Monday Motivational Meal — Individualized Homemade Pizzas

Looking to make dinner a family affair? Everyone can participate in making Individual Pizzas! The best part is you can choose your favorite nutritious ingredients as toppings. Enjoy this healthy family meal on our Celebrate Pattern to inspire mindful eating!

Get this yummy recipe here!

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Manage Your Diabetes Through Portion Control

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Individualized Homemade Pizzas—Fresh Family Fun

Individualized pizzas are an easy inspiration at home that is smile-making, delicious and able to be personalized to each person’s eating style. Because it is freshly made it is more tasty and satisfying than a frozen or take out pizza. Also, as it is homemade, you can control the ingredients that go into each pizza so the calories, fat, salt as well as protein can be tailored to your needs. It makes for a fun family DIY dinner when you are ready for a little celebrating or…just because.

It is possible to make your own pizza dough, however, to make it even easier, we buy ready made dough at the grocery store. We have found that Whole Foods has whole-wheat fresh pizza dough in the refrigerator section and King Soopers has regular white flour pizza dough in their refrigerator section. It is possible to freeze the dough so buy two and freeze one in anticipation of another fun pizza night ahead.

Ingredients

• Store bought whole wheat pizza dough
• ¾ cup low-fat store-bought marinara sauce
• ½ cup torn basil leaves
• 2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces turkey sausage, cooked and crumbled
• 6 whole bottled pepperoncini, stems removed and cut into ¼-inch slices
• 1½ cups shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• Cooking Spray, olive oil
• Cornmeal for cookie sheet
• Flour for rolling out dough
• Pizza Hot Stone

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting.
2. Separate dough into 4 equal parts rolled into a ball.  Place them on a plate or cutting board that has been sprayed with cooking spray and let warm and rise until about double (should take about 45 minutes). Roll out each ball separately into 9 in rounds on a lightly floured surface. Pinch together any tears.
3. Place the rolled out dough on a cookie sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal. Prick the dough in about 8 places with a fork. Transfer the pizza round to the pizza stone. Cook for 2-3 minutes until underside is browned. Remove from oven. Repeat process with each pizza round.
4. Flip the cooked dough over to place toppings. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the marinara sauce onto each crust, leaving ½ inch border. Scatter ¼ of the basil, mushrooms, cooked sausage, and pepperoncini evenly over the sauce on each pizza. 
5. Mix the cheeses together and scatter ¼ of the mixture over the top of each pizza.
6. One at a time slide the pizzas back on to the pizza stone. Bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown and the crust is browned and crispy, 3-4 minutes.
7. Cut the pizzas into wedges and serve hot.

Nutritional Information

Serving size: 1 pizza. Calories: 320; Fat 10g; Sodium 1013g; Carbohydrates 36g; Fiber 6g; Protein 21g.

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Monday Motivational Meal - Bariatric-Friendly Portabello Mushroom Crust Pizza

Ever thought of making a pizza and using a portabello mushroom as the crust? Try this innovative recipe that's low-carb and tasty...perfect for those looking for bariatric-friendly meals! This delectable pizza was served up on Celebrate for ultimate satisfaction. #keto #diabetes #bariatric #recipe

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Just Right Set^® Bariatric eCookbook

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Learning to Cook the Foods you Love—Guest Blog and Recipe from Denise Roden

Portobella Pizza Crust with Low-Carb and Bariatric-friendly Ingredients...Served Up on Livliga's Celebrate Plate!

Soon after my bariatric bypass surgery, I realized I must find a way to enjoy the foods I love!  My favorite foods are Italian: lasagna, pizza, spaghetti and meatballs; and any food that contains pasta, sauce, meat and cheese. Unfortunately, these dishes are also my “trigger foods.” “Trigger ” are foods, or occasions, that cause you to completely fall off the wagon. Understanding this dilemma, I started my quest to satisfy my cravings with healthy ingredients.

The biggest challenge was eliminating refined wheat, often found in pizza dough or pasta. I experimented with many keto and paleo recipes, without success. I knew I had to feel satisfied or I would scramble back to the kitchen for unhealthy choices.

