Photo by Ally Gruener

Thought you couldn't eat pizza while on a healthy eating plan? Think again. This veggie pizza recipe from The Berghoff Cafe Cookbook is fairly healthy to begin with -- it has a flatbread, thin crust and is topped with nutritious vegetables and only a tiny serving of cheese. To make it even more diet-friendly, consider swapping out white-flour dough for a whole-wheat variety, which is available at most supermarkets or Trader Joe's.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced yellow onion, cut 1/8 inch thick
4 cups sliced red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rings (about 2 large peppers)
1 (6-ounce) bag ready-to-use baby spinach, or 1 (10-ounce) bag ready-to-use spinach
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (10 by 15-inch) Plain or Herb Homemade Pizza Crust
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a 12-inch nonstick saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until they are tender and translucent. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring, until they are tender and soft. Add the spinach in two batches and cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts. Sprinkle with salt. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool while you roll out the crust.

On a lightly floured surface, using a rolling pin, roll one pizza crust dough (half of the recipe) into a 10 by 15-inch rectangle. Ease and stretch to fit a 10 by 15 by 1-inch baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining tablespoon of oil with the garlic. Scrape the mixture onto the crust and brush to cover. Spread the crust evenly with 1 cup of the cheese. Using tongs, lift the veggies from the saute pan and distribute them evenly over the cheese. (Leave any juices in the pan.) Sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese and bake until the crust is cooked through and the cheese is golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Using a spatula, lift and slide the pizza onto a cutting board. Cut in half lengthwise and then each half into quarters widthwise, into eight rectangles. Serve immediately.

Variations
Substitute Swiss or mild Cheddar cheese for the mozzarella.

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-- Lauren Le Vine

See More: Healthy Eating , Food & Recipes