So many products market themselves as being healthy alternatives to a traditional pizza; particularly cauliflower crust. However, if you read the nutrition label, you’ll see that they contain as many (or even more) carbs as a standard pizza.

Pizza is one of those foods that nearly everyone loves but it can be tough for people with diabetes to enjoy. After all, who wants their numbers sky high for a day or two? I originally gave it up entirely but after finding myself daydreaming about it, I had to find a solution. You’re constantly on the watch for added sugars and carb content. As a general rule, the thinner the crust, the lower the carbs. Unless it’s a Chicago style buttercrust; you might as well be eating a deep dish. New York style is my personal favorite (my family is from there so I’m a little biased) but it tends to contain added sugar in the dough. If eating at a restaurant, Neapolitan pizza does not contain sugar and is your best bet.

In case you do want to indulge in the occasional pizza at home, this recipe will get you a decent sized pie with 28 carbs total, zero added sugars, and all the flavor of a thin crust pizza.

The secret is to use Lavash as the crust for your flatbread. Lavash has a similar flavor profile as a NY style crust and a sheet of it (I use Atoria’s) has 22-44 carbs. The Trader Joe’s brand is on the high end of the spectrum, Atoria’s is on the low end. On top a being free of added sugars, it’s also super quick to prepare! Sauce is also something to watch for but the recipe here will get you a NY style sauce with no added sugars.

Low Carb Pizza

Sauce:

-8 oz can of tomato paste

-Oregano, 1 tsp

-Garlic powder, 1 tsp

-A pinch of salt

-A pinch of pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well blended.

Preheat oven to 400°F. On a lightly oiled cookie sheet, place the Lavash on the sheet, add your sauce, low moisture Mozzarella, and toppings of your choice. I tend to go easy on the vegetables because they tend to make the crust not as crisp due to the amount of water they lose during cooking. Sprinkling a bit of black pepper on top also adds a great flavor. Bake your pizza for 8-10 minutes, remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minuets. The carb impact is so low that I don’t usually need to bolus before eating half of it. For a crisper crust, try brushing the underside of the Lavash with olive oil and baking it on a pizza screen.