One day, while shopping, I noticed huge portabella mushroom caps. They usually come 3 or 4 to a pack and they are a vegetable—right? Also, mushrooms are a perfect complement to my other ingredients. I thought of turning them upside down, removing the stems and scraping the gills.  That makes a nice space for all of my ingredients. I use my own tomato sauce, made from local tomatoes in the summer, with no added sugar. However, Rao’s Pizza Sauce contains only 2 grams of sugar per ¼ cup and is available at most supermarkets. Next, assemble your toppings. Use any protein! Most meats and cheeses are low in carbohydrates. I like to use mild Italian sausage and shredded mozzarella. Feel free to add any veggie you like. Vegetables contain carbs, but they’re the “good carbs.” Pop these pizzas in the oven and get ready to savor.

Ingredients 

• 3 Portobello mushrooms caps 
• 8 oz of mild Italian sausage 
• ½ cup Rao’s Pizza Sauce 
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions 

1. Wash the mushroom caps and remove the stem and gills.
2. Turn your oven on broil and broil gill side up for 5 minutes then flip and broil the other side for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the mushroom caps and start assembling your pizza. I divided the ingredients listed above among the 3 caps starting with the sauce, meat then cheese
4. Put the mushroom caps back in the oven and heat until the cheese is melted. Usually 2 to 3 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Serves: 3. Calories: 270; Total Fat 19g; Saturated Fat 3.6g; Total Carbohydrate 5g; Dietary Fiber 1g; Protein 16g.

To view a short video on Portobello Mushrooms Pizza’s please visit my Facebook page Bariatric Center for Success.

Guest Blogger Bio

Denise Roden is a successful Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass patient since 2004.  Denise is committed to providing quality education & coaching services to the bariatric community. She is credentialed as a Bariatric Support Group Leader, a Success Habits Trainer, a Back On Track Trainer, and a Bariatric Health Coach.

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Monday Motivational Meal

Family Friendly Confetti Pizza Toast is a fun and healthy way to make quick and easy pizza a family affair. Everyone can build their own from nutritious ingredients. Makes meal prep a snap! Kidliga dishes were made for this super inviting meal! Enjoy!

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Looks like a Pizza night!

Caramelized Onion and Goat Pizza

Well it may be Spring but the weather out there is turning frightful! Time to make pizza. Making homemade pizza can be easy and will be way healthier for us to eat. One of my favorite easy pizzas to make is Caramelized Onion and Goat Pizza. Cut into 6 servings, each serving is 285, which is what the recipe calls for. I prefer to cut the pizza in 8 slices and give each person 2 pieces for a total calorie count of 427. Add a tossed green salad with 2 tablespoons of lite dressing for 45 calories. Makes a meal for 472 calories. It is very satisfying and you feel like you have had enough. Everybody in the family gives this meal a thumbs up. A regular repeat.

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Herb Hummus- great for wraps, pizzas, a dip for veggies & pastas!

I am always on the look out for tasty dips that are healthy and not too caloric. Good ones can add interest to a meal or an appetizer, keeping us from getting bored with the "same-old-same-old". Getting bored with your food is a definite danger zone for staying on track and eating healthy. Committing to finding and providing variety and being ever creative with our food has been proven to be the key to successfully maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I found a delicious herb hummus that can also be used as a pesto. It is light and flavorful...perfect for spring and summer menus. The recipe is as follows:

Herb Hummus/Pesto-

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/3 cup basil leaves
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese 
1 tablespoon pine nuts
2 tablespoons lemon juice $
2 tablespoons Tahini (sesame-seed paste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained
2 garlic cloves

Place all ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides of processor bowl occasionally. Yield: 1 2/3 Cups; serving size 1 tablespoon for 21 calories per serving.

My new favorite habit is drinking a Bud Light (Golden Wheat) and eating carrots with this dip at the evening "cocktail hour", before I start fixing dinner (Beer- 118 cal, dip- 2T at 42 cal and 1/2 Cup carrots at 25 cal= 185 total calories). It is delicious and satisfying and adds a moment of transition in the day between my day and my evening activities. I like it!

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