How to make a Healthy Pizza?

Is it possible to make a
healthy pizza?

When you are trying to eat healthy, there can me many tempting foods that you think you can’t eat. pizza, one of our favourite foods here at FO-OD Nutrition, is one of those guilty pleasures. But how guilty is pizza? Well, if it’s shop bought, or worse, takeaway ordered, then you’re asking for trouble. Foods made for retail are rarely made to avoid high levels of saturated fats or lower the potential calories. Making your own pizza can be much more satisfying, better for your health and filled with superfoods and antioxidants. Here’s how…

 The Base

The base is the location of a lot of calories in deep pan or stuffed crust pizza’s. It’s safer to use a thin and crispy base, giving you room in your stomach for tasty fillings. Start your base with 100g of whole wheat flour. It contains 73g of carbohydrates, with 12g of fibre, and no sugar. It has only 2g of fat, and none is saturated, and 14g of protein. This way, your base is adding quality nutrition. It packs some real quality in the form of vitamins and minerals. It has excellent amounts of your B vitamins, essential for good digestion and proper energy metabolism. It also contains 22% of your RDA of iron, good for red blood cells, and excellent amounts of the antioxidants manganese, selenium and zinc. This flour will create excellent levels of good nutrients for immune support and healthy living. Mix the flour with a pinch of salt, good for flavour and muscle function and a ½ tsp of dried rosemary, to give the base some kick. Mix 90ml of warm water with 1.2 a tsp of sugar, for flavour and 3.5g of dried yeast. Add this liquid to the flour and salt and knead into dough. Cook for 10 minutes at 180 centigrade.

The Sauce

Use natural ingredients for your sauce and you can’t go wrong. Start with 50g of pasata, which includes no fat, only 3.5g of carbohydrates and a single gram of protein. It only contains 2.5% of your RDA salt, but is packed with nutrients. It contains 7% of your RDA of vitamin A and 8% of your daily vitamin C, both of which are antioxidants. It also contains good levels of copper, potassium and iron. It is naturally low in sugar, and low in calories. Add 10ml of soya cream, which contains only 17 calories, and its small amount of fat (1.7g) is almost entirely monounsaturated. This adds texture to the sauce. Add a tablespoon of tomato puree for flavour, as it is natural, if you buy it without added salt, and builds on the benefits of the pasata. To add extra bang to the sauce, both in flavour and nutrients, add the following spices to your pan.

·         A tablespoon of garlic adds 12% extra vitamin B6 good for metabolism, and extra antioxidant properties.

·         A ½ tablespoon of cumin adds extra iron, great for people who are exercising for improved aerobic capacity, and manganese, for enzyme creation.

·         A half tablespoon of chili powder will give your sauce a kick, add 5% of your RDA of vitamin E, 20% of your vitamin A and extra capsaicin improve fat metabolism and usage.

·         2 tablespoons of oregano are packed with benefits. Of your recommended vitamins and minerals per day, it gives you 17% of your vitamin A, 12% vitamin C, 13% vitamin E, 10% of your folic acid, and 22% of your daily calcium.

Heat the sauce to boil, before simmering for 10 minutes. Following this spoon onto your base once it is ready.
 
The Cheese

The average pizza will use a range of cheeses that might be full in fats, adding a lot of calories to your pizza. If you choose your cheese wisely, you can add flavour without ruining the pizza’s calorie content. If you stay Italian and go for a not fat mozzarella, you can keep the cheese, but loose the calories. It has only 84 calories in the serving of 60g, with no fat, reduced salt and hardly any carbohydrates or sugar. It contains 18g of protein, and an amazing 55% of your RDA calcium, which is essential for muscle contractions and healthy bones and teeth. This cheese is also high in phosphorus, which is important for DNA formation and works with calcium to improve health of bones and teeth. Grate the cheese and spread across the pizza base.

The Topping

The topping is where you can tailor your pizza to suit your training goal. If weight loss is your aim, add vegetables, like peppers, which will improve fat metabolism, and red onion, which is high in antioxidants. You can add chicken if you want some meat, as this is low in fat. If you are aiming for flavour, you can add dustings of paprika or pepper. You can add other meats, but be careful about fat content and things like pepperoni are high in salt and saturated fats, so try and avoid these. Whatever your topping choices, follow our golden rules for a healthy pizza…

1.       For every meat topping, add a vegetable topping.

2.       Never have more than 4 toppings, and a maximum of two meats.

3.       Do not so many toppings that you double the height of your pizza

4.       Avoid adding oils on top

Add your toppings to the pizza, and put in the oven, for a further 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Conclusions

This pizza is a filling, tasty meal, with a great nutritional content. Before toppings, its nutritional stats look like this.

