Now that this weekends festivities have passed, my body is craving lighter foods especially lighter on digestion after a weekend of indulging in food and drinks. Therefore, I’m back with another “boat” recipe since you guys went crazy for those Beachy Papaya Boats with Papaya Seed Drizzle, wow. I couldn’t resist the temptation to share another boat recipe only this time for a savory dish. These Zucchini Pizza Boats are amazing for those of you monitoring your carbohydrate intake, on a weight loss/fat loss plan and need to easily shed a couple calories without sacrificing flavor one bit or even being conscious of it!

Who else used to eat pizza breads when they were younger? I specifically remember going to my friends houses after school and heating up pizza bread in the microwave or oven (we didn’t keep them around much in our house), watching TRL (oh my gosh T.R.L you guys!), and gossiping over boys, etc. You know, all those important things in life when you’re a 13 year old girl.  Nonetheless, I had a random craving for a pizza bread the other day and was thinking, okay McKel 1) you’re not 13 and 2) how can I possibly integrate that beloved snack into my lifestyle now, the Nutrition Stripped lifestyle. Easy answer, zucchini.

Using zucchini instead of refined carbohydrates like processed pizza dough, flour, and the like dramatically reduce not only the processed foods but also the carbohydrates. Carbohydrates aren’t all bad, I love carbohydrates! But if you’re on a weight loss or fat loss plan like many of my clients, there’s a happy medium between too many carbohydrates (excess fat storage, amongst others) and too little carbohydrates (sacrificing lean body mass, amongst others).

Zucchini is a vegetable magician, it transforms most carbohydrate rich recipes into a hearty, filling, yet low carbohydrate counterpart. Take my Raw Zucchini Bread Truffles for example, or Fig Zucchini Pasta, or the grain-free Zucchini Bread so famously known on NS, or my most recent FAVORITE Blue Morning Smoothie Bowl using frozen zucchini! My point being, zucchini is an amazing vegetable to sneak into your diet to add fiber and to hydrate you as it’s loaded with water.

These pizza boats on their own aren’t meant to be an entree unless you add in a serving of protein, the healthy fat included in the suggestions, and maybe a big ole’ green salad on the side. Here are some options for protein: chickpeas, lentils, egg (hey, you can’t knock it until you try it), hemp seeds, nuts/seeds in general, or any animal protein you enjoy following the NS philosophy.

Top it! These Zucchini Pizza Boats, five ways can be varied to suit your tastes. I’ve developed these five “around the globe” themed pizzas that I LOVE and think you will to.

Zucchini Pizza Boats, five ways

1. Italian-style

Classic Cashew Cheese as the base instead of tomato sauce + chopped basil + chopped roma tomatoes + drizzle of olive oil

2. Indian-style

Tomato sauce as the base + mushrooms + eggplant + curry spice + parsley + chopped walnuts + lentils

3. Mediterranean-style

Tomato sauce as the base + chopped olives + capers + sun-dried tomatoes + drizzle of olive oil

4. Veggie lovers

Tomato sauce + red bell peppers + mushrooms + red onion + arugula + slivered almonds

5. Mexican-style

Classic Cashew Cheese + jalapeno + red onion + yellow bell pepper + red pepper flakes + fresh avocado

My favorite is the Indian-style, you all know I’m a sucker for curry, lentils and everything spicy!

I’d love to see all of your creations of this recipe, remember always have fