Grab a Slice ... but ...

Not much else can beat pizza with friends and family. But when you’re sitting at a pizzeria restaurant or around a take out box of pizza in the comfort of your own home, you might be asking yourself some pretty important questions about your health, and you’re not alone. 

Pizza restaurants are all about feeding the ‘average’ or what is currently considered as the average meal. Upscale restaurants tend to offer healthier choices, but these choices could come with a stiff price tag. As a solution to this I started making my own pizza. However, most people don't opt for this choice, instead they choose to stand in line for the best greasy pizza, casting away their healthy eating intentions. Sometimes, I do it too...so how can we make the best of the pizzeria or get take out without breaking all the rules of healthy eating?

If you are eating out, you might want to kick off your pizzeria meal with a big salad and watch the amount of dressing you put on. Hold off on that sugar-laden soft drink and opt for sugar-free lemonade or water. And...yep...one piece of pizza with plenty of vegetables...holding on the meat.

When grabbing a ‘hot and ready’ on your way home -- be sure to make yourself a salad packing it with fresh vegetables including a healthy serving of fresh spinach and go easy on the dressing, you can then enjoy a piece of pizza. Note: “a” is the operative word here!

Grocery stores have a lot of pizza to offer -- just watch the nutritional analysis on the box, make a salad and enjoy a piece. Note: again “a” is the operative word.

Making your own? Now here’s where the options are endless from making your own crust, using a store bought one, or eating your pizza on a toasted whole wheat tortilla with vegetables most pizzerias wouldn’t even consider! Recently I found a recipe on the Epicurious website that was wonderful. I made it with a whole wheat tortilla which I popped into a 325 degree oven for just a few minutes, then piled on the veggies, sprinkled it with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, popped it back in the oven until the cheese got all melted and scrumptious and I completely enjoyed it!! 

So you see, it’s easy to mainstream when you’re eating to protect your heart, just be sure you eat plenty of fresh vegetables, drink plenty of water, and limit the number of pieces of pizza you eat and get you can get the best of both worlds.