October isn’t well-known for being National Pizza Month, but it is, and here at Healthy Hairdresser we want to celebrate it! Pizza has become as American as apple pie. Everyone seems to love it but, just like apple pie, pizza can be loaded with ingredients that pack on calories, upset your allergies and overload your sodium.

If you opt to get your pizza from a restaurant or takeout chain, look online or ask the manager to supply you with the ingredients in its pizzas. If you buy frozen pizzas at the grocery store, check the ingredients and nutritional content listed on the box. In moderation, you should be able to have a slice of pizza now and then if you maintain the 80/20 rule—eat very healthfully 80% of the time, and put pizza into your 20% allowance.

But there’s a third choice as well: homemade pizza. It’s not that much trouble, and when you have control over the content you can create a pretty nutritious pizza that will fall into your 80% healthful category so you can save your 20% for other guilty pleasures. Make the healthiest pizza you can by following these suggestions:

Crust: Use whole-wheat flour, and don’t add any sweetener, including sugar. Add flavor with your favorite seasonings.

Sauce: Choose a tomato-based sauce, and read the label to avoid sugar content. Better yet, use a can of straight crushed tomatoes with water or just crush your own fresh tomatoes!

Cheese: Skin or part-skim mozzarella is tasty and naturally low(ish)-fat.

Toppings: Very lean meat is one option, but a veggie or bean-based pizza can be delicious as well. Spinach, broccoli, asparagus, onion and peppers are great topping choices.

Oil: Use only olive oil.

Foodie blogger Food Babe offers the recipe below for her quick-prepare single-serve veggie pizza. You can play around with the toppings—some mushrooms, zucchini or spinach. Add a salad, skip the beer and enjoy!

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1 Ezekiel sprouted wheat tortilla

4 tablespoons of tomato/pizza sauce

1 garlic clove minced

¼ cup onions chopped

¼ cup green peppers chopped

¼ cup broccoli chopped

5 black olives sliced

1 ounce of organic mozzarella cheese (optional)

½ ounce of raw parmesan cheese (optional)

crushed red pepper for sprinkling

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

STEP 2: Place thawed tortilla on large pan and put in oven for 3-4 minutes to allow crust to harden a bit. Once tortilla has started to slightly crisp on edges, remove from oven.

STEP 3: Place sauce and garlic on crust first, followed by toppings and then cheese. Do not overload the crust.

STEP 4: Cook for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.