My Favorite Health Hack: Turning Veggies Into Viral Pizza Crust!

 My sister has always been an early adopter of healthy eating trends. So when she gushed about swapping regular pizza crust for a new cauliflower-based version made from riced raw cauliflower florets, I was immediately intrigued.

I’ve always loved pizza but not the heaviness, guilt, and uncomfortable bloating that followed. So I mapped out my first cauliflower pizza crust attempt with eagerness. Unfortunately the results were a disaster—a soggy, watery bottom that quickly fell apart. My second try wasn’t much better, despite extra squeezing out liquid. But by my third go-round, I finally nailed it by adding egg as a binder and pre-roasting my cauliflower rice. Now, I’ve got perfect, crunchy crust that even the pickiest of pizza lovers enjoy. But the game-changing health benefits I’ve come to realize make the early failures completely worthwhile.

My sister introduced me to this creative hack that totally transforms regular pizza into much healthier fare. I now prefer my cauliflower version over any other thanks to its nutrition and lighter feel. Read on for the health upsides that make cauliflower pizza shell so exciting!

Most people are familiar with cauliflower’s nutritional profile as a go-to low-carb substitute. But using it specifically for pizza crust concentrating its impressive nutrient payload into each tasty bite.

Let’s dig deeper into why it runs circles around regular crust:

Fewer Calories and Carbs

Cauliflower has far fewer calories and carbs ounce for ounce versus pizza dough made with refined flour. A thin, 3⁄4 cup serving of cauliflower rice contains about 28 calories and 5 grams of carbs. Compare that to a basic white flour pizza crust which packs over 300 calories and 50+ grams of carbs per average portion. That’s nearly 90% less calories and carbs you’re taking in!

Higher Fiber

Additionally, that cauliflower flour replacement adds more hunger-squashing fiber. You’ll get 2 extra grams per 3⁄4 cup serving compared to none in refined dough. This promotes improved digestion and stability in blood sugar levels.

More Protein

The addition of egg and cheese most cauliflower crust recipes call for also bumps the protein value. A single slice can supply around 13 grams of protein - similar to a decent chicken breast portion. This helps support muscle building goals while keeping you fuller longer.