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by Zero Carb on Mar 02, 2023
Gluten free pizza crustcan be a great addition to a healthy diet, and for people with special dietary needs, it can definitely be a game changer. But the longer answer is that it depends on what type of gluten free crust you're thinking of, and exactly what you mean by healthier. The best gluten free pizza crust will be the one that meets all your dietary needs and tastes great too.
What Is Gluten Free Pizza Crust Made of?
Gluten free pizza crust is a broad category that just means crust made without wheat or barley. When looking at specific gluten free pizza benefits, it’s important to consider precisely what a crust is made from.
Some of the most popular ingredients used to make pizza crust without any gluten are:
• Cauliflower - Vegetable based; high in micronutrients and fiber; low in calories, protein and price; not necessarily low in carbohydrates
• Potato - Vegetable based; high in micronutrients and fiber; not necessarily low in calories; high in carbohydrates and on the glycemic index
• Quinoa - Grain based; high in micronutrients, fiber, and carbohydrates; medium in protein and calories
• Spaghetti Squash - Vegetable based; high in micronutrients and fiber; low in protein and calories
• Chickpea - Legume based; high in micronutrients, fiber, protein, carbohydrates, and calories; low on the glycemic index
• Chicken - Meat based; high in micronutrients and protein; low in carbohydrates and on the glycemic index
Is Gluten Free Pizza Low Carb?
The amount of carbohydrates in a gluten free pizza crust depends on the ingredients used. Many of the ingredients commonly used to make gluten free crust still contain a high number of carbohydrates. In fact, if you look at the average gluten free pizza vs regular pizza carbs counts, the gluten free option can contain more carbs (60 grams of carbohydrates vs 53 grams of carbs from a whole wheat pizza crust).
It may not surprise you that potato based crusts are high in carbs, but even gluten free crusts made from cauliflower contain 32 grams of carbohydrates. The only gluten free crust option from our list without any carbohydrates is the one made of chicken.
Is Gluten Free Pizza Good for Diabetics?
People with diabetes are often recommended a low-carbohydrate diet since studies have shown that diets low in carbs improve important elements of health in diabetic and pre-diabetic populations. For this reason, the specific gluten free pizza crusts that are low in carbohydrates are likely to be better options for diabetics than a traditional wheat crust. However, it is important to look at the number of carbohydrates in each type of crust solid as gluten free. As discussed above, some of the gluten free crust options are still quite high in carbohydrates.
Is Gluten Free Pizza Less Calories?
In general, gluten free crusts are similar in calories to standard wheat crusts. But just like in our other health discussions, it depends on what ingredients are used to make the gluten free crust. Here’s a breakdown of calories within several different gluten free crust brands that are widely available to today’s pizza lovers.
Type | Calories | Serving Size | Brand |
Cauliflower | 80 | 50 g | Trader Joe's |
Potato | 110 | 23 g dry mix | Glutino |
Chickpea | 150 | 48g | Banza |
Squash | 120 | 50 g | Rich's Home |
Chicken | 105 | 53 g | ZeroCarb LYFE |
Traditional Wheat | 133 | 50 g | Boboli |
*accurate at the time of writing, subject to change
One important thing to note is that these calories have been calculated for approximately the same weight of crust, so it is easier to do a direct comparison. One way gluten free pizza calories
are often lower than traditional wheat crusts is that they are thinner or smaller than a conventional crust. So a portion size of a squash crust may be listed as half crust, but by weight it is the equivalent of a quarter of a traditional wheat based crust. If you are choosing gluten free crust to reduce the calories you consume, it is important to keep portion size in mind when considering the available options.
ZeroCarb LYFE: Gluten Free That Tastes Good
Ultimately, how food affects health is a very individual relationship. You need options for making your food work for your health and lifestyle. Cutting out gluten is important to people for many reasons, so the best gluten free options for your weekly pizza night should support your health needs.
If you want to go carb-free, increase your protein, and cut out heavily processed starches, ZeroCarb LYFE’s crusts are a great option! Made with just four ingredients–chicken, olive oil, spices, and salt–our crusts bring you natural ingredients that taste great.
We also know convenience and practicality matter when it comes to what you eat, which is why we offer frozen gluten free pizza crusts and frozen premade pizzas with a variety of topping options. When you're ready to see all your pizza night options, see what all ZeroCarb LYFE can offer.
