Recipe: Very Veggie Pizza with Low Sodium Ingredients
Sodium plays important roles in the body, such as maintaining fluid balance and sending signals to nerves and muscles. However, too much salt in the diet (which is made up of 40% sodium and 60% choloride) may increase the risk of high blood pressure and other complications, especially in those with heart or kidney disease. Pizza is a classic food loved by many, but it is often quite high in sodium. The sauce, dough, and cheeses combine to create rich, savory flavors, but also a lot of sodium. This Very Veggie Pizza focuses on the flavors we love while reducing total sodium (with a few tasty ingredient swaps) and loading up on non-starchy veggies (to boost potassium, a nutrient that works in conjunction with sodium in the body). Homemade pizza for the win!
Very Veggie Pizza
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
- 1 whole low-sodium pizza crust (Good & Gather Organic ultra-thin, Banza plain crust, OR Angelic flatzza)
- ½ cup raw of each type of veggie: broccoli, peppers, cherry tomatoes, cut into small, even pieces
- 1/4 C low-sodium pizza sauce (Rao’s, The Silver Palate, Delalo, Primal Kitchen), or 2 Tbsp of olive oil with herbs
- 6 to 8 oz low-sodium shredded cheese (Tillamook shredded mozzarella, Good and Gather reduced-fat mozzarella, So Delicious mozzarella)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- 1 tsp of favorite Italian seasoning
- Drizzle of olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to temperature referenced on pizza crust packaging (typically 400-450°F). Place pizza crust onto a baking sheet or pizza stone.
- Spread pizza sauce or olive oil over pizza crust.
- Spread the cheese across the sauce.
- Add the vegetables and garlic on top of the cheese.
- Finish with Italian seasoning or herbs, optional olive oil drizzle.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until the veggies are wilted and the cheese is melted.
- Cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
