Easy Italian
Pizza often gets lumped in with junk food, but the right slice can be filled with antioxidants, fiber, and calcium. Try our 13 light pizzas that include classic pies as well as barbecue chicken, vegetarian, and white pizza recipes.
Basil and Tomato Pizza
Using premade whole-wheat dough adds fiber and cuts prep time in half. Plus tomatoes are low-cal and rich in cancer-fighting lycopene.
Ingredients: Whole-wheat refrigerated crust, flour, cornmeal, garlic, part-skim mozzarella, Parmesan, prosciutto, tomatoes, basil, crushed red pepper
Calories: 318
Greek-Style Pizza
Give your pizza a Mediterranean makeover by topping it with tangy feta cheese, spinach, and olives. Loading up your pizza with antioxidant-rich veggies and low-fat cheese means you can enjoy a few slices guilt-free.
Ingredients: Olive oil, prewashed spinach, Italian cheese-flavored thin pizza, tomato sauce, feta cheese, pepper, black olives
Calories: 271
Cheese Pizza
This no-fuss pizza uses homemade dough, but it cuts time by topping it with bottled sauce. Since some sauces may contain a good bit of sodium, you can also make your own with this simple recipe. And because this pie is lacking veggies, be sure to serve it with a side salad.
Ingredients: Basic pizza dough, olive oil, pizza sauce, part-skim mozzarella, Parmesan cheese
Calories: 356
Pesto Pizza With Sliced Tomatoes
Pesto contains walnuts, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, so you get a small dose of the heart-healthy fat in this savory recipe. This recipe calls for tomatoes as a topping, but it's also delicious with bell peppers and onions.
Ingredients: Pizza crust, commercial pesto, plum tomatoes, part-skim mozzarella cheese
Calories: 320
Barbecue Chicken Pizza
Although the traditional recipe for barbecue chicken pizza is loaded with fat and sodium, our recipe manages to add plenty of veggies and spices so you can use just a light coating of barbecue sauce.
Ingredients: Yellow and red bell peppers, olive oil, pizza dough, mozzarella cheese, Fontina cheese, rotisserie chicken, barbecue sauce, salt, pepper, parsley
Calories: 384
Caramelized Onion-Pear Pizza
Perfect for fall, this pizza uses sweet, seasonal pears to add fresh, low-cal flavors. The onions take on a sweet taste when caramelized and taste fantastic with the tangy Gorgonzola cheese for a pizza under 400 calories.
Ingredients: Butter, onion, Italian cheese-flavored thin crust, Bartlett pear, Gorgonzola cheese, pizza-blend cheese, walnuts, salt
Calories: 399
Roasted Tomato and Artichoke Flatbread Pizza
Most of the flavor in this pizza comes from the produce, so the fresher your tomatoes, the more delicious your pizza will be. Parmesan adds a nice savory touch and arugula brings a peppery finish, plus plenty of vitamin A.
Ingredients: Tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olive oil, flatbreads, Parmesan cheese, arugula, Parmesan cheese, lemons, salt, pepper
Calories: 277
Mediterranean Pizza
Yellow peppers add a sweet flavor and vitamin C, while spinach leaves add iron and folate. Plus the tangy goat-cheese topping will satisfy your cheese craving.
Ingredients: Prepared pizza crust, pizza sauce, roasted yellow bell peppers, goat cheese, spinach leaves
Calories: 346
Arugula and Goat Cheese Pizza
Instead of using pizza sauce, this recipe uses a combination of veggies, nuts, and cheese to create a well-seasoned pizza. You'll get 3 grams of fiber and more than 20% of your daily calcium in each serving.
Ingredients: Walnuts, olive oil, red onion, whole-wheat pizza crust, tomatoes, salt, pepper, goat cheese, arugula
Calories: 295
Three-Pepper Pizza
This vitamin C–packed pizza is colorful and full of antioxidants. Instead of using tomato sauce, which is often full of added sodium, this recipe uses thicker tomato paste and adds Italian seasoning for flavor.
Ingredients: Italian seasoning; tomato paste; water; prebaked refrigerated crust; part-skim mozzarella cheese; red, green, and yellow peppers; onion
Calories: 236
White Pizza
This recipe skips the tomato sauce, but you'll never miss any of the flavors in this herb-filled pie. Oregano and fresh basil add an aromatic topping to the low-fat cheese and antioxidant-rich spinach and tomatoes.
Ingredients: Part-skim mozzarella cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Italian cheese-flavored crust, basil, shallots, spinach, red pepper, black pepper, oregano, garlic powder, part-skim ricotta cheese, plum tomatoes
Calories: 339
Bacon and Pear Pizza
Bacon pizza may seem like a diet don't, but this one uses low-fat Canadian bacon and lighter cheeses to keep calories in check. Plus the pear mellows out all of the savory flavors. Serve with a side salad to sneak in a few veggies.
Ingredients: Basic pizza dough, part-skim ricotta cheese, honey, part-skim mozzarella, pear, Canadian bacon, walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese, mixed greens, broccoli florets, balsamic vinaigrette
Calories: 370
Fontina, Olive, and Tomato Pizza With Basil Whole Wheat Crust
Take a little extra time to make the homemade basil whole-wheat crust—the results are well worth it. The fiber-rich crust is an earthy base for the creamy cheese, tangy olives, and tomatoes.
Ingredients: Honey, dry active yeast, warm water, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, pepper, basil, cooking spray, stone-ground yellow cornmeal, tomatoes, Fontina cheese, Kalamata olives, part-skim mozzarella cheese, pine nuts
Calories: 341