Which Type of Pizza Crust Is Healthier: Whole-Wheat or Cauliflower?
It seems like cauliflower is on every dish and in everything. You will probably find cauliflower rice, cauliflower mashed potatoes, and even cauliflower pizza crust. It is being utilized as a replacement for a variety of grains and legumes. Why is this vegetable taking center stage and taking the place of some of our favorite foods?
Among the cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower is high in vitamin C, a good source of potassium, and a source of phytonutrients and antioxidants that may help prevent cancer.1 Over time, consumer consumption of cauliflower has increased; in 2012, the average US citizen consumed 1.2 pounds of cauliflower annually; by 2019, that number had risen to 3 pounds.2. The fact that cauliflower has a bland flavor could be the cause of the increase in consumption.a texture that is flavor-neutral.
A cup of food only has 27 calories, 0 grams of fat, and 5 grams of carbohydrates, of which 2 grams are fiber, according to the USDA. On any given day, about 17% of adults follow some kind of special diet.3. For people attempting to adhere to specific diets, such as plant-based, low-carb, low-calorie, keto, or gluten-free, cauliflower is an excellent vegetable.
13% of Americans consume pizza on any given day, making the pizza industry a $45.7 billion dollar business.4,5 Thus, it stands to reason that cauliflower entered this market given the growing desire in leading a healthier lifestyle. Since the release of the first cauliflower pizza crust on the commercial scene in 2017, the market has expanded. Your neighborhood might also be an option offered by a pizza chain! Although creating your own cauliflower pizza crust is the healthiest option because you can manage the ingredients, there are several store-bought versions as well. However, you might be surprised by the differences in the nutrition labels.
These days, there seems to be a cauliflower alternative for every dish that contains carbohydrates. Cauliflower pizza crust was one of the earliest substitutes we saw for conventional or whole-wheat crust. Later, cauliflower rice, buns, English muffins, and other dishes also appeared. These cauliflower substitutes, which are meant to reduce calories and carbs, appear to be more popular than the originals made with wheat flour. Is one, though, actually superior than the other?
Let’s compare whole-wheat dough to the original cauliflower substitute, pizza crust, and see how they stack up.
Nutrition of a Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Although you can always purchase a cauliflower crust for your pizza, we believe the short preparation time for this incredibly simple low-carb cauliflower pizza crust recipe is well worth it.
Cauliflower Pizza Crust, serving one-sixth of the crust, contains:
- 131 calories
- 7 g of carbohydrates
- 2 g of fiber
- 11 g of protein
- 7 g of total fat
- 321 mg of sodium
Ingredients include:
eggs, parsley, salt, cauliflower, garlic, and part-skim mozzarella cheese.
Whole-Wheat Pizza Crust Nutrition
You’ll see that whole-wheat pizza dough is produced using a combination of flours rather than just whole-wheat flour if you look at our recipe or the nutrition label for store-bought dough. Whole-wheat flour and enriched all-purpose flour—refined or white flour that has had the nutrients niacin, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and folic acid added back in—are used in this example. This recipe’s whole-wheat flour helps maintain the dough’s health, while the all-purpose flour prevents the texture from becoming overly dense.
Whole-Wheat Pizza costs $1/6 of the crust each dish. Dough is composed of:
- 127 calories
- 24 g of carbohydrates
- Fiber: n/a
- 4 g of protein
- Total Fat: 0 grams
- 292 mg of sodium
Ingredients:
Water, whole-wheat flour, salt, extra-virgin olive oil, sugar, yeast, and enriched unbleached flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and folic acid).
Which Is Healthier, Then?
It varies, Cauliflower crust has less carbohydrates per serving. Thus, cauliflower crust is for you whether you’re aiming to eat more vegetables, cut back on carbohydrates, or become gluten-free. Each serving of this crust amounts to nearly a cup of cauliflower.
Both the whole-wheat and cauliflower crusts provide fiber and protein, which are important for weight loss since they keep you feeling full.feel full following a meal.
However, the whole-wheat crust is what you want if you want that classic pizza pie flavor and aren’t trying to watch your carbs. It provides less protein than the cauliflower crust, but you may use your toppings to offset that and the lack of vegetables.
Conclusion:
Pizza, with any crust you select, can definitely be a healthy decision. The toppings you choose can make a bigger difference, particularly if you’re trying to cut back on calories or carbohydrates. Add heaps of vegetables, minimal amounts of cheese, and sparingly slice your meats. Choose the crust and flavor combination that appeals to you the best in the end, and most importantly, have fun with your pizza.
