Pizza is good, only if it is good. It sounds like a play on words, but it’s the truth. The guarantee that the pizza we are eating will not hurt us is that the ingredients are top quality. But not only. Even the pizza chef must know how to do his job well. The leavening time before cooking is essential.
What are the numbers of pizza in Italy?
The most recent data from Coldiretti claims that only in our country 2.7 billion pizzas are prepared every year. Pizza makers use 200 million kilos of flour, 225 million kilos of mozzarella, 30 million kilos of olive oil and 260 million kilos of tomato sauce.
I the largest consumers remain the Americans with 13 kilos per person per year. We Italians are the first in Europe with almost 8 kilos per year each, in detail we stop at 7.8. At a great distance, the Spanish are second, eating 4.3 kilos, followed closely by the French and Germans with 4.2 kilos each per year. The British follow with 4 kilos, the Belgians 3.8, the Portuguese 3.6 and the Austrians with 3.3 kilos of pizza per capita per year.
From an economic point of view, the Coldiretti data speak of a sector with a turnover rising to over 15 billion euros per year. Estimated employment is instead calculated at 100 thousand full-time workers and the same number on weekends.
Pizza is a complete food
Imitated and appreciated all over the world, pizza is a complete food because it contains the three main macronutrients, i.e. carbohydrates, proteins and fats, in the optimal percentage and according to the principles of the Mediterranean diet. Francesco Sofiassociate professor in Food Sciences at the University of Florence, explains what a quality pizza, which pays attention to health, should be like.
What nutrients does this precious food contain?
The caloric intake of an average portion of around 300 grams of traditional pizza, i.e. the classic margherita with tomato and mozzarella, varies 700 to 750 calories. Complex carbohydrates in flour are the main nutritional source, accounting for approximately 65%. In second place are the fats and proteins of mozzarella (about 15/20%). Finally there is the tomato which is a source of vitamins and mineral salts. Olive oil should not be forgotten, rich in “good” unsaturated fats.
The value of fats and proteins can vary considerably, based on the different ingredients used to enrich the pizza. For example, if you use cured meats or sausage or extra doses of cheese, your calorie and fat intake will increase. They will decrease if you choose to season the pizza with simple grilled vegetables for the benefit of vitamins and mineral salts. The only value that remains unchanged in all types of pizza is the percentage of carbohydrates.
Who should limit their consumption?
In theory there are no categories of people who should eliminate it from their diet. But there are people who have to limit their consumption in some way. It’s about those who have problems diabetes and the carbohydrate intolerance. In this case, however, the problem shifts to the quality of the ingredients since it is necessary to favor less refined flours, type 1 and type 2. Even better if wholemeal, because they modulate blood sugar levels differently.
For those who suffer from gastritis the tomato-mozzarella combination can be difficult to digest and cause swelling. Another category that could be affected by high consumption is represented by people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, for the problem that could lead to abdominal swelling, a highly annoying and disabling symptom. Even in this case, however, the attention shifts to the quality of the ingredients, the refined flours, the yeast as well as the possible association with carbonated, sugary drinks or beer. On the other hand, the benefits of this food are undoubted and some Italian studies have found that the regular consumption of pizza reduces the incidence of heart attack and cardiovascular diseases.
So is the discomfort caused by the flour?
Refined flour is one of the big “modern” problems, because type 0 and especially type 00 can create problems, both due to the higher gluten content compared to other flours and because they contain zero fiber and low nutritional contents, while they are more rich in starch. The result is that in people who are sensitive to the intestinal and gastric levels, they can create intestinal and digestive problems or bloating. Pizza is like bread, it is very simple, being made up of four basic ingredients: flour, water, oil and salt. In the past it was difficult to encounter digestive problems when consuming pizza because it was prepared with healthy and simple ingredients. Today, however, flour and yeast are of the industrial type, they are refined, more practical from a processing point of view, but they can bother our body.
What should a quality pizza be like?
If you use type 1 or 2 flours, wholemeal or semi-wholemeal, or i ancient grains which have been rediscovered recently such as kamut, the swelling and discomfort situation improves because these flours, being less refined, have a slightly different gluten content, also in the quality of the composition, as well as being richer in minerals, vitamins and antioxidant substances. Also the yeast it’s important because if you use the beer onewhich is undoubtedly very practical because it speeds up the leavening process, you will obtain a very leavened dough, but harder to digest and which can ferment. The advice is to always choose a good quality pizza you consume, starting from the flour and yeast, and then from the ingredients that fill it.
Pizza yes or pizza no when following a diet?
Pizza is equivalent to a complete meal because it provides carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins it is compatible with a low-calorie diet. Of course, it should not be consumed in addition to other foods and it is best to limit yourself to one pizza a week, preferring lighter ones such as margherita or with vegetables, because the caloric intake is still substantial.