If you're looking for a healthy and delicious alternative to traditional bread, then you should try cauliflower bread or broccoli bread. These bread alternatives are packed with nutrients and antioxidants, and they're low in calories and carbs. Plus, they're versatile and can be used in many different recipes.
Plus, toppings like cheese, sausage, pepperoni, bacon, barbecue sauce, and ranch are also high in calories. Still, the fiber and protein in cauliflower crust may support weight loss because each of these nutrients boosts fullness, which may naturally help lower your calorie intake ( 19 , 20 ).
Per serving, cauliflower crust is lower in everything—calories, carbs, protein, fat, fiber and sodium—with the biggest difference being calories, carbs and protein.
There's a healthy-sounding trend in the supermarket: pizza crusts made of cauliflower. Claims include "only 3 net carbs per serving" and "just 80 calories per slice." It's true that a crust made with a healthy veggie might be a better choice than one of refined white flour.
As a good source of fiber, cauliflower slows digestion and promotes feelings of fullness. This may automatically reduce the number of calories you eat throughout the day, an important factor in weight control ( 6 , 8 ). High water content is another weight loss friendly aspect of cauliflower.
Several vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, kale and cauliflower, can slow metabolism if eaten raw in very large quantities.
Go for a Whole-Wheat Crust for Extra Nutrition or a Veggie Crust for Fewer Carbs. Whether you're making pizza at home or ordering in, it's important to think not just thin versus thick crust but also the type of dough.
The Nutrition Facts of Cauliflower Pizza Crust
As for carbs, cauliflower pizza crust comes in at 16 grams of carbohydrates. Compared to our deep dish, gluten-free, original, and skinny crusts, cauliflower crust is middle of the road for carbohydrates. It's equivalent to a deep dish, which has 15 grams of carbohydrates.
Though cauliflower is a low-carb vegetable, not all cauliflower crust pizzas are keto-friendly. In fact, most store-bought products and restaurant-made cauliflower crusts have around the same amount of net carbs as traditional flour-based pizza.
Cauliflower contains Vitamin K, Folate, Thiamine, and Carotenoids which boost metabolism. They have zero calories content, so it's great for weight loss. It acts as a metabolic booster, increasing fat burning and lowering cholesterol levels.
Cauliflower is higher in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B5, and Potassium, however Pasta is richer in Vitamin B1, Iron, Vitamin B2, Copper, and Vitamin B12. Daily need coverage for Vitamin C from Cauliflower is 54% higher. Cauliflower contains 12 times more Potassium than Pasta.
Keto-Friendly: There are so many health benefits to using cauliflower to make pizza crust. And the fact that it's low-carb and keto-friendly makes it perfect for everyday meals. Crispy and Delicious: The crust comes out super crispy and flavorful. So if you like crispy pizza crust, then you'll definitely love this one!
Here are some options to try: Corn, reduced-carb or whole-grain tortillas. Cheese wraps or cheese slices. Coconut wraps. Cauliflower bread.
To choose a beneficial bread, look for varieties made from 100% whole-grain and/or sprouted-grain flours. Make sure your bread has no added sweeteners or vegetable oils. A few good options include sourdough, rye, flax, and oat breads.
Whole-grain bread, Ezekiel bread, and rye bread are among the most healthful options. Bread made from whole or sprouted grains contains essential nutrients, including protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Others, such as processed white bread, contain very few nutrients.
Obviously, cauliflower pizza is more “diabetes friendly” than traditional types of pizza with flour crust. It's not rocket science — fewer carbs means less spiking of glucose levels, so there's no need to “chase it” with large amounts of insulin.
This is because cauliflower is significantly lower in carbs than grains and legumes. For example, a cup of cauliflower contains 5 grams of carbs. At the same time, a cup of rice contains 45 grams of carbs — nine times the amount of cauliflower (31, 1 ).
Cauliflower is rich in fiber, which is a type of carbohydrate. Of the 5 grams of carbs present in 1 cup of cauliflower, 2 of those grams of carbs are from fiber. This is good news when it comes to maintaining a healthy body weight and controlling your blood cholesterol levels.
Because of these toppings, there's not much difference in the nutritional composition when compared to regular pizza, because cauliflower-crust pizza isn't low in calories or fat and still contains carbs. So this means eating it often likely won't help you reach your weight-loss goals.
Risks. There may be some unwanted effects of consuming cauliflower, especially if it is eaten in excess. Bloating and flatulence: Foods that are high in fiber may cause increased bloating and flatulence. However, most people can tolerate these foods in moderate portions.
Good Digestion
As a cruciferous vegetable, cauliflower is an excellent source of fiber — most Americans consume less than half of the recommended daily amount. This fiber content helps maintain healthy digestion — reducing your risk of digestive disorders — and promotes good bacteria growth in your gut.