Dietitian Spotlight: Grilled Pizza with Goat Cheese

There are three reasons why this Grilled Pizza with Goat Cheese is the perfect diabetes-friendly recipe.

1. This recipe is loaded with vegetables. We know that veggies are awesome for us and especially for those with chronic conditions like diabetes. A study of over 2,300 Finnish men showed that fruit and vegetables may actually reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

In fact, a New York Times article from June of last year put it simply “Good plant-based foods are known to be rich in fiber, antioxidants, good fats and a wide array of micronutrients, and have been shown to improve glucose metabolism and lower inflammatory markers.” Basically, veggies are super cool!

2. This recipe is packed with fiber. Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate. So, essentially it isn’t absorbed and thus doesn’t affect your blood sugar. Fiber also slows down digestion so that the carbs you do eat enter the bloodstream as glucose and at a much slower rate. You are getting fiber from the peppers, zucchini, squash and onion as well as the sandwich thins! Each serving provides 9 grams of fiber which is about one third of what we need per day.

3. The pizza has a pulse! Well, technically it has pulses (plural) and by pulses I mean beans/peas from the garbanzo beans in the hummus. The hummus offers both protein and fiber which slow down the absorption of the carbohydrates in the pizza.

Sadly, many people avoid pulses because they fear the carbohydrates but they overlook the fiber that comes with it. The Bean Institute (yes, that’s a real thing) reports that people with diabetes who eat beans/pea/lentils consistently have lower blood sugars after a meal, and even lower HbA1c’s (the long term measurement) than people with diabetes who don’t eat these tasty little gems.

So, basically, there’s no reason not to eat this easy summer meal. Fire up the grill, ignite your taste buds and set aside any diabetes dinner doubts because you’re gonna love this grilled pizza recipe.

Grilled Pizza with Goat Cheese

Ingredients

1 each red, green and yellow bell peppers, sliced

4 small zucchini, sliced

2 yellow summer squash, sliced

2 medium onions, sliced

2 tbsp Olive oil

6 oz Lone Star goat cheese (from deli)

6 Sandwich thins, halved

1 small container (10 oz) Sabra hummus 

Directions

1. Heat grill. Place vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil; toss to coat.  
2. When ready to grill, place vegetables in a grill basket. Cook 10 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally to brown evenly on all sides and removing vegetables from grill when crisp-tender. (Cooking time will vary depending on moisture content of each vegetable, grill temperature and distance from heat.)
3. On one half of sandwich thin, spread a few tablespoons hummus. Top with some grilled vegetables and crumble on goat cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
4. Return pizzas to grill for 1-2 minutes, just to heat through.