There is a new reason to love pizza even more. Aside from afternoon snacks and late-night movie trips, you can actually enjoy a plate of this meat- or cheese-filled pie for breakfast.
Health experts agreed that pizza is a healthier breakfast food than a bowl of cereal. They even warned than some famous kids cereals lack nutritional benefits, for the products contain poor amount of protein and healthy fats and are instead full of sugar.
“You may be surprised to find out that an average slice of pizza and a bowl of cereal with whole milk contain nearly the same amount of calories,” nutritionist Chelsey Amer told The Daily Meal. “However, pizza packs a much larger protein punch, which will keep you full and boost satiety throughout the morning.”
She added a slice of pizza contains significantly less sugar but a good amount of fat than cold cereals. This makes the greasy food win the nutritional war by being a more balanced meal.
Pizza also offers calcium from its cheese, disease-fighting lycopene from tomatoes and whole grains and fiber from its whole-wheat flour crust.
However, pizza can be healthy and unhealthy at the same time.
“What you put on your pizza can significantly impact its nutritional value,” Lisa Drayer, a nutritionist and health journalist, said in a CNN report. “Toppings such pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese can boost saturated fat, sodium and calories, while slices made with thinner crusts and topped with veggies tend to have lower calorie, saturated fat and sodium counts.”
It is also important to know that there are some kinds of pizza that have been linked to a number of health problems. Previous studies showed that frozen pizza contains additives and preservatives not used in standard pizza.
The artificial ingredients include refined grains, cheese with high amount of saturated fat and high sodium content. Frozen pizza has been associated with problems with blood pressure as well as risks of having type 2 diabetes, heart disease and breast cancer.
Keep Those Cereals
Not all breakfast cereals are bad for a morning meal, according to Health's contributing nutrition editor Cynthia Sass. She explained that some of the products are made with whole grains, nuts, seeds and fruits with organic grass-fed milk or plant-based milk.
If you find a cereal with such ingredients it could be “a better choice over a grease-laden pizza made with processed meat like pepperoni on a white flour crust," Sass said.
Health experts find pizza as a healthier breakfast than common cereals. Pixabay
