In Consideration of Pizza

Ahhh, pizza!  Who doesn’t love it!  Versions of pizza have been consumed by humans for centuries. First reports date back to 6^th century BCE when Persian soldiers ate baked flatbreads topped with cheese and dates.  Ancient Greeks enjoyed flatbreads sprinkled with onions, cheese, garlic and herbs during the 2^nd century.  In 16^th century Naples, galettes, a street food dish of flat bread with simple toppings, were also referred to as “pizza”.  But it was not until the Spanish brought home tomatoes from the Americas in the late 1600s and early 1700s that the modern concept of pizzas topped with various forms of tomatoes were invented.  By the 1800s, pizzas were characterized by toppings such as garlic and oil; garlic cloves, oregano and salt; tomatoes, mozzarella and basil; or grated cheese and basil and some with the addition of small sea fish or prosciutto. (A)

Today pizza remains an extremely popular food and Canada is among the countries of the world with the highest consumption.  Canadians eat an average of 7.5 kg of pizza per person every year which places our pizza consumption just behind the United States and Italy.  On any given day in the USA, about 11% of the population are consuming pizza.   According to the Technomics 2020 Canadian Pizza Consumer Trent Report, 75% of Canadian consumers eat pizza at least once a month. In 2021 the Canadian Pizza Market was estimated to be valued at $970 million.  (B,E)

Our own family is no slouch in the pizza-eating department either.  We have happily consumed lots of pizza down through the years, starting when my husband and I were first dating in the 1970s (when pizzas first appeared in our community) and continuing on as our children arrived and grew up.  However, the specifics of the pizza we eat have changed considerably over this time.  This is because the version of pizza that is offered in North America (and in many other countries) is not a healthy one.

Alarmingly, studies show that being overweight or obese is linked to the consumption of sandwiches by 35%, to fried chicken by 40% and to pizza by more than 80%.  (C)  In 2015, a study from the United States revealed the following (D);

• Consumption of pizza is associated with poorer diet quality including higher intake of sodium, saturated fat and total energy.
• On any given day, 22% of US children between the ages of 6 to 19 and 13 to 14% of the overall USA population consume pizza.
• On days that it is consumed, pizza contributes more than 20% of the daily intake of calories (an average intake of 408 kcal for children and 624 kcal for adolescents) and total caloric intake is significantly increased over days when pizza is not consumed.

The researchers involved in this study pointed out that pizza should be a target for the prevention and treatment of obesity in pediatric practice.  (D)

And so, when we adopted a plant-based diet in 2008 and were no longer eating cheese or pepperoni, two staples of popular pizzas, we stopped eating pizza.  We often hear the lament that “I would like to eat a plant-based diet but I love pizza and could never give up cheese.”  Cheese and pepperoni seem to be synonymous with pizza, so much so that many pizza makers seem hard-wired to apply thick layers of cheese on every pizza crust they see.  But, when we first ventured into ordering a vegetarian pizza with no cheese or meat, we marvelled at how the fresh taste of the vegetables shone through once the cheese was no longer smothering everything.

In the early days, getting a cheese-free pizza wasn’t that easy.  We heard comments like “What will keep the vegetables from falling off?” or “How will I know when it is done cooking?” or “No, it just isn’t possible.”  Once on our travels, we revisited a pizza shop where we had ordered a pizza with no cheese or meat the previous summer.  Upon entering the shop, the girl behind the counter declared, “You are the people who ordered a no-cheese pizza last year!!”  But thankfully, it is getting easier to order a cheese-free pizza without causing alarm.  And we don’t have to wait as often for the kitchen to remake our pizza because the first attempt had a layer of cheese from force of habit.

Here are a few tips and tricks that we have adopted during our adventures into the world of healthy plant-based home-made pizza.

 

The Crust 

A whole-grain crust is the healthiest way to go.  You can purchase premade whole-grain crusts or flatbreads in most grocery stores.  We often make our own crust.  Here is our recipe.

WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA CRUST

Makes 2 – 15” inch pizza crusts

3 to 4 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups water

1 tbsp (1 package) yeast

2 tsps sugar

1/8 tsp salt

Vegetable oil

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups whole wheat flour, water and yeast.  Place this paste in a warm place to sit for at least ½ hour.  A good option for this is an oven with the heat off and the oven light turned on or placing a pan full of warm water in the cold oven with the paste.

Add sugar and salt.

Begin to add more whole wheat flour a bit at a time.  Mix and knead-in until the dough is no longer sticky.

Knead for 10 minutes on a floured surface, adding more flour if needed.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and set it back in your warm place to rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Punch down and divide the dough into two.  Spread out on 2 lightly oiled cookie sheets or pizza pans.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes until the bottom is slightly browned.  (The top may puff up a bit.)  Remove from the oven and flip over.  At this point this crust may be allowed to cool and rest.  If you desire, you can place one of the crusts in a bag and freeze it for a head start on your next pizza meal.

When you’re ready to make the pizza, add the sauce and toppings.  Return the pizza to a hot oven and bake until the toppings are nicely done and the crust is nicely browned, usually about 12 to 15 minutes.  Check occasionally that the toppings are not browning up too much.

 

The Sauce 

If you don’t have your own favourite tomato sauce recipe, try jazzing up a purchased plant-based tomato sauce by adding some extra Italian spice and a half teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

 

The Toppings

You can select any plant-based item that you want to top your pizza.  We usually choose among the following options;

Roasted or fresh red peppers, thinly sliced

Fresh green, red or jalapeño peppers

Tomatoes, thinly sliced

Sun-dried tomatoes, sliced  (We prefer the Kühne brand which offers sun-dried tomatoes packed in water and vinegar)

Raw or roasted onions, cut in small pieces

Fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

Chopped fresh garlic

Spinach leaves, chopped

Pineapple, canned or fresh, cut in small pieces

“Parmenon” – This is a home-made plant-based topping that adds some extra zest.  Here is the recipe;

 

Parmenon

3/4 cup raw cashews

½ cup nutritional yeast

1 tbsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

 

Place all ingredients in a small grinder and grind thoroughly.  Sprinkle over the top of your pizza.

 

The Baking

Place the pizza in the middle rack of an oven pre-heated to 400°F for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the crust starts to brown.  Check that the bottom of the crust is browning nicely too.

 

The Final Message

Once you have experienced the light, grease-free results of a pizza made only with fresh delicious vegetables, you will likely find that it is no hardship at all to replace your old version of pizza.  It’s a not-so-new but deliciously different option.

 

SOURCES:

A  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_pizza

B  https://ontario-bakery.com/canada/how-much-pizza-is-consumed-in-canada/

C  healthmed.org/fast-food-consumption-and-obesity/

D  Powell, L.M., Nguyen, B.T., Dietz, W.H. Energy and nutrient intake from pizza in the United States. Pediatrics. 2015 Feb;135(2):322-330. Doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-1844. Epub 2015 Jan 19. PMID: 25601973; PMCID: PMC4306796.

E  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK610659/