The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies (63 page)
Building a healthy pizza
Pizza can actually be a low-glycemic meal option, but with its white-flour crust, melted cheese, and high-fat meats, it can add up in calories and fat fast, leaving your weight-loss efforts in the dust. Following are some tips for making over pizza so it can be a truly beneficial part of a low-glycemic diet:
Choose a lower-fat crust.
Thin- or regular-crust pizzas are a better choice than pan pizzas because pan pizzas have more fat added to the crust. That extra fat may make the crust richer and, well, crusty, but it also adds about 80 more calories per slice.
Many gourmet pizzas these days offer a variety of sauces that can quickly add up in calories and fat. Stick with a traditional tomato sauce to avoid those additional calories.
Have you ever noticed that your pizza slice is a different size at different restaurants? This observation is so important because one slice of pizza at your favorite pizza parlor may actually be two servings. One medium slice of pizza should be around 6 inches long. No need to break out the ruler, but do be aware of how big your slices are.
Traditionally, when you eat pizza, that's all you eat for the entire meal, which can lead to excess calories thanks to large portion sizes. Order a side salad with your pizza so you can eat fewer servings of pizza and still have a complete meal. Having a side salad rather than an extra slice of pizza saves you around 100 calories.
Pepperoni and sausage contribute a significant amount of calories and saturated fat to pizza. Choosing Canadian bacon, vegetables, or ju plain cheese is one of the best ways to keep your pizza on the healthy side.
Opting for extra meats and cheese (think meat lovers' pizzas or five-cheese pizzas) adds anywhere from 50 to 100 extra calories per slice.Here's an example of a pizza meal makeover so you can see how to put the preceding tips into action:
Original pizza dinner
3 slices of pan pizza with extra cheese and pepperoni12-ounce sodaNutrition facts: 1,140 calories, 48 grams fat, 18 grams saturated fatPizza dinner makeover
2 slices of thin-crust pizza with tomatoes and mushrooms1 side salad with ranch dressingWaterNutrition facts: 470 calories, 17 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fatMaking a few simple changes to your pizza routine can help you manage all of your health goals and also allow you to have some fun foods now and then.
Japanese restaurants
Are you a sushi fan? Well, depending on what kind of sushi you prefer, you may be happy or disappointed. For the most part, rolls that include rice tend to have a higher glycemic load than other kinds of rolls.
Some sushi restaurants offer brown rice on their rolls, so be sure to ask for it. If you can get this option, it'll lower your meal's glycemic load compared to the traditional sticky rice.
Other than nonrice sushi rolls, here are some other good lower-glycemic options for Japanese cuisine:
Sashimi (raw fish without rice):
Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy that pairs very fresh raw seafood with an appropriate dipping sauce or other condiment. It's a great low-glycemic option because fish contains no carbohydrates.
Chicken teriyaki:
Most of the time this dish is served with rice. You can either ask for brown rice or simply eat less the white rice.