Alternatives to pizza crust

October is national Pizza Month, but the latest stats on Americans’ pizza passions make it clear: Every month is devoted to eating this (usually) whiteflour, high-fat, processed-meatladen food! There are approximately 61,269 pizzerias in the U.S., dishing up about 100 acres worth each day. That’s enough to provide every one of you with 46 slices annually. Fortunately, folks are realizing that a refined-flour crust and the high-fat cheeses and meats that top it are not healthful choices. But hold on to your slice!

That trend has led purveyors of pies to cook up some supposedly healthier alternatives. One favorite faux-pizza crust is made with cauliflower, and while this heat-up-at-home pie is billed as low-carb and nutritious, well, it’s not always.

An investigation on “The Dr. Oz Show” found that some cauliflower pizza crusts can contain as much as 26 grams of net carbs per slice, about the same as a regular frozen pizza slice. And sometimes the calorie content is close to regular pizza — up to 170 per slice!

Clearly, you have to check the ingredients/nutrition labels carefully. Cauliflower should be No. 1 on the crust’s ingredient list, indicating it’s the main component. But often the top spot is held by a calorie- and carb-dense flour like tapioca or cassava. And beware added sugar!

Remember, you can’t fool Mother Nature. If you want a healthy pizza, go for a 100 percent veggie/whole-grain crust topped with olive oil, tomato sauce and roasted veggies. And you can add broiled salmon or chicken breast.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.