Dr Oz: Where Did Pizza Go Wrong?
The average American will eat more than 6,000 slices of pizza in their lifetime, but how pizza go from a somewhat healthy slice of authentic Italian cuisine, to an American fast food staple loaded with calories and fat. Mark Shatzker explained that pizzas began in Italy with a thin crust, fresh cheese, red tomatoes, and garlic. In the late 1800’s it made its way to America with poor Italian immigrants. For decades, pizza was made simple, fresh, and healhy just like in Italy. So where did things go wrong?
Pizza expert Scott Wiener explained that in the beginning, fresh mozzarella was used, but supply couldn’t meet demand, so pizza makers switched to cheeses like low-moisture mozzarella, because they had a longer shelf life. Originally, canned tomatoes were used, but now sugary, jarred pre-made sauces are used for the same reason. When Chicago residents began making pizza, it became even unhealthier, as they fattened the crust to make deep-dish pizza. Those pizzas are more than 500 calories per slice!
Dr Oz took a close look at pizza and how you can avoid grease, fat, and calorie-loaded pies and get back to fresh, healthy ingredients. (cobaltfish / Flickr)
Then, in the 1950’s and 60’s, pizza was mass-produced by fast food chains. Those mass-produced pizzas are loaded with synthetic flavors, preservatives, and colorings. The good news is that some restaurants are now going back to the original pizza technique, using thin crusts and fresh, whole ingredients.
Dr Oz: Fresh VS Low-Moisture Mozzarella
Scott Wiener then joined Dr Oz to take a closer look at the three biggest changes made to pizza. First, as previously mentioned, was the cheese. Scott explained that people are so used the cheese that covers an entire pizza, whereas mozzarella that was first used was made just of water, salt, and milk. You can easily blot grease off a mass-produced pizza, while a fresh pizza is not nearly as greasy. Scott further explained that the color of the cheese can tell you if you have fresh mozzarella or one loaded with preservatives and colorings. To make sure you’re getting fresh mozzarella, try ordering a margherita pizza.
Dr Oz: Pizza Sauce & Crust As It Should Be
When it comes to the sauce, whole, peeled, canned tomatoes by themselves make for a great, natural pizza sauce. If you crush the tomatoes with your hands, you get the authentic sauce like the sauce was used decades ago. Order a fresh tomato pie or the margherita pizza for a better chance at a fresh sauce.
As for crust, simple is best. Nino Coniglio, from Williamsburg Pizza, uses just flour, water, salt, and natural yeast in his pizza crust. If a pizza crust is dense and heavy, it’s likely packed full of preservatives. A natural, whole crust was fermented properly. Air bubble will show you the dough was fermented. It tastes better and is better during the digestive process.
Dr Oz: Healthy Delivery Pizza Options
Next, Dr Oz welcomed a busy mother who admitted she’ll sometimes call and order delivery pizza as a quick meal for her family. She wondered what the healthiest order would be for her family, which is why Dr Oz shared a way to “have your pizza and eat it too!” You should first look for a thin crust pizza with vegetable toppings. Pizza Hut has a Veggie Lover’s Thin ‘N Crispy Pizza and Papa John’s has a Garden Fresh Pizza, and both pizzas are less than 200 calories per slice.
For the woman who orders pizza sometimes three times a week, Dr Oz suggested Domino’s Hawaiian Pizza which is 156 calories per slice. A serving size of pizza is about the size of your hand, but you can order a double-cut pizza, which is where they will cut the usual-sized slices in half. You can feel like you’re eating twice as much!
Dr Oz then found a formula to order pizza the right way to get all the benefits you should be taking advantage of. If you follow the formula, you’ll end up ordering a whole wheat, thin crust, double cut, hold the meat, with an all vegetable topping.
Dr Oz: Toxic Pizza Boxes?
Dr Oz then wanted to look at the boxes your pizza comes in. Pizza emits moisture from the center with a cry crust, and the boxes were created to carry them, after trial and error. Companies turned to chemicals to repel water and oil, keeping the box and the pizza intact. But could those chemicals get into our food? The FDA actually banned three chemicals in pizza boxes, after learning that they do in fact leak into the food. David Andrews explained that the chemicals in boxes are potent and can wreck havoc on your digestive system.
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