	In 1 pizza	RDA %
Calories	459.8 kcal	23
Fat	3.7g	6.6
Saturated Fat	0.2g	1.1
Cholesterol	10mg	3.3
Sodium	491mg	36
Carbohydrates	79.5g	29
Fibre	14.3g	71
Sugar	1.7g	6.8
Protein	33.4g	57.5

It is low is all the macronutrients, has an excellent balance of fibre and protein, and good sodium levels for one of your main meals. If you follow the golden rules of topping your pizza, you’re sure for a healthy, low calorie meal that’s packed with vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and good quality carbohydrates and proteins. This is a superfood pizza!


For some ideas of superfood toppings, have a look at our superfoods you didn’t know were superfoods blog here.

If you’re wondering about antioxidants, and you want some advice on increasing your amounts of them, or wonder if you need them at all, check out our latest blog here.

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Happy Eating!

EJHU9ETWKNZV

What are Antioxidants and do we need them?

Fruit and vegetables are filled
with antioxidants

We often here different nutritional professionals, magazines and websites talk about the essential role of antioxidants, how they are important for us and how we need to fill our diets with them. With so much emphasis put on our need for them, we never see ‘antioxidants’ listed on the back of the packet or box as an ingredient or as part of the nutritional breakdown. Without ever seeing if a food or drink contains antioxidants it can be difficult to find what foods contain them. We might be trying to find foods rich in antioxidants in the supermarket and finding it hard, but is it really worth the effort? Do we really need antioxidants, or is it another fad part of dieting designed to help sales or organic and strange foods. Those questions are answered herein our guide to antioxidants…

What are Antioxidants?

The first question you must answer before finding what foods are high in antioxidants is what are they? For the answer to this, you need to look at your biochemistry. Your body is a walking, talking, thinking chemistry set inside a skin coating. All the time your cells are facilitating chemical reactions, creating energy, making enzymes, building new cells and sending nerve impulses. All this activity has chemical side effects, and one of these is oxidation. This process occurs in cells, where as we create energy and our cells function and causes the creation of free radicals. Free radicals are atoms and molecules which are lacking in electrons, causing them to travel around the body to find some. This can cause damage to body tissues. As such, we take in products in our diet which can remove these free radicals before they can damage us. It is these products that we call antioxidants.

More about Free Radicals

Free radicals are naturally occurring, and we cannot escape some of their effects. Your body constantly creates them in cells, and our day to day lives put is in line to pick up a lot more from the environment. The sun, smoking, alcohol, pollutants and many other things send out ions all the time, and they enter the body. It is a fact of life that you will interact with free radicals, in fact, if you didn’t you would cease to be. The effects of free radicals are not exact, as the ions will move throughout the body to find electrons to bond with. This means they can affect any of the cells in your body, but there is no need to be unduly concerned. We have our inbuilt systems to defend against the free radicals, though our knowledge of nutrition means we are now very aware of it, and how we can help it.

What Can Free Radicals Do?

Free radicals have the effect of damaging the body. This is a natural process, and is what causes part of your general process of aging. This cannot be helped, and you have to get used to it. There is evidence though of some more sinister effects of free radicals which suggest they might cause:

·         Cancers

·         Cataracts

·         Impaired brain function

·         Reduced immune system function

·         Heart Disease

·         Stroke

It must be noted that these effects are only suggested, and have not be confirmed by any medical study as any direct cause, as there are always a number of factors involved in such diseases. Nevertheless, antioxidants can help reduce the potential impact.

How do Antioxidants Work?

We take in antioxidants in our diet, and they perform the role or removing the free radicals. They do this by either breaking the chain of reactions that is caused by the taking of electrons by providing new electrons, or antioxidant enzymes alter the reactions and cause them to stabilise. The process is not so exact, and just like medicines, not all of them work on every free radical. As such we need to get a range of them in our diets.

 What are the Antioxidants?

‘Antioxidants’ is just the term for the group of vitamins, minerals and chemicals which reduce the number of free radicals. The main types of antioxidant are vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin C and vitamin E as well as minerals like selenium, manganese and zinc. Vitamin E and A are fat soluble, meaning they travel in fats. As such having fats in your diet is essential, and you should never leave them out. Vitamin C and beta-carotene are water soluble, and so you need to take these in regularly as they are excreted daily. Selenium, manganese and zinc are trace elements that are important for creating antioxidant enzymes which are separate in function to vitamin E, C and beta-carotene.

