In Celebration of Food: Blackberry, Basil, Ricotta Summer Pizza

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Summer is coming! I can’t almost feel it….almost. As usual Kansas City weather likes to tease and test us. Growing up in KC I heard people say, “you get four seasons in one day.” Which is true and something I never really thought that crazy until I moved away to Perth, Australia and turns our weather in other parts of the world can be pretty consistent day to day- who would have thought!

While consistency was nice (and winter days that were around 60- I don’t miss that necessarily!) I did miss having seasons. Not saying I want all of them in one day! But the change of seasons is always exciting and for me is a marker for life events that are about to happen like baseball season starting, longer days, outdoor dining, plants growing and flowers blooming, going to the dog park etc.

There is no better way to celebrate the changing seasons with some yummy food. For me food that is ‘special’ or ‘pretty’ makes you slow down and appreciate what you are eating more. *Enter this pizza*

The basil MAKES this pizza so definitely don’t forget that. The blackberries add a pop of color and flavor and you can never go wrong with ricotta cheese. Have I convinced you to make this yet?

If not, let’s talk about the nutrition in this pizza.

Yes, I just said pizza and nutrition in the same sentence.

The crust is on whole wheat tortillas. Not only is this the EASIEST way to make pizzas, it’s also delicious. And no this pizza isn’t on tortillas to be more low carb- for me it’s just because I love the thin crust and it’s so convenient because your body still needs carbs!

Let’s break it down; carbs provide glucose, glucose is the main source of energy for our bodies, some parts of our bodies like our brains only derive energy from glucose. The whole wheat option will provide more fiber and B vitamins than a flour tortilla. Corn tortillas are another option that are a whole grain but I wouldn’t use them with pizzas, the taste isn’t as good.

The blackberries are are good sources of the phytonutrients ellagic acid and anthocyanin. Both are great antioxidants that may reduce the risk of cancer by reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting certain carcinogens from binding to DNA. So eat yo berries!

Let’s talk cheese. In recent years dairy has gotten a bad rap. If you find that you have reduced how much dairy you eat and replaced it with almond or soy milk and then tried to add it back in your diet and had digestive issues there is a reason for that. Lactase is the enzyme in our small intestines that breaks down lactose in dairy. The less lactose you eat through dairy products the less your body produces of lactase to break it down. When lactose is not broken down it can cause gas and discomfort. Aged cheeses and yogurt are two easy things to add back into your diet that are naturally lower in lactose. If you do occasionally want to enjoy more dairy try taking an enzyme like Lactaid.