March 31 Slice of Life

It seems fitting that my last Slice of Life blog is about my favorite Slice in Life: Pizza!

Is pizza a delicious meal or really junk food?

Continue reading today’s post to learn several reasons why pizza is actually good for you.

1. The average slice of pizza contains 12 grams of protein.

Protein is what helps gain muscle, and make hair, blood, connective tissue, antibodies, enzymes, and more. One delicious way to get protein this is through pizza!

2. Pizza can help you absorb the antioxidant Lycopene.

Lycopene is found in tomatoes, which are used to make the base sauce for pizzas. Lycopene helps to lower blood pressure and bring down high cholesterol. It’s also more easily absorbed from cooked tomatoes as opposed to fresh tomatoes. When trying to think of a healthy meal to get for dinner, think pizza!

3. Fresh veggies are one of the healthiest toppings!

Vegetables are a great part of a healthy diet.

Deep dish pizza is pretty great, but when looking for healthier options, I order pizza with vegetables and a thin crust. Not only does it contain fewer calories than a traditional pizza crust, but there is a better balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fiber.

4. Pizza is a better breakfast option than some cereals.

Whether it’s piping hot from the oven or fresh out of the refrigerator, pizza is a wonderful meal to have first thing in the morning. In fact, when someone tries to make me feel guilty about my breakfast choice, I just remind them that pizza is healthier than a number of breakfast cereals!

5. Pizza crust made from whole wheat adds fiber to your meal.

Pizza on a whole wheat crust contains fewer carbs than white dough and it also has a higher fiber content. The higher fiber content means that I'll feel full more quickly, which means eating less.

6. Keeping dieting on track with an occasional pizza.

This last reason may sound a bit contradictory.

Whether on a short-term diet or making a long-term life change with meals, I schedule cheat days. No one is perfect, and when I try to eat the right things all the time every day, there will come a point when I just want to eat the things I shouldn’t. I enjoy my favorite pizza every now and then so that I can stay consistent with my meal choices the rest of the time.

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My cheat day is Monday. I am on lunch duty and it is Pizza Day! Teachers get fed for free. In the depth of winter I unabashedly ate three slices of thin-crust cheese pizza. Now that Spring has sprung, my "diet" is two slices. Like eating pizza on Mondays, every day of Slice of Life has been a delicious mix of sauciness, comfort, tanginess, and joy [never cheesy].

A shout out to Two Writing Teachers and this august community of writers. It's been YUMMY Thanks!