Do I Need All Antioxidants?

The answer is yes, in parts. You need to have the right amount of each of the antioxidants to ensure good quality removal of free radicals. There is such thing as too much, particularly with vitamin E, as it’s fat soluble, it is stored in the body. This means you can have too much, and it can nullify the potential benefits. A balanced high quality diet should mean that you never have to take supplements, and should be able to access a good amount of nutrients to protect from free radicals and have better overall nutritional health.

Where Can I Get the Antioxidants?

There are a number of natural sources of each of the antioxidants, some of which are highlighted below. There are many more sources so always check your packets to see what is in different foods.

Vitamin E – vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, avocado, liver, green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin C – potatoes, citrus fruits, green vegetables, tomatoes, broccoli.

Beta-carotene – mango, peppers, carrots, apricots, sweet potato, pumpkin.

Selenium – Meats, whole wheat products, Brazil nuts.

Zinc – dark chocolate, cocoa, meats, seafood, eggs, whole grain products.

Manganese – fruits and vegetables, whole grains, tea.

Conclusions

All the evidence for antioxidants isn’t in yet, but certainly, the protection that it affords against free radicals is excellent. The foods you can eat are wide ranging and you may well get a lot of antioxidants already without knowing it. Try our blogs about 12 superfoods, parts one, two and three  to see you you’re already enjoying healthy amount of antioxidants already.

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Happy Eating!

12 Amazing Superfoods You Didn't Know Were Super: Part Three

This blog has looked at 12 foods that are super, but you might never have known it. This is the final part in a three part blog. If you missed the first 8, don't worry, here are parts one and two,

9. Lima/Butter Beans

Lima beans have excellent fibre

Lima beans in the USA, and butter beans in the UK usually come in tinned form. Its safe to say that they don't catch the eye as particularly fresh, but they still pack a punch as far as nutrition goes. They contain no fat or cholesterol, They are mostly carbohydrate, with a high fibre content, 4.8g per 100g of beans. This makes them good for digestion while low in glycemic load. They offer 5g per 100g serving, and that is complete protein with all essential amino acids. This means they are filling, so you don't feel you need a lot of them. They are packing high levels of a number of vitamins and minerals. They contain 10% of both your RDA for iron and magnesium, which improves blood cell creation and maintains energy metabolism respectively. They are also full of manganese, making them good for enzyme creation and that aids digestion further. They are also good for cell growth and contain a lot of folic acid, making them good for pregnancy and developing normal digestion. If you find you are having digestive trouble, these beans can be a real hero.

10. Oats

Oats contain a host of vitamins

Oats are a staple cereal used for many things like porridge and oatcakes. They contain a mostly carbohydrate balance, with 66.3g of carbohydrates per 100g. 10.6g of this is fibre, so its good for digestive transit, and can add bulk to natural yoghurt and berry mixes. The rest is starches, as oats do not contain natural sugars in any significant amount. In 100g of oats you will find 16.9g of protein, so oats are filling as well and make an excellent breakfast choice. They are low in salt level, but high in most other things. Oats can aid with energy metabolism, haemoglobin production, healthy bones and teeth, nervous system function, tissue growth and repair, blood vessel maintenance, enzyme structure and heart and muscle function. That's a lot of benefits for such a staple cereal, but a lot can be done with them, so you can always make them taste great. You could try adding them to a post workout shake, or just drink with milk and fruit for a balanced meal replacement.

11. Almonds

Almonds have good essential fats

Almonds used to be reserved for weddings and cakes, but now they have been viewed in a new light. They are high in fat, but that fat is good quality. They contain 51g of fat per 100g. SO be careful if you're trying to cut fat down. That being said, they are high in unsaturated far, with only 4g coming from saturated fats. This means less issues for those with heart and circulation conditions. They contain 21g of protein in 100g, making them an excellent source of proteins for vegetarians and other alike. They have a good balance of sugars, fibre and starch as well. They supply excellent amounts of vitamin E, a fat soluble vitamin which is essential for vitamin A and C retention as well as the protection of red blood cells. It also includes good levels of riboflavin and niacin. They are filled with omega-6 fatty acids, which helps with hormone production, and also high levels of minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and copper. This means that almonds are all round protectors of your general health. They taste great when used sparingly in Greek yoghurt or just as a snack on their own as long you you do not overdo it, bearing in mind the high fat content.

