To others, pizza is a fattening indulgence, nothing better than junk food. So what’s the real story? Is pizza healthy or simply sinful?

Pizza Is What You Make It

Perhaps you could have guessed that answer, but it’s really the truth. Pizza can and will be whatever you (or your favorite Melbourne pizza chef) make it. It has a lot to do with your pizza’s foundation, and everything to do with what you use for your pizza toppings.

Making A Healthy Pizza

Basically, pizza preparation follows no different dietary rules than any other health food. To make a healthy pizza, start with whole wheat dough (healthier than white breads and crusts) and your favorite tomato sauce, and then top that with a skim rather than whole-milk mozzarella or pizza cheese.

Pile on the low-fat toppings, mainly vegetables (try tomato, onion, pepper, mushroom, broccoli, or whatever you like best) and you have a quite healthy pizza this is low fat, low calorie and extremely yummy.

Making A Sinful Pizza

On the other hand, if you care more for the flavor than the calorie count, go for the traditional white pizza dough, top it with the creamier and tastier whole milk mozzarella (extra cheese, please!) and pile it high with the meats of your choice…pepperoni, bacon, ham, hamburger, and sausage are among the world’s most popular.

If that makes you feel guilty (but hey what’s life without a few guilty pleasures?) you can take solace in the fact that even the “unhealthy” versions of pizza still have high nutritional value in some respects. Tomatoes are known for their antioxidant power and other health benefits, and carbohydrates, calcium, and protein are all important parts of a healthy diet, too!

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009-2010

Health Benefits Of Pizza

Nutrition research conducted in Europe studied the eating habits of people with cancer. It indicated that people who were eating pizza at least once a week were less likely to develop certain cancers such as mouth, esophageal, throat, and colon cancer.

“We knew that tomato sauce could offer protection against certain tumors, but we did not expect pizza as a complete meal also to offer such protective powers.” Nicola O’Connor, of Cancer Research UK, told BBC News Online; “This study is interesting and the results should probably be looked at in the context of what we already know about the Mediterranean diet and its association with a lower risk of certain types of cancer.”

It is theorized that Lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, helps a person to protect against developing cancer. This is great news for all those pizza connoisseurs out there.

Pizza In Moderation

Don’t feel like this news gives you free license to start eating pizza seven days a week. The classic Italian pizza was used in the research, but some pizzas are loaded with saturated fats and salts.

Why would the folks at Melbourne Pizza Delivery, who make their living delivering scrumptious pizza pies, say something that may dissuade people from eating pizza? Well, we care about your health just as much as you do.

We also know how delicious pizza is, and know that, like anything else, if eaten in moderation you can still enjoy pizza with your family and friends, and hopefully capitalise on some of the excellent health benefits of pizza as well.

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009