Pizza is certainly one of the most widespread typical Italian foods in the world and, for this reason, its recipe has undergone (and will undergo) innumerable variations.
From the ancient "Genoese pizza" (analogous to a focaccia) to the traditional "Neapolitan pizza", from the "Argentine pizza" (similar to a donut) to the highly questionable "pizza alla nutella®"; throughout history, this name has been exploited to indicate various recipes, some similar to each other, others completely impertinent.
What never changes however, is the nutritional role of the food which, in any case, takes on the meaning of rich, abundant and very energetic food. Focusing on the most indicative meaning of the term "pizza" (round, with leavened dough of wheat flour, water and EVO oil, seasoned with tomato, mozzarella and aromatic herbs), it is also necessary to specify that it is a food rather in line with Mediterranean food. At this point, the kind readers will ask themselves: "If pizza is a Mediterranean food (therefore healthy), why does it make you fat?"
First of all, because it is one of the most easily abused products (where abuse means above all frequency of consumption). Secondly, because nowadays, a margherita pizza can easily weigh around 500g, for a total of about 1350-1600kcal (more calories, less calories).
From here, a spontaneous question arises: 270-320kcal per 100g of edible portion will not be too many? Of course yes!
Keep in mind that professional pizzerias use ingredients that are often different from our household items; among others, the most important is undoubtedly the mozzarella (that of cow). First of all, I believe it is necessary to specify the energetic difference between a pizza marinara (pasta, tomato and oregano) and a pizza margherita: with the same weight, the marinara barely touches the 1235kcal (500g), or almost 120-365kcal less of the daisy! A similar energy discrepancy is mainly due to two factors: the hand of the pizza maker (bear in mind that, the poorer the pizza, the more it is necessary to abound with the seasoning to betray the palate of the guests) and the type of mozzarella.
For the first factor, there is little to do, at home it certainly enjoys the privilege of saving at least 100kcal by reducing only the quantity (the same could be done with the oil in the dough); with regard to the second factor, many probably do not know that pizza mozzarella used in pizzerias is called "low humidity". In practice, this contains little water and in cooking does not form the classic "puddle" at the center of the disk (the one visible in the pizza with buffalo mozzarella, so to speak). At the same time, it is more racy, therefore more protein-rich (and fat, as it is made from whole milk) ... but obviously even more caloric! Out of 100g, the latter (compared to traditional mozzarella) provides 75kcal more.
Conti in hand, eating a homemade margherita pizza, compared to the commercial analogue, it becomes possible to reach a weekly consumption frequency without running the risk that the food negatively affects the caloric balance, causing a weight gain. So, good pizza to everyone!
