450°F FOR 15 MINUTES.
REMOVE AND LET SIT FOR AT LEAST 5 MINUTES BEFORE SLICING. CUT INTO 10 SQUARES AND TOP WITH SHREDDED LETTUCE AND SALSA. SERVE IMMEDIATELY.
*May use prepared pizza crust
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 313 calories, 12.8g fat, 6.3g saturated fat, 0.0g trans fat, 30mg cholesterol, 580mg sodium, 467mg potassium, 44.3g carbohydrates, 7.4 fiber, 6.0g sugars, 17.3g protein (USDA)
Recipe created by Tomato Products Wellness Council
We are the voice of the tomato products industry. We love all things healthy, nutritious, delicious, and tomato!
), fiber-filled creation, but even as picky kids, we didn’t mind it—because it was PIZZA!
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