Cheat meal ideas can range from fairly healthy to nutrition abominations. Why not choose a cheat meal that still has some health benefits?
Many of us crave pizza. But most fast food versions are loaded with three types of salt, cheese, and pepperoni. You don’t have to go that crazy to feel like you’ve indulged your craving.
Why not try this version of pizza, which is a splurge but will not totally wreck your diet?
Cheat Meal Recipe
With sodium-laden toppings, a typical pizza can easily derail your intentions to eat healthfully, and a large restaurant or delivery pizza is practically an invitation to overeat.
Here is a healthful, homemade alternative that uses a whole-wheat crust and sports a topping of vegetables. This crust is superfast and easy to make, but if you are not interested in making your own dough, most supermarkets sell whole-wheat pizza dough.
Tip: To counter the temptation to overindulge, we recommend making individual pizzas instead of one large pizza.
Whole Wheat Pizzas with Broccoli
Ingredients (makes 2-8 oz. pizzas)
• 8 ounce Quick Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough
• 1 cup broccoli florets, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 6 tbsp No-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp Garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• 1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper
• 4 ounce Fresh mozzarella cheese balls, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2/3 cup), patted dry
• 1/4 cup Diced red onion
• 1 ounce Pitted Kalamata olives coarsely chopped (1 oz) or 1/4 cup diced Canadian bacon
• Cooking spray as needed
• Fine cornmeal for sprinkling as needed
Instructions
1. If making homemade dough, prepare Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough.
2. Meanwhile, place an inverted baking sheet on lowest shelf of oven; preheat oven to 500F. Coat a second large baking sheet with cooking spray. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal.
3. Place broccoli in steamer basket over saucepan of boiling water; cover and steam just until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Refresh broccoli with cold running water to stop cooking. Drain well and pat dry.
4. Mix tomato sauce, oregano, garlic powder and crushed red pepper in small bowl.
5. Cut 8 oz pizza dough into 2 portions. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll each piece of dough into an 8 1/2-inch circle. Place dough circles, at least 1 inch apart, on cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Turn edges under to make a slight rim around perimeter.
6. Spread about 3 Tbsp tomato sauce mixture over each crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Pat mozzarella pieces thoroughly dry and strew half over each pizza. Scatter cup broccoli, 2 Tbsp onion, and 1 Tbsp olives over each pizza. Spritz pizzas lightly with cooking spray.
7. Place baking sheet on heated baking sheet in oven and bake until bottom crust is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes.
Nutrition (per pizza; with olives)
Calories: 470.
Total fat: 20 grams.
Carbohydrates: 54 grams:
Fiber: 7 grams.
Protein: 20 grams.
Click here for recipe for your cheat meal.
