National Nutrition Month with Veggie Pizza

March 7, 2018

Each year, the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics promotes National Nutrition Month® in March. This year’s theme is “Go Further With Food”. Food is fuel for your body whether you are preparing for a marathon or reducing your risk of chronic diseases. When choosing foods to fuel your body, it’s important to look at both quality AND quantity. You can also go further by reducing food waste at home and choosing foods that are locally sourced. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

  • Consume more fruits and vegetables with a goal of at least 5 servings or more daily. Start with this delicious veggie pizza recipe below!
  • Cook at home more often in the week and buy only the amount that can be eaten or frozen within a few days to reduce food waste.
  • Be mindful of portion sizes to promote a healthy weight.
  • Consult a nutrition expert such as a registered dietitian for additional advice on how you can improve your diet.

In this veggie pizza recipe below, I used half of the produce I purchased for one pizza. That means you can use the rest of the veggies for a second pizza later on in the week to reduce food waste.

 

Veggie Pizza

Ingredients

  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
  • 4 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 large red onion, diced
  • 1 cup kale, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

In a large skillet, add bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, kale, and olive oil. Cook until veggies are at desired tenderness. While the veggies are cooking (about 15 minutes), prepare the pizza crust.

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup non-fat, plain Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare round pizza pan with non-stick spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the crust. Add the yogurt and mix well until mostly combined (will be crumbly). Using clean hands, form mixture into a ball. Transfer to a lightly floured surface, and knead a few turns until the rest of the flour is incorporated if there is any. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to about 12″ in diameter. Carefully transfer dough to pan. Cook the crust for 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Take veggies off heat and add the garlic. Once the crust and veggies are ready, assemble your pizza.

  • 1/2 – 15 oz can tomato sauce (I used Kirkland organic)
  • 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

On cooled pizza crust, spread evenly tomato sauce, veggies, and mozzarella cheese. Place in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let pizza cool for 2 minutes before cutting into 8 pieces.

Makes 4 servings. Serving size = 2 slices

Nutrition Facts: 352 calories, 8g total fat, 1033mg sodium, 51g total carbohydrates, 4g dietary fiber, 7g sugar, 19g protein