Is calzone healthy? How to make it healthier?

Calzone is an Italian food dish that is oven-baked. Basically, it is a folded pizza with stuffings inside. Is it a healthy food? How much of calories does it provide?

Calzone

Calzone is a turnover. It has an Italian origin. It was in the 18th century in Naples, the third largest city of Italy that this food speciality came into being. Made from leavened dough, it is an oven-baked folded pizza. It has a crescent shape unlike the American stromboli that is rolled or folded into a rectangular or cylindrical shape.

The bread dough is salted, folded over a stuffing of meat, cheese, eggs, vegetables, or ham and baked in an oven. There are regional variations in the stuffings used in this dish. Some add anchovies, fish cabbage, tomatoes, olives, onions etc. in it. It is not a fried but a baked dish.

Nutritional value

Calzone calories and macronutrient proportions vary depending on the stuffings in it. A calzone weighing 424 grams has a total of 1306 calories. It has 90 grams fat in it. Of this, 37 grams is saturated fat and 1.1 gram is trans fats. Cholesterol content is 242 mg. Protein is 66 grams and total carbs are 55 grams. Sugars are 3.1 grams and dietary fiber is 3.1 grams.

Potassium is 666 mg but sodium is high (2938 mg, 122% of daily recommended limit). Additionally, it has vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium and other trace minerals. With all these ingredients and caloric value, is calzone healthy? Any benefits of eating it?

Is calzone healthy?

This Italian delicacy though tasty is not healthy. It is made of pizza crust but the large size and stuffing of meat and cheese makes it unhealthy. The calories are very high and can cause weight gain. These calories come mainly from the high fat content of this food. There is saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol in it. This can induce body inflammation and lead to poor gut health.

It raises blood cholesterol. And it also causes unpredictable high blood sugar spikes that are bad for health especially in diabetics. Having it frequently could give rise to chronic heart and arterial diseases. The sodium is extremely high and can cause high blood pressure.

Moreover, dietary fiber is less. This could cause bowel dysregulation and constipation. There is not much of other useful minerals and vitamins in it. Also in meat and cheese calzone, the antioxidants are also low. This could increase risk of oxidative stress and cancer.

Also, read:Making Italian Pasta Salad

However, if it is vegetable-stuffed, the calories of the dish would decrease. In order to make this dish healthier, use lean meat in place of red meat. Prefer plant based ingredients for stuffing. Use low fat cheese and limit the portion size while eating. Also use whole wheat flour for making the pizza base. Lessen the added salt. Also eat with a side dish of salad.