the pizza stigma

[tzs]

i've been known to give dd who is 15 months now pizza for lunch or dinner. i like it, i want to eat it, she eats what we eat and always has. but you tell anybody you fed your baby pizza for dinner and yikes....horrible. even in my own mind i think baby+pizza=unhealthy (plus a ton of other horrible images of overweight toddlers sitting in front of the tv)

but what's the deal? i'll use matza or bread as a crust, sauce, cheese, maybe some veggies, maybe some anchovies, maybe some olive oil.....basically it's the same ingredients as if i were making pasta. but if i feed the kid pasta i'm a good mom....pizza and i'm bad. 

so what's so bad about it? did the fast food industry stigmatize it or am i missing something? 

[lifeguard]

Most people don't make their own pizza for starters & order in pizza is very rarely a healthy option.

For us we try to avoid a lot of grains so pizza is a rare meal, but so is pasta. When we do have it we try to ensure it is whole grains.

[JamieCatheryn]

I differentiate and say homemade veggie pizza to brag on what I made my family when we have that. Just "pizza" means delivery or frozen to most, bad ingredients I guess. I've trained my hubby the homemade is standard now though, I was tired and craving delivery pizza one night so I told him I was going to get pizza, ordered it online and a little while later he was asking why I hadn't started the dough yet.

[tzs]

we keep kosher so fast food delivery is not an option but i still feel this weird pizza guilt when i make it.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Call me the worst mom ever, but I order in pizza occasionally, and uh, my ds gets it for lunch the next day too.  At daycare.  Where no one has ever said one bad thing about it.

[Peony]

Eh, pizza is a staple in this house. While I prefer to make my own, I am not above take out on really crazy nights. 

[mamatoablessing]

Originally Posted by Peony 

Eh, pizza is a staple in this house. While I prefer to make my own, I am not above take out on really crazy nights. 

Ditto. 

I have recently discovered grilling pizza (vs. baking it) and it has changed my life.  It is truly fantastic.  Plus, when you tell anyone you're making grilled veggie pizza with homemade dough and pesto, it sounds really gourmet.  :)  No guilt necessary, as far as I'm concerned.
 

[pearl2]

What you need to do is start carrying stickers that say Mom of the Year on them so that when some mom starts in on the comments, you can just put a sticker over her mouth. Oooh, make sure they look like a star or a blue ribbon. 

My DH and I made pizza one night and loaded it up with as many veggies as we could find, and LO ate them all just because they were in pizza formation. So now we call any attempt to sneak a veggie in as a "pizza formation move." 

I also used to have a cookbook that had 150 ways to make a pizza and it was amazing. I lost it in a move. It had several crust recipes plus a million sauces and topping. Amazing! I wish I could even remotely remember the name of it. 

[jessemoon]

I don't see cheese pizza as much different from a cheese sandwich...pretty neutral food (providing it's not made with gross ingredients) with the potential to be fabulously healthy depending on what you add.  I think pizza is great for toddlers!  If anyone gives you a funny look, just say "What?  She wouldn't eat her Twinkies and Doritos or drink her Mountain Dew...what was I supposed to do?"

[tzs]

ha ha ha.....you snarky moms crack me up!!!!!!!

now does anyone want to hear my take on how hamburgers are the same as spaghetti with meatballs????

[carmel23]

honey, it is because to them pizza= dominoes or some frozen crapizza from the freezer.  Like anything, (pancakes, etc.) if you make it from scratch it is totally different. But most people that cracks their brains, making it from scratch.  Your baby is fine....

[Chamomile Girl]

Hahahaha!  We just got done eating pizza for dinner.  I finally figured out how to toss the dough (I usually roll it out) and it was sooo much better.  Mmmmmm....

And my kid thought it was pretty good too.

[Smidge]

Originally Posted by carmel23 

honey, it is because to them pizza= dominoes or some frozen crapizza from the freezer.  Like anything, (pancakes, etc.) if you make it from scratch it is totally different. But most people that cracks their brains, making it from scratch.  Your baby is fine....

I started typing my response and then glanced up and saw this.  I totally agree.  Unless you're feeding her junk on a regular basis, don't worry :)

[MangoMommy]

I feel no pizza guilt. I have 3 kids and a military (gone a lot) husband. The fact they are getting food is a plus LOL. My 18 mo nurses so I count that as her "good" food source LOL.

But really...don't let this kind of silly guilt stuff get you down. :)  You know it's not garbage...it's not greasy slippery slimy stuff, it's homemade with real ingredients and has veggies, which is better than what I toss in the oven!!  :) 

The grilled veggie pizza sounds amazing!

I really need to learn to make my own though...never done that before!

[TheSlingMama]

I feel the same way pizza = pasta.  I love red sauce so I like to have pizza often since my SO isn't that much of a spaghetti fan!  We've got a pizazz presto thing that cooks them really awesome.  I'll admit it - my daughter gets frozen, take out, and homemade.  Whichever type I happen to be eating.  I'm just grateful she's eating anything.  I don't feed her any other "junk" and that's my vice.  I can totally see how spaghetti/meatballs = hamburger!!!!  Lol! 

And omg I love the twinkie comment.  That totally sounds like something I would do.  :)

[JBaxter]

LOL  My boys were chewing pizza crust before they had  teeth.   I do order out sometimes ( 1x or 2x a month--- soccer season more often)   I feel NO guilt.  Jack LOVES it..  I have done breakfast pizza's  

[MrsBone]

As long as your making your pizza at home, it's def. much healthier..especially if you put veggies on it! Or puree into the sauce. I have a bit of a controversial view on grains though. I don't believe that refined flour is good for anyone, especially kids. Ever wonder why so many kids get hooked on PBJ's mac and cheese, bread and crackers all the time? Grains are addictive. I do feed my son bread, and other grains occasionally, but it's a treat, not something I give on a regular basis. As far as pizza goes, I try and make a crust with almond flour (he can usually only eat about 1 or 2 pieces and he's done. Same for me. The protein and fat helps prevent overeating. But, that said..making your own at home even with white flour is definitely better then getting take out. The only problem I would see down the road is getting busy, going out to eat and relying on take out pizza because you know DC will eat it. But even then, every once and awhile, not a big deal in my mind! :) Oh, and I don't think pasta is much better!

[AudraR]

Pizza has got to be the most popular food among kids in America - who doesn't love the stuff?! My niece would request pizza every night for dinner her whole second year, so I ended up getting her this cute kids book about pizza for her birthday that year :) http://www.littleonebooks.com/Petes-a-Pizza_p_157.html
 

[physmom]

I totally get what you're saying! We always either do homemade pizza or veggie pizza from trader Joe's so it's not that bad but I definitely know what you mean about feeling guilty saying it.

[t2009]

Mmmm! We were already planning on hitting the local (all-organic) pizza joint tonight & now my mouth is watering. Seriously, I'm excited for myself & for the fact that DS will eat a veggie tonight (i.e. tomato pizza sauce!). DS is in a phase of eating not much of anything right now, but he loves pizza (as long as there aren't TOO many veggies in there), so I'm all for (healthy) pizza.

Also fun--DH makes a wicked homemade pizza & usually helps DS make his own little mini pizza at the same time. Healthy & fun.

Also... Hi there! I never visited this board before, but I'm glad I've finally stumbled in here!