1. Use Cauliflower for Crust

One of the first ways to make a pizza healthier is by getting rid of that carbohydrate packed crust and switching it to something a little healthier. For example one of the alternatives to regular pizza crust is cauliflower crust. It is a smart way to sneak in more veggies into your diet and ditch the unnecessary carbs. Just take a look at this simple recipe and try it out yourself. tastykitchen.com

2. Use Lighter Cheese

Flavorful cheese is essential for the perfect pizza but most cheeses are very high in calories and therefore we must stay away from them. Instead it is best to incorporate lighter cheeses into your recipe and cut down on calorie intake. You can take part-skim mozzarella, sharp provolone or naturally lower-fat Parmesan into consideration.

3. Use Veggies as Toppings

Skip the generic pepperoni toppings and extra cheese because those will only increase the amount of empty calories you take! Instead use this as an opportunity to increase your vegetable servings and pile on as many nutritional veggies as you can get. Not only will you feel less guilty, but your body will also get what it needs.

4. Make Homemade Sauce

Instead of using store bought pizza sauce that is full with sodium and other preservatives, it is best to make it from scratch. This way you will know exactly where it is coming from and what you are putting in your body. There are countless of simple and healthy pizza sauce recipes online such as this one, oatmealwithafork.com, it is just a matter of finding the one for you.

5. Choose Leaner Meats

In order to make your pizza a super satisfying meal, it is best to go for leaner meats high in protein. For example instead of piling on pork sausage and pepperoni, try out grilled chicken or turkey. It will taste just about the same or maybe even better, but will definitely be more nutritional for your body.

6. Use Whole-wheat Flour

If you want to take it one step at a time, simply increase the content of fiber and protein in your pizza crust and switch to whole-wheat flour. This simple step will not dramatically change the flavor of the pizza, but it will considerably make your pie healthier.

7. Wash It down with Water

For many people having a glass of soda while eating pizza is mandatory, there is just something about both of those flavors mixing together. However this is the worst possible thing you can do when eating pizza. To make sure all of your efforts are not gone to waste, resort to a cup of water to wash everything down!

It is almost impossible to stay away from pizza but you can always satisfy your cravings by working around the recipe and gearing it more toward the healthier side. Even the unhealthiest guilty pleasures can be turned into nutritional foods. What are some of your tips when making healthy and nutritional pizza?