Pizza Diet? Make Your Own Diet Pizza with Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

by Megan

I don’t know about you, but when I’m trying to lose weight, pizza is always the first thing I need to cut from my diet. And it’s also always the first thing I crave. Now, according to pizza shop owner Matt McClellan, you don’t have to give up the doughy delight.

Matt designed the Pizza Diet after he was continuously chided at his local gym for handing out coupons to his store. He wanted to prove that pizza can not only be healthy, but that you can actually lose weight eating it.

For one month he ate only pizza under these conditions: he only consumed 8 slices over a 12-hour period; the daily total calorie intake came to 2 500; his pizzas were made with skim milk cheese; the toppings were healthy ones like mushrooms, pineapple, onions, chicken, broccoli, avocado and peppers; he didn’t cut out soda or alcohol; but he upped his daily exercise to 60 minutes.

After the 30 days Matt’s weight dropped from 203 pounds to 179, blood pressure from 140/90 to 118/80, cholesterol from 243 to 157, body fat from 19% to 9% and BMI from 26.9% to 23.6%.

So, if you eat pizza in moderation with reasonable portion sizes and healthy toppings, these no reason why you should strike it completely off your diet…

If only more Pizza Restaurants, like Papa Johns and Pizza Companies, like Boboli  would offer a 100% whole wheat crust option this would be a no brainer.  South Beach has a recipe to make your own:

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough - South Beach Diet Recipe (Phase 2)

  Prep time: 5 minutes
Start to finish: 15 minutes
To make ahead: The dough will keep, in a plastic bag coated with cooking spray, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Degree of difficulty: moderate

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 package quick-rising yeast, such as Fleischmann's Rapid Rise
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2-2/3 cup hot water (120-130°F)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:

• Combine whole-wheat flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix.
• Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the motor running, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour.
• Process until the dough forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough.
• Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.