Making Your Pizza A Little Greener 

You can hardly come across a person who does not swoon over the name of pizza. The mere thought of a gooey, cheesy, and loaded pizza is enough to trickle your salivating taste buds. However, most of us restrict ourselves from indulging in this delicacy because of the ingredients that make it a bit unhealthy for frequent consumption.

Toss your worry out of the windows, as we are here with lip-smacking healthy options for your favorite pizzas.


Healthy pizza dough alternatives

When it comes to pizza, we tend to ignore the base or crust, but it is essential to lay the foundation of a good pizza. If you are worried that pizza with a refined flour base increases your carb intake, here are some healthier dough options. 

  • Whole wheat crust: The easy peasy substitute is whole wheat dough. You simply need to replace refined flour with whole wheat flour and continue to prepare your regular pizza base. No need to stress; it won't taste like tortilla or chapati; instead, you will be able to enjoy the same taste of your favorite pizza.

  • Multigrain crust: The cluster of nutritious flours like maize, wheat, oats, and loaded with seeds like sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, etc. can be a very healthy pizza base dough. 

  • Oats crust: Oats is one of the well-known superfoods with rich fiber and low-fat content. People who are working towards losing some pounds but still crave a bite of pizza can use Oats dough as a Perfect Base To Make Their version of healthy pizza. You just need to grind rolled or instant oats and knead the done powder in the dough for your pizza. 

  • Cauliflower crust: Your kid's jaw will drop when you replace their pizza base with a cauliflower base, and yet it tastes luscious. Shred the cauliflower florets in a food processor and hang it in a cloth to drain excess water. Crack in an egg, sprinkle some oregano, salt, garlic, and black paper, and bind them in the dough. Spread into a flat base and bake for 15 minutes.

  • Chickpea crust: Chickpea is an excellent alternative for low carb eaters. The shiny and golden pizza base that comes out after baking a chickpea pizza base is loaded with nutrients. Blend chickpea flour, garlic powder, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt to make a perfectly smooth dough. Bake both sides by flipping midway to cook evenly and get a golden brown sheen. 

  • Sweet potato crust: If you love the taste of sweet potato pie, this pizza base is sure to make you drool. You just need to boil the sweet potatoes and dice them into smaller cubes. Crack in an egg, sieve some almond flour, a handful of parmesan cheese, sprinkle some garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and mash and mix all the ingredients. Then spread the dough evenly to bake it into a thin and crispy pizza base. 

  • Omelete crust: To all the egg lovers out there, we got you covered too with this lovely omelet base to enjoy your pizza. Make a classic omelet, and them top it up with pizza sauce and toppings of your choice to enjoy

  • Zucchini crust: Zucchini is an excellent substitute for people desiring low carb, and yes, you can use that as a pizza base too. You just need to scoop out the middle portion of the zucchini and drizzle it with oil and salt before baking. Once baked, load it with your favorite toppings and dig in.

  • Pita bread crust: When we talk of bread bases for pizza, we cannot forget the classic and humble pita bread. Pita bread can serve as a great alternative for pizza base; just smear them with a sauce of your choice, top with all the veggies and cheese you want before baking. 

  • Waffles crust: Do your kids make odd faces when you present a healthy pizza on their plates? No need to fret; here is a twist that your children will not be able to resist. Switch your pizza base with a nice fresh waffle. The crispy exterior loaded with cheese and veggies filling in the waffle's cervices will surely demand a refill. 

A healthy alternative for pizza sauce

The next thing that plays an equally significant role in pizza making is the pizza sauce. If you want to avoid the preservative-laden pizza sauce available in the market, here are some go-to options for you: 

  • Garlic coconut cream: While it may sound a bit odd, the roasted garlic and coconut sauce gives a nice healthy white savory pizza. 

  • Pesto: Want your pizza to have a green touch, then go for pesto sauce to cover the pizza base. This spicy blend of garlic, olive oil, basil, and one nut will give your pizza a spicy flavor and create an excellent base for lip-smacking Mexican pizza.

  • Hummus: One of the most simple and classic dips can serve as a great pizza sauce. This smooth mix of chickpea, salt, and oil will add a middle water touch to your Italian pizza. The creamy texture of hummus is loaded with proteins and makes a creative pizza sauce.

  • Salsa: This all-time classic base will add a kick to your regular pizza. The tangy and spicy flavors are sure to make your taste buds dance in delight.

  • Carrot or pumpkin puree: Pureed carrots and pumpkins are great options if you make pizza sauce for your little munchkins. This easy to make and nutritious pizza sauce will surely leave them demanding for an extra slice.

  • BBQ sauce: You can replace the market sauce with your homemade barbecue sauce to cut down the sugar content. And enjoy a delicious BBQ chicken pizza. 

  • White bean or black bean spread: Who could have thought that beans will make a flavorful pizza sauce? Yes, you heard it right, take a spin for traditional kidney beans and white beans to use them as a pizza sauce. 

Healthy topping alternatives for pizza

Here comes the most favorite part of pizza making- the delectable toppings. We are always up for some extra cheese or loaded pizza with chicken, sausages, pepperoni, and bell peppers. But switching to a healthier option with some of the following toppings is equally drool-worthy.

  • Mushrooms: Sauteed or freshly chopped mushrooms can serve as a very healthy alternative to regular pizza toppings. They are not only abundant with nutritional but give a boost of flavor to your pizza. They are low on calories and yield plenty of health benefits. Mushrooms are rich in selenium that acts as antioxidants in helping the body.

  • Spinach: Spinach needs no description, as we all know, besides being loaded with an ample amount of iron, it has an edge being a green leafy vegetable. Adding blanched baby spinach to your pizza topping can never go wrong. You can add in some basil leaves to add a fresh touch to the topping as well. The thirteen flavonoids present in spinach make it the healthiest option for your pizza topping.

  • Lean meats: Healthy toppings do not imply that you have to give up on your favorite meat items. You can still enjoy your beloved meat toppings. It would be best while choosing meats for your pizza topping to opt for leaner options than choosing meat with extra fat content. Meat products like ham, salami, chicken sausages, dried chicken, lean bacon, turkey meats, etc. are some lean meat alternatives for beef and sausages. 

  • Red peppers: While you generally use green bell peppers as a pizza topping, opt to replace them with the red ones. Red bell peppers give a strong taste and a zing of flavor to the pizza. You can also add some yellow peppers to make your pizza colorful. Apart from looking delicious, these colorful peppers will provide beta carotene, antioxidants, and vitamins to your body. 

  • Garlic: The garlic's unique and robust flavor is a great choice as a pizza topping for garlic lovers. Just crush a handful of garlic and speed evenly on your pizza base, load them with cheese, and bake it to get a perfect cheesy garlic pizza. A garlic topping in your pizza will keep your cholesterol level in check and will take care of your cardiovascular health. 

  • Black olives: Black olives are a great source of unsaturated fats that are healthy for the heart. Their unique taste makes them an excellent topping option, and they also add a punch of different colors to stand out in the cheesy pizza top. The flavonoids and polyphenols in the olive act as a nutrient absorber from the other ingredients you add as your pizza topping. 

  • Onion and fresh tomatoes: Nothing can beat this simple and classic topping of onion and tomato. If running out of other healthy veggies, go in for this lovely duo with a handful of mozzarella or parmesan to make a yummy pizza.

  • Tofu or Cottage cheese: If you are worried that using cheese to satiate your frequent pizza cravings will hamper your cholesterol level, try to replace it with tofu or cottage cheese. They might not give you the gooey feeling but are great alternatives for a healthy pizza.