“Who want’s pizza?!” It’s the classic dinnertime shout-out to family and friends. This Italian classic* is a popular go to meal for many. But, for many of us that pizza from the delivery driver or the grocery store freezer is loaded with saturated fat, preservatives, excessive sodium, processed sugar, artificial flavorings and colors, and crust that lacks fiber and whole grain nutrients. What could be a really flavorful and healthy meal falls way short. A gardening lifestyle can help you build a healthier pizza slice and make meal time a real celebration of Christ-centered fellowship.
* Pizza is originally an Italian food that originated in Naples, where it was created as a simple dish for the working class. The modern pizza we know today, especially varieties like Margherita, has its roots in Italy, although similar flatbreads with toppings have existed in various cultures throughout history. – from auto-generated sources.
BETTER INGREDIENTS GROW ON YOU
“Better ingredients” should be more than just a marketing slogan from the global quick service pizza brand Papa John’s. At the very least better starts when you go to the grocery and get some fresh veggie toppings to put on that pizza. We’re not suggesting that you have to make the ultimate all natural organic totally made from scratch fresh pizza (although that does sound pretty tasty). This conversation is about simply making a better pizza.
MAKING: Do some level of ‘make it yourself’. Using your hands, taking time and adding some fresh ingredients helps train your brain to get involved in the food you eat. Take an interest in what you’re consuming. Be a little invested in the process. Switch from an attitude of impulsive to having an inclination toward intentional. Work first on that being the mindset for you. Then once you start to really embrace being more engaged in a healthy lifestyle then you can lead your family and friends into the spiritually richer experiences of making meal time a commitment to a Christ-centered lifestyle.
Once you get adding fresh cut vegetables to your pizza then you can explore more like fresh herbs and spices, farm grown dairy and your own homemade dough. AND the ultimate your own garden grown pizza. Read My Patio to get ideas on how you can grow some popular pizza items in pots right on your own patio. “Yeah, but that’s too much work”, you might be saying. Not really. To the contrary you’ll find growing some garden fresh food can be a very calming, peaceful, spiritual and rewarding part of your life. AND it is something you can do with family and friends.
THAT’S A LOT OF PIZZA!
According to Statista, “Pizza is very popular among consumers and probably American’s number one dinner choice. So popular is it that most consumers in the United States in 2023 ate pizza a few times a month while another 14 percent ate it a few times a week. In 2022, the global pizza market had an estimated sales volume of over 2.4 million tons, with North America accounting for 845,000 tons of the volume. Frozen pizza in particular, due to its ease and convenience, was consumed by 87 percent of the U.S. population in 2024 and its sales reached over seven billion U.S. dollars as of 2023.”
BETTER: These days it’s too easy to find influencers on social media that can ultimately make you feel pretty much like a failure. They may make perfection look like an obvious and easy routine. I prefer to encourage people that total Christ likeness – absolute perfection won’t be a reality until we get to heaven some day. That makes NOW much more attainable. It helps us see that life is a journey in God’s grace and provision.
Yes, we can all do better. AND better happen especially when we take it one step – one improvement at a time. Maybe for you a better pizza is simply adding a few store bought veggies to a frozen pizza. If that’s the case then go for it. Perhaps, like the featured image above, better means baking your own sourdough crust in a skillet and adding some homemade pesto that you prepared from basil that you grew in your garden. Your pizzas may eventually evolve into gourmet-level pies OR they might simply be bespoke, understated and simple – a routine of ‘better’ that is manageable for you. Eventually I hope you’ll grow your own pizza in the garden, but whatever you do you’ll find that a making a better pizza will grow on you.
MAKE IT SOLO MIO OR FOR MORE!
Maybe that next pizza will be just for you or the two of you. When you start to make pizza for the whole fam or you start to invite friends over for a pizza night you can make it a robust faith filled experience. Read more of our pizza articles below for additional ideas and inspiration.
CONTACT US for support in starting a small group pizza garden. It’s a great ministry to share with others in your church, neighborhood, school, workplace and more.
Can a garden fresh pizza seriously be a key ingredient in living a Christ-centered lifestyle? YES! Healthier food is a great way to be a good steward of the physical body God has given you. But it can be a great meal to serve and eat heartily and freely with others giving glory to God. So go for it – put Christ right smack dab in the center of your next pizza party.
