Any way you slice it, college students probably consume more pizza than anyone else on the planet. Now, we have all been drilled about the correlation between fatty foods and the size of our jeans, but don't give up on pizza yet.
When made correctly, you can actually make a meal that works for your taste buds as well as your waist. And you just may reap some nutritional benefits from it too.
Pizza is typically made with three major ingredients. That is to say, dough, cheese and tomato sauce.
Perhaps the most rumored "evil" of the aforementioned provisions is cheese.
Yet, I believe cheese to be one of those "miracle foods." It is tasty and offers many benefits to the body as well.
It is a great source of calcium, which the majority of college students do not get enough of.
This is a staggering quandary considering the serious threat that osteoporosis poses to our bones.
However, if you are fine with the prospect of being 65 years old and having a body that is molded into the shape of a candy cane, this does not apply to you.
Now, you may be saying to yourself, "Cheese!! But the fat content associated with cheese is merciless!"
Yes, cheese does have fat, but in moderation, fat is not bad. Without it, you would not absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K very effectively.
In addition, fat has this magical quality that makes you feel full longer.
It lingers in your stomach for a few hours before being absorbed and may cut down on your urge to start snacking again.
However, if you are still concerned about the fat content, using less cheese or a low-fat version is a great way to avoid "over-doing" it with fat.
The second star of this show is tomato sauce.
The tomato is a simple plant, but it packs a huge punch. You may be aware that tomatoes contain vitamin C.
Vitamin C has been linked to helping to prevent tissue damage, as well as helping to protect the immune system during times of stress.
College life is often times conducive to both of the above bodily harms, so eating vitamin C may help you stay healthier at school.
In addition, lycopene, a red pigment that is found in tomatoes is also beneficial. It has been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and many deadly forms of cancer, and lycopene is more easily absorbed by the body when it has been exposed to heat.
Hence, cooked tomato sauce may as well be a gift from the gods.
So there you have it. Pizza is not a fiendish food sent straight from Satan himself. In moderation, it can be an excellent choice for a meal.
It offers many ways to help your body stay healthy.
If you are feeling extra motivated I suggest trying to make homemade pizza.
You will dazzle all of your friends with your adroit culinary skills in the kitchen.
Plus, this way you can also control the extraneous amount of fatty toppings the pizza contains.
So eat pizza up, it's a delight.
