My Grain-free Diet with Pizza
If you’ve been following my blog for even a short time you are probably aware that I follow a grain-free diet. It started as a primal type diet, no grains, beans, legumes, basically a paleo diet but with cheese/dairy. Over the years my diet has evolved into a more low-carb, high-fat or ketogenic diet. Through my dietary evolution there has always been one common denominator, REAL FOOD.
I will admit, when you first start with a grain-free lifestyle it can seem limiting but that quickly changes once your focus shifts away from what you don’t eat to what you do eat. Once you embrace all the food you can eat the variety is endless and the food is both delicious and satiating.
Real Food
What I eat is built of minimally processed animal protein, non-starchy vegetables, healthy fats, fermented foods, berries, nuts and seeds, and alternative sweeteners.
What I don’t eat:
- Highly Processed/Packaged Foods
- Grains (all grains, even rice)
- Beans
- Legumes
- Soy
- Peanuts
- Sugar
- Artificial Sweeteners
- Industrial Seed Oils
If you’re interested in learning more about what I do eat and how you too can remove inflammatory foods from your diet please sign up below to receive my series, 7 Days To A Healthier You. You’ll get information about healthy fats, the difference between processed and minimally-processed foods, alternative sweeteners, great snack ideas and more. If you’re viewing this as an email you may not see the sign up area. Please view in your browser if you’d like the sign up for 7 Days to a Healthier You.
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Carbs
As you can see, I don’t eat a lot of processed carbs like pasta, bread or even (sadly) pizza crust. This typically isn’t a problem because there are so many delicious things that I do eat but sometimes I just want pizza!
I’ve played around with different low-carb pizza “dough” recipes and enjoyed all of them. There’s one made with cauliflower, one made with shredded zucchini and one made mostly of cheese, yum. Even though I already have recipes for some yummy, alternative pizza crusts I’m always on the hunt for more.
Low-carb Pizza Crust
Today I decided to try a pizza crust recipe that uses pork rinds as the “flour”. I was feeling a bit “carb” needy and realized that pizza would totally hit the spot (when doesn’t pizza hit the spot). I needed a quick and easy recipe and remembered the pork rind crust recipe, 4 ingredients and only 10 minutes until adding toppings, perfect.
This was a test run and I was hungry so I didn’t measure everything or figure out the nutritional profile of my pizza. Next time.
DELICIOUS!
- CRUST
- 1/4 cup Ground Pork Rinds
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 tsp. pizza or other seasoning
- 1 Egg
- 1 TBSP Flax Meal (optional)
- MY TOPPINGS - 1 Pizza
- Freshly Grated Mozzarella (didn't measure just put on what looked like a good amount)
- Chopped Applegate Farms uncured pepperoni - 2 slices
- Basil infused Olive Oil as "sauce"
- Put pork rinds in a food processor and process until powdered. If you don't have a food processor you can smash them up until they are the consistency of flour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Put the pork rinds, parmesan and spice into a bowl and mix well. Add the egg and mix until well combined.
- The mixture will be sticky. Plop it onto a greased pan or cookie sheet or use the non-stick mat. Spread the "dough" into a pizza like circle. The best way to do this is use either your hands or a spatula but the trick is to dip either your hands or spatula into water before trying to spread. The water will keep the "dough" from sticking. I used a spatula and had to dip into water every few seconds and then resume the spreading of the "dough".
- Once the pizza crust is formed, put baking tray into oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Add your toppings to the crust and then place back in oven under broiler until the toppings are done to your liking.
- I doubled the recipe and made two pizzas.
- Adding flax meal is great way to get some extra fiber.
- I cooked my crust for about 20 minutes. I wanted it crunchy. The cook time will vary depending on how you like your crust.
This is a winner and I will definitely be making it again. You can find the recipe that started my pizza cravings here.
If you aren’t feeling your best the first thing to investigate is your diet. If you think you’re doing everything right but your body is telling you something else then you need to change up what you’re doing. Nothing tastes better than feeling great!
Eat well to feel well.
I’m Amy a board certified holistic nutritionist, certified functional nutritionist and lifestyle practitioner and certified Life Coach. I help women in midlife understand the changing needs of their body so that they can stop dieting and lose weight permanently. At 56 I live what I teach. Don’t believe the story that your best years are behind you. They are not. Your best years are just starting!