Written by: Elizabeth Hall, MS, RDN, LDN, Food City Registered Dietitian

More and more Americans are preparing and eating meals at home and no week is complete without pizza night! Pizza is one of those all-in-one foods that contains all of the food groups for a balanced and delicious meal! If you are looking to make your own pizza at home, there are many ways to add nutrients and flavor. “Healthify” your go-to recipe! Try these ideas for a homemade pizza as a healthy addition to this week’s meal plan:

1. “Healthify” your crust
Making your own crust at home? Think about ways to add more fiber to the traditional refined flour pizza crust. Try using whole wheat flour for all or part of your pizza crust recipe. For more veggies, try using cauliflower or zucchini in your crust. Add herbs and spices like parsley, basil, oregano, and garlic for more flavor without extra salt. Play around with your recipe until you find something your whole family loves!


2. “Healthify” your sauce
Homemade pizza sauce is easy to make with just a few ingredients. First, pick up some low sodium or no salt added tomato sauce from the canned vegetable aisle at the grocery store. Then, add your favorite dried or fresh Italian herbs, garlic powder or fresh garlic, ground black pepper, and a dash of salt. Making your sauce at home will help you reduce the amount of sodium that is often found in pre-made sauces.


3. “Healthify” your toppings
Now for the fun part, the toppings! Traditional cheese and pepperoni are always tasty, but think about ways to add nutrients by topping with seasonal vegetables like leafy greens, red onion, summer squash, and peppers. Add various types of cheeses in addition to mozzarella like goat cheese or feta cheese. Remember to watch portion sizes for high fat, high sodium proteins like bacon or sausage. Top your pizza with freshly cut herbs like parsley for an appetizing and flavor-boosting finish.

Pizza night is a great way to bring the family together. If you have picky eaters at home, make personal pan pizzas. Everyone is sure to find something they love!