Meal Makeover: Pizza

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There is nothing better on a long day than a cold beer and slice of cheesy pizza. Pizza has become our go-to food when we don’t want to cook, are too tired or are in the mood for some seriously greasy comfort food. A slice of pizza here and there will, by no means, add extra poundage to your waistline, however, the average 46 slices of pizza a year Americans eat sure will! 46 slices of pizza adds 12,512 calories and 117.6 grams of fat to your body! That’s almost 4 pounds of fat added in over the course of 12 months! That’s just the average too, folks. Some people eat over 100 slices a year!

Although those statistics startle me, I’m still a pizza fene and lover at heart. Luckily, with a meal makeover, this notoriously bad-for-you meal can turn into a delicious and healthy one!

Nutrition Breakdown per slice

Papa Johns Pepperoni Pizza

Calories: 210
Fat: 9 grams
Saturated Fat: 3.5 grams
Sodium: 600 mg
Dietary Fiber: 1 gram

Home-made Turkey Pepperoni Pizza [recipe below]

 

Calories: 185
Fat: 5 grams
Saturated Fat: 3 grams
Sodium: 490 milligrams
Fiber: 5 grams

By replacing regular pepperoni with turkey pepperoni, using low-fat mozzarella cheese instead of regular and swapping out regular white crust for whole-wheat, you lose 4 grams of fat, .5 grams of saturated fat, 30 calories and you gain 4 grams of dietary fiber! 30 calories saved may not seem like much, but in the grand scheme of life, they can add up! By eating 500 less calories every week for a year, you shed 24,000 calories, the equivalent of 7 pounds! Those saved 30 calories can really aid your weight loss!

Next time you get a hankering for pizza, do a meal makeover to save yourself calories, fat and money!

Turkey Pepperoni Pizza

Ingredients

  • 17 slices Turkey Pepperoni
  • 1 cup Natural Shredded Low-moisture Part-skim Mozzarella Cheese
  • 4 oz Pizza Sauce
  • 1 shell [or can] 100% Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

If crust is in a can, roll dough & spread on pizza sauce. Sprinkle 3/4 of cheese on sauce and place pepperoni on top of cheese. Layer and spread out to your taste. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the pepperoni slices. Cook on a non-greasted pizza pan in oven for 10 minutes.

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