Some people think that eating healthier means giving up the foods they love and eating foods they hate.  No one can stay on a healthy diet for very long eating foods they do not like.  But you can make healthier versions of your favorite foods.  Not all recipes can be modified to be healthy, but many can! 

Pizza is one particular food that can be made healthy quite easily.  The crust can be made using a prepared crust or a gluten-free bread mix.   I've even made a dehydrated crust from raw nuts and seeds. 

The sauce does not have to be pizza sauce from a jar.  It can be marinara or spaghetti sauce.  Pesto goes great on pizza, with or without the tomato sauce.   I have also made a healthy alfredo sauce that is very tasty as well. 

For the toppings, I like to pile on broiled vegetables and if you use enough of them, you don't even need cheese or pepperoni.  My favorites are zucchini, onion, and mushrooms.  But any vegetables can go on a pizza: bell peppers, tomatoes, spinach, artichokes, eggplant, olives, red onion, etc…If you eat meat, you can add precooked chicken, natural sausage, pepperoni, or even anchovies. 

My daugher loves pepperoni, so I will use a natural brand of pepperoni without any additives that I buy at Whole Foods.  Most of the time I make this pizza, I leave off the pepperoni and cheese.  It is delicious with just the vegetables. Because I eat gluten-free, I use Chebe bread all-purpose mix to make the crust, but any other gluten-free pizza crust would work too.   This recipe below is from my cookbook, Vibrant Health. 

Ingredients:

1 package all purpose Chebe bread mix

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup marinara sauce

1/2 cup pesto, optional

1 sweet onion, sliced

2 zucchini, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, optional

15 slices of organic or natural pepperoni, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare the chebe bread mix by placing the mix in a bowl.  Add 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix with a fork.  Add 4-5 tablespoons of filtered water and mix well.  Knead dough for a minute to combine. 

Divide dough in half and roll out with a rolling pin on a oiled baking sheet into a round circle.  Repeat with the other half of dough.  Bake for 20 minutes. 

While chebe is baking, place the sliced zucchini and onions in a bowl and drizzle with some olive oil.  Stir gently to coat. 

After the chebe is finished baking, remove it from the oven and place on a cooling rack.  Spread the pesto on the crusts and then top with the marinara sauce. 

Place the zucchini and onion slices on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Broil 4 inches from the heating element until they start to get brown speckles.  Turn off the broiler and let them sit in the oven for another few minutes. 

Remove the vegetables from the oven, season with sea salt, and place onto the pizza crusts.  Top with grated cheese, if desired and the pepperoni.  Place back into a warm oven to melt the cheese if needed.  Cut into slices and serve immediately. 

Makes 2 medium pizzas. 

 

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Becky Mauldin, N.D. is a Naturopath, teacher, speaker, and author.  She has authored two gluten-free cookbooks, Vibrant Health and Recipes for Life. Her story of recovery from an incurable illness has inspired many people around the world. She is known for making a healthy diet achievable for real people and real life.

Connect with her on Facebook and let her know what you think of this post. 

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This is posted on:

• Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
• Allergy Free Wednesdays at the Wiling Cook
• Fight Back Friday at the Food Renegade
• Musings of a Housewife
• Whole Foods Wednesdays at This Chick Cooks