Good the four seasons or the ham and mushrooms, and the pizza with vegetables? There Pizza it is one of the most popular dishes of Italian cuisine in the world. Prepared with the right ingredients, it can be consumed once a week even if you need to lose weight. "Prepared with quality ingredients, pizza can be considered to all intents and purposes a complete single dish because it provides complex carbohydrates, fats and proteins", explains the nutritionist Nicoletta Bocchino.
The ideal is to improve the nutritional profile add the vegetables instead of ingredients rich in saturated fat such as salami and ham. "Thanks to the richness of fibers, vegetables allow to reduce the impact of this dish on health and on the figure". The benefits are multiplied if the vegetables are in season, raw or steamed. "Compared to grilled ones, they better preserve vitamins and antioxidants, precious for the body". Alternatively, frozen ones are fine too. "Compared to fresh ones that often remain in the refrigerator for many days, they ensure a higher content of vitamin C, which is involved in various functions of the body, because they are frozen as soon as they are picked". Let's see in detail with the help of the expert why to choose the pizza with vegetables and which varieties to choose to make it healthier and lighter.
Why choose pizza with vegetables?
They increase satiety
If you are on a diet or need to get rid of a few extra pounds, pizza with vegetables is an excellent strategy for feel full earlier and eat less. "Vegetables provide soluble fiber which, once ingested, absorb a lot of water in the stomach and form a sort of gel that slows down the absorption of carbohydrates from the dough and lipids from the filling," says the expert. Fiber also gives you satiety. "They modulate the rise in blood sugar after a meal and counteract the exaggerated production of insulin, a hormone that stimulates the desire for other food".
They reduce the effects of sodium
The ingredients used to fill pizza such as mozzarella (but also ham, anchovies, salami, cheeses) are rich in sodium, which in excess stimulates thirst and increases the risk of high blood pressure, retention and swelling. «Adding vegetables to pizza allows you to make sure potassium and magnesium, two minerals that favor the elimination of excess sodium, thus reducing the negative effects on the figure and on health. The vegetables also provide a lot of water, which is useful for the proper functioning of the metabolism and the elimination of waste substances produced during metabolic processes, "says the nutritionist.
They help keep away from cholesterol
Vegetables are one of the main sources of fiber and antioxidants, substances that have a cholesterol-lowering action. "They are able to reduce the absorption of cholesterol, including that present in mozzarella and cheeses. Thanks also to the richness of niacin, a B vitamin, they favor the metabolism of fats, protecting cardiovascular health .
They facilitate digestion
The pizza dough, especially if it has not risen well, can be difficult to digest. "The addition of vegetables enriches the dish with antioxidant molecules, which have a double advantage: they stimulate the production and flow of bile, improving liver work and facilitating digestive processes, counteracting swelling and a sense of heaviness", explains the nutritionist.
They help you sleep better
Do you suffer from insomnia after eating pizza? Vegetables added to the filling can be excellent allies to counter the problem. “Vegetables provide a whole range of substances that facilitate relaxation. Among these, the B vitamins stand out, which favor the production of serotonin and melatonin, the hormones that regulate the sleep-wake rhythm and relaxing minerals such as potassium, magnesium and calcium ”, explains nutritionist Nicoletta Bocchino.
In the gallery 5 varieties of vegetables to add to the pizza to make it lighter and more digestible
Our pizzas with vegetables