12. Pears

Pears are a good low calorie treat

Pears are a fruit often used for fruit salads and cider making. They have a good balance of calories, meaning that 100g of pear only has 58 calories in it. This means it makes a great snack for when you're looking for something to eat with low calories. They are mostly carbohydrate, as they contain no fat or protein. They have 15.5g of carbohydrate per 100g of which 10g is sugar. Do not be dismayed here, as most of this is fructose, a form of fruit sugar that doesn't require insulin for digestion, and so is more friendly for diabetics. Pears are good sources of vitamin C, with 100g or pear containing 7% of your RDA of vitamin C. This means they are filled with antioxidants, and great for your immune system. They also contain good amounts of vitamin K, which boosts blood clotting and protein synthesis.

So, in three parts, that's 12 superfoods that you didn't know where so super. Try getting them into your diet for a healthier and happier lifestyle.

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Happy Eating!

12 Amazing Superfoods You Didn't Know Were Super: Part Two

This is the second part of a three part blog on superfoods that you might not think are so super. If you're here for the first time, and missed part one, have a look here. Below are a few more foods that you might see regularly in the shop that you never knew were so super!

5. Avocado

Superfood?

A quick glance at an avocado on a nutrition website will tell you that a half (100g) contains 15g of fat, but you need to read in to this. The fat is only 2g of saturated fat, and it contains 1.6g of omega-6 fatty acids, which are great for you, so the high fat level isn't all bad. Certainly with a high amount of monounsaturated fat, its good essential fat that you're getting. The half avocado contains 9g of carbohydrates, but 7g of that is fibre, so you get excellent digestive transit. As for vitamins and minerals, the avocado is a big hitter. They have good levels of magnesium and phosphorus, and excellent (14% RDA in ½ an avocado) levels of potassium, which is essential for good heart function and muscle contraction. Its also packing 13% RDA of vitamin B6, 20% RDA of folic acid and 14% of your RDA pantothenic acid, which is essential for energy metabolism. The avocado also has excellent levels of vitamin C, E and K, so its an all round exceptional source of healthy nutrition.

6. Pink Grapefruit

How is grapefruit good for you?

Pink grapefruit is a sweet fruit with hidden benefits. Half a grapefruit will give you only 52 calories, so it's a great snack food for those on a diet. As a fruit, it contains a lot of fruit sugars, fructose, and a lot of sucrose, but this means its glycemic load is low, so it wont raise your blood sugar very quickly. Grapefruit doesn't contain any fat or sodium, so it is a basically healthy base, and it is filled with vitamin A and C. A half grapefruit contains 28% of your daily amount of vitamin A, which improves eyesight and healthy skin and hair. It also contains 64%of your daily amount of vitamin C, so it is filled with antioxidants, and perfect if you are trying to beat a cold.

7. Salmon

Salmon is an excellent source of protein

Salmon is a pink coloured fish that has been known for its health benefits for a long time, but it has moved into the superfood category over time as people have realised its level of nutrition. 100G of salmon has 25g of protein, which is more than beef, chicken, lamb or pork. That means it is a perfect meat for muscle building, and for recovery. The 100g of fish only contains 8g of fat, with only 1g of fat being saturated, and extraordinary levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for brain activity. It gives you no extra carbohydrates, and only minimal levels of sodium. Salmon is full of B vitamins, with high levels of thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, B6, B12 and pantothenic acid. That means its great for all types of cell processes and metabolism of energy. It also contains high levels of potassium, phosphorus and copper, and is particularly high in selenium, which is essential for antioxidant activity, so it helps you more than you know!

8. Broccoli

More than just a salmon side

If you do choose salmon, or if you're looking for some very healthy vegetables, broccoli can be an excellent addition to your plate. If you boil it, it isn't as healthy as steaming, but still does a good job. It's fat, cholesterol and sugar free. It has virtually no salt and it fills you up with hardly any calories. It doesn't sound too super yet, but its packed with antioxidants. It contains a lot of vitamin C, which boosts immune function, as well as exceptional levels of vitamin K, which synthesises proteins and helps with blood clotting. This means that you are genuinely healthier when you choose broccoli. It is also packed with all other vitamins and minerals, so it covers you across the board.

That's all for this blog, but look out for part three where we will look at four more superfoods you didn't think were so super.

