These potato pizza bites came out of a night when my girls wanted pizza. I opened the fridge to find some leftover potato rounds, half a jar of marinara sauce and cheese. We improvised…
And potato pizza bites were born.
Think like those Bagel Bites we used to eat when we were kids… in whole-food, plant-based form.
No, they’re not the same at all. …These do taste much healthier.
And they don’t have that same compulsory, inhale the entire plate in 5 seconds effect….
Though they are pretty darn tasty in their own real-food right…
Real Food vs. Packaged Food
In truth, we’re not comparing apples to apples here. One is engineered to go for the pleasure center, hook our taste buds and make it impossible to eat just one.
The other simply is what it is… still delicious… though nature isn’t near as seductive…
This is the difference I remind my health coaching clients of all the time…
We are no match for what’s in that box.
Food companies have entire departments and huge budgets devoted to creating “cravability.”
Against this, our willpower is no match.
It goes beyond mental and becomes biological.
This is why we feel terrible after eating an entire bag of something.
And also exactly why we shouldn’t feel bad about it at all.
It’s not our fault.
We’re up against something so much bigger than we are.
So what’s the answer?
Real food.
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, quality animal proteins, nuts and seeds.
80-90% of the time.
Maybe 100% for a few weeks to re-calibrate your taste buds and reclaim your biology.
Then when your taste buds are back in balance, the occasional packaged treat won’t have as much hold and pull.
I see this happen all the time.
Cravings go away. Eating healthy gets so. much. easier. People get their brains back… on a few levels.
Potato Potahto
Now I know what you’re thinking… potatoes? I thought potatoes were bad? What about all the carbs…
Carbs, smarbs.
Eat the potatoes.
Don’t eat Bagel Bites.
And minimize the french fried potatoes.
Just like fat, not all carbs are created equal. There’s nothing wrong with whole food carbs, or as I like to I call them “slow carbs.” These foods are in a perfect little God-made package that our digestion has to unwrap which slows the release of glucose into the body.
It’s the processed, refined carbs like flour and sugar in foods like breads, bagels, donuts, pastries, pastas, candies, etc. that you gotta watch out for.
Potatoes are a good source of potassium and vitamin C (ya, really) – cooking can degrade it but keeping the skin on helps keep nutrients in tact. Also steaming vs. high heat cooking maintains more nutrients. Potatoes are also a source of folate and B6.
My favorite fun fact about potatoes is that when you cook and let them cool, a resistant starch forms that your gut bugs love to eat. That makes them a prebiotic that can help you maintain a thriving, healthy microbiome.
Potato Pizzas – Guten-Free Dairy-Free Pizza
- 2 large Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into ¼ thick rounds
- marinara or pizza sauce
- baby bella mushrooms, diced*
- red bell pepper, sliced thin*
- red onion, sliced thin*
- spinach or basil*
- organic shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)*
- *these are examples, feel free to use your own favorite pizza toppings and change it up. Note: I like to make these without cheese to keep dairy-free, though you could sprinkle cheese on top.
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In a medium-sized pot, fill with water to about 1 inch deep. Place steamer basket inside pot and place sliced potatoes inside the steamer basket. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer to steam potatoes for about 15 minutes, until can pierce with a fork.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (for easier cleanup)
- Allow to potatoes to cool before handling. Spread potato rounds out on baking sheet.
- Spread a dollop of marinara sauce onto each round. Top with the toppings listed (mushrooms, red peppers, red onion, spinach, basil) or choose your own favorites.
- Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.
- If adding cheese, remove from oven after 10 minutes, sprinkle on top and return to oven to finish cooking.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
P.S. This recipe contains a cancer-fighting super combo: greens + mushrooms + onions. Read more about how these ingredients when eaten together can protect you here.
P.P.S. Want help reclaiming your taste buds and showing the food industry who’s boss? I can help. Schedule a free strategy session with me
here.
