Margherita pizza is probably one of the most popular pizza varieties in the world.
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It’s a simple pie, typically made with a tomato sauce base, mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves.
But is Margherita pizza healthy?
Here’s the answer.
Is Margherita Pizza Healthier Than Other Types of Pizza?
Compared to most types of pizzas, Margherita pizza is healthier than other pizzas because there are no toppings on it other than tomato sauce and cheese. This means that the pizza has much less fat than in different varieties, such as pepperoni or sausage pizza.
With that being said, you still should watch your portion sizes with any type of food you consume and consume them in moderation.
Margherita Pizza Nutrition Facts
This pizza contains several good nutrients for your body, including calcium and protein. This doesn’t mean you should eat a large serving of it daily, though. Instead, eat it occasionally and in small amounts for the best results. For one slice, these nutrients include:
- Potassium – 135mg.
- Cholesterol – 7mg.
- Fat – 10g.
- Saturated fat – 2g.
- Sodium – 400mg.
This sodium is high for just one slice of this delicious Italian dish. Because of this, you should try to eat other types of food with it to help offset the amount of sodium you consume in one sitting.
How Many Calories in a Margherita Pizza?
There are 170 calories in one slice of wood-fired Margherita pizza. This number will vary from one pizzeria to another, so it is essential to be aware of this. To lower your calorie intake, you should order a smaller size or choose another topping option instead. However, if you want to increase your calorie consumption, you can eat a more significant slice or decide to have other toppings added on as well.
How Many Carbs in a Margherita Pizza
There are 18 grams of carbohydrates in one slice of Margherita pizza. This includes the crust’s fiber and the tomato sauce and cheese carbs. If you have diabetes or are watching your carbohydrate intake for other reasons, you will want to eat this type of pizza in moderation and choose other foods to help offset the number of carbs you are eating in one sitting.
Protein
One slice of Margherita pizza contains 21 grams of protein. This is a healthy amount for most people to consume, but you may need to adjust this if you have a health condition requiring a different amount of protein daily.
Protein is essential for your health because it helps build and repair muscle tissues. It also keeps you feeling full for more extended periods so that you aren’t tempted to snack in between meals.
Making a More Healthy Margherita Homemade Pizza
To make a Margherita pizza healthier, I would recommend looking for ways to reduce sodium, carbs, and calories. One way to do this is to make your own homemade version home using whole wheat dough.
I am not going to share a specific recipe here, but you can find many healthy recipes online that you can modify to make them as healthy as possible. You can also find other recipes that use different cheeses other than mozzarella that are less processed and therefore better for you than standard cheese from the store. You could also use less mozzarella cheese and more sauce to reduce the calories and fat even further.
Luckily, the tomato and basil are perfect for you, so you should not need to change anything with these two ingredients.
Keto Margherita Pizza
A keto Margherita pizza is made with mozzarella that is lower carb than traditional mozzarella cheese. Another way to reduce the overall carb count is to swap out the whole wheat crust for a cauliflower crust or a low-carb tortilla shell. These substitutions will lessen the overall carb count even more.
Making these substitutions also lower the number of calories per serving so that you can enjoy more slices without exceeding your daily calorie limit for the day.
Comparing To Other Types Of Pizza
Compared to other pizzas varieties, a keto-style homemade wood-fired one made with whole wheat dough and a cauliflower crust is the healthiest option. However, if you are a fan of pepperoni or sausage on your pie, you can still enjoy it every once in a while as long as you don’t go overboard and overeat at one time. Just remember to keep an eye on your portion sizes to prevent gaining weight from eating too many slices in one sitting.
Vs. Flatbread Pizza
Most flatbread pizzas are not a healthier alternative to a Margheria-style of thin-crust Italian-style pizzas. In fact, they are usually loaded with fat and high in sugar content, which isn’t suitable for your body at all. Flatbreads are loaded with sugar and preservatives such as high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial colors, and flavors.
In addition, they usually have little to no nutritional value whatsoever. They are the worst type of food for your body to consume because they are full of empty calories and chemicals that can damage your health over time if eaten regularly.
So, if you really want to have a thin-crust Italian-style meal without the high calories and additives, then you should stick to making your own healthier version of a pizza from scratch using fresh ingredients instead.
Vs. Neapolitan Pizza
A traditional Neapolitan-style pizza is also very high in calories and carbs due to the thick layer of cheese and fluffy bread-like crust. Therefore, it isn’t a good alternative if you want something lower in calories and carbs.
If possible, you would be better off sticking with a Margheria style thin-crust style of the pie if you want to stick to a healthy diet and avoid gaining weight from eating too many slices in one day. This way, you can enjoy it occasionally without having to worry about packing on the pounds or having to worry about gaining extra inches around your waistline from eating it too often.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a Margherita pizza can be healthy if made at home from scratch using whole wheat dough and a cauliflower crust instead of a thicker crust that uses more flour. You can also use less mozzarella cheese and more tomato sauce to reduce fat, calories, and overall calorie count per serving.
Of course, you can modify it however you want to make it as healthy as possible so that you can enjoy it more often without gaining weight or compromising your health.
Read more about eating pizza on a diet.