Part 3 of the blog is available by clicking here

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12 Amazing Superfoods You Didn't Know Were Super: Part One

Superfoods in magazines and blogs are a popular topic, and a rather daunting adventure for those who might not be great shoppers or cooks. Foods like gogi berries, blue-green algae and marine phytoplankton sound more like a study list for a microbiologist than a healthy diet shopping list. The preoccupation with finding new superfoods that come in packets from health stores has meant that many 'regular' foods that are equally nutritious are being left on the shelf. With superheroes, it's usually the 'regular' people that have something special behind them, and food is no different. Over the series of the next 3 blogs, we'll look at the benefits of some superfoods that you might not know were so super...

1. Fat Free Greek Yoghurt

Add flavour to yoghurt with berries

First of all, fat free Greek yoghurt is fat free. It seems obvious, but when 1g of fat contains 9 calories, this makes this superfood a great weight loss food. It also contains only 4g of sugar per 100g, which is very low in the grand scheme of your daily diet. This leaves mostly protein, with 9g per 100g of yoghurt This is an excellent level of protein, which releases brain chemicals that tell you that you're full. This means you'll eat less but feel no hunger, brilliant for dieting. The secret weapon of yoghurt is its high level of calcium, which is essential for healthy bones and teeth as well as muscle contraction. A 100g serving will give you 15% of your calcium RDA. If plain yoghurt isn't to your taste, you could add berries (find out the best types on our guide to some superfood berries or oats can add good quality roughage.

2. Garlic

Better than just the taste?

It might conjure up images of smelly breath, but the benefits of garlic are wide ranging. It contains negligible amounts of fat, cholesterol and sodium, while being high in a number of useful vitamins and minerals. It boasts 5% of your daily vitamin C in a single clove, so its a great immune booster, and it packs 6% of your RDA of B6 into that clove as well. B6 is important for healthy cell growth. So far you have a better immune system and more healthy cells, and yet garlic is still giving. It contains 8% RDA of manganese, essential for enzyme structure and healthy digestion, and it contains healthy amounts of phosphorus, selenium and calcium. It goes great with many savoury dishes, can be peeled and easily added to Italian foods and even scares off vampires!

3. Quinoa

The king of superfoods?

Quinoa is a plant based source of carbohydrates and proteins, which is pretty standard, but quinoa takes its healthiness seriously. Firstly it contains no saturated fat, and no cholesterol, so its great for a low fat diet. In addition, it has virtually no salt, and negligible amounts of sugar. So far, so good. It contains 11% of your dietary fibre, so you have improved digestive transit. Quinoa contains 4.4g of protein per 100g, but that is complete protein, with all your essential amino acids. SO it is excellent for a balanced diet if you're vegetarian. It contains high levels of thiamin, which is good for energy metabolism, so it helps you use your energy sources well, and is high in riboflavin, which improves vision and body tissues. If you're pregnant, quinoa is great, because it has high levels of folic acid and no vitamin A. It also contains 16% of your RDA magnesium (great for nervous system function) and 15% of your RDA phosphorus (essential for healthy bones and teeth and acidbase balance). If that wasn't enough, quinoa contains 10% of your RDA of copper, which synthesises haemoglobin, and 32% of your daily manganese. This really is a superfood.

4. Dark Chocolate

Can chocolate be a superfood?

When most people here chocolate, we think of fat filled sugar heavy treats, but chocolate contains high amount of nutrition, if you get the right type. With chocolate, its about moderation and high cocoa content. Firstly, pick a bar with a cocoa content over 70%. This higher, the better, as the cocoa contains the good stuff. Secondly, don't eat too much. A 28g portion is enough to cap your sweet tooth, and means you do not take in too many bad things. Chocolate contains a lot of fat and sugar, so in a 28g bar you get 12g of fat, and 13g of carbohydrates. Of those, 7g of the fat is saturated, and 7g of the carbohydrates is sugar. So be careful if you are losing weight. If though, you are looking for a good balance of vitamins and minerals, you are in the right place. Dark chocolate contains good levels of vitamin K, which is good for synthesising proteins. It also contains 19% RDA of iron (for making blood) 16% RDA of magnesium, 25% RDA of copper and 27% RDA of manganese in just 28g of chocolate. Is also packs good levels of zinc, phosphorus and potassium. This means that if you're not watching your weight too much, a bit of chocolate goes a long way to healthy micronutrition!

That's all for part one, but check back in the next couple of days to see parts two and three of our guide to superfoods that you didn't think were so super.

Part two of the blog is available by clicking here, and part three is here.

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