Eating pizza every night and staying fit might sound like an absolutely impossible idea, but nutritionist Lara Ibarra has proven that it is completely achievable; so if you’re a pizza lover, this is your lucky day. In fact, when you begin in the world of fitness, the secret to success isn’t giving up your favorite dishes, but transforming them. That’s why Lara presents three recipes in which the dough of pizza becomes healthy and highly nutritious, helping you feel full and full of energy to train.
The Star Pizza: Oat and Yogurt Dough
Ingredients
For the dough
- 110-120 g whole-grain oats flour or whole-wheat flour
- 1 natural or protein yogurt unsweetened (about 100 g)
- A pinch of salt.
For the filling
- Tomato base with olive oil
- High-quality cheese
- Canned bonito or pickles
- Mozzarella pearls and oregano.
Instructions
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In a bowl, combine the oats flour, the protein yogurt, and a pinch of salt. Stir until a workable dough forms (if the yogurt is very thick, you can add a few drops of water).
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Dust a surface with a little flour and roll out the dough with a rolling pin.
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Place it on a parchment-lined tray and add the toppings: tomato base, cheese, bonito, and mozzarella pearls.
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Bake in a preheated oven at 250 °C for about 10 minutes, watching to prevent burning.
Why do these pizzas actually help you lose fat?
Throughout the video, the nutritionist makes it very clear that there are no magic foods that by themselves will make you lose weight or gain muscle, but she does explain that there are ingredients that can greatly help us achieve the goals we want. To lose fat we need to spend more energy than we consume, and the big trick to avoid feeling hungry or dropping out of the process is to choose meals that fill you up. These pizzas achieve that because they combine high-quality proteins —such as cottage cheese, protein yogurt, or eggs—, a lot of fiber and good carbohydrates thanks to whole-wheat flours and oats, as well as healthy fats like olive oil. Eating this way demonstrates that it’s possible to eat healthily and enjoy the process, steering clear of weekend binge temptations and avoiding the monotony of “dinners every night of boiled fish and lettuce.”
Cottage Cheese and Egg Protein Dough
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 tub cottage cheese
- 1 medium egg
- 20-30 g of flour of oats, wheat, or other to taste.
For the filling
- Tomato sauce
- A light touch of cheese
- Sliced mushrooms
- Oregano
- Optional: tofu ham or corn
Instructions
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Pour the entire tub of cottage cheese into a deep bowl, add the egg and the 20–30 g of flour. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.
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Pour the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and shape it into a round form with a spoon.
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Bake the dough on its own at 200 °C for 20 minutes (you can also use an air fryer) until it sets and browns.
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Take out the base, top with tomato, cheese, portobello mushrooms, and oregano.
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Return to the oven for 2–3 more minutes to melt the toppings.
A Quick and Protein-Packed Alternative: the “Piadipizza”
For those days when you have no time at all or the desire to cook has disappeared, Lara Ibarra suggests the “Piadipizza”, a super-fast option that uses a piadina, also called a wheat flatbread, as the crust. That said, the expert emphasizes a very important tip when buying the base at the supermarket: “Please don’t buy fajitas with sunflower oil; most piadinas are made with olive oil, and that’s much better for your health.” To prepare it, you simply place the piadina on a baking sheet, spread a layer of strained tomato, and top with Brie cheese, chopped black olives, and quality ham. Bake it at 180-190 °C for only 5 minutes and you’ll have a ultra-thin, crispy, and delicious pizza in no time, with no cleanup.
