Family Fun Night with Pizza

Pizza night doesn’t always have to mean picking up the phone and ordering delivery. On a night when you have more time, make pizza the main event by making it from scratch. Not only will the family have fun in the process, it can also be healthier! Use these tips to make pizza night extra special:

  • Start with the basics. Use the Easy Whole-Wheat Pizza Crust recipe below. You can even make this ahead of time and have it on-hand for the night. Kids won’t even notice the whole wheat flour! You can also use this dough to make breadsticks.
  • Make things personal. Let each family member have their own portion of dough to make a personal pizza. Let them decide the shape and taste of their own pizza.
  • Get creative with toppings. Simply sautéing vegetables can make them much more appealing as a pizza topping. Try to offer at least three vegetables as toppings. Try diced and sautéed zucchini, onion, mushrooms, peppers, or spinach. Swap pepperoni out for shredded chicken.
  • Go beyond pizza. Offer veggies and dip, or a salad to eat with the pizza. Make it a MyPlate by adding fruit to the meal.

Recipe: Easy Whole-Wheat Pizza

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 cup whole-wheat flour, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil for coating
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup cheese
  • 1/2 cup mixed vegetables

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Mix lukewarm water and yeast together in a medium-sized bowl; allow mixture to stand 5 to 10 minutes until yeast activates and begins to form bubbles.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour. Set aside.
  4. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, salt, and 1 cup of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture and mix until smooth.
  5. Add remaining flour, half a cup at a time until well-combined and the dough forms a soft ball. *Note: You do not have to use all of the flour mixture if the dough begins to get too dry.
  6. Flour a work surface and knead dough until soft, smooth, and elastic, about 8 minutes. Work in remaining flour as needed. Form a dough ball.
  7. Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl and rotate to coat the sides and bottom of bowl. Place the dough in the oil-coated bowl. Cover and allow dough to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
  8. Shape dough into a pizza crust and add your favorite sauce, veggies, and cheese. Bake on a sheet pan for 15 to 20 minutes until crust is golden at the edges and the cheese is melted on top.

Recipe from Jean Najor, Brooke Jenkins, Martha Yount; Nutrition Education Program

Makes 8 servings

Serving size: 1/8th of pizza

Nutrition facts per serving: 190 calories; 5g total fat; 1.5g saturated fat; 0g trans-fat; 5mg cholesterol; 250mg sodium; 30g carbohydrate; 3g fiber; 5g sugar; 4g added sugar; 7g protein; 0% Daily Value vitamin D; 4% Daily Value calcium; 6% Daily Value iron; 2% Daily Value potassium.

Source: Jean Najor, MS; Program Coordinator II for UK Nutrition Education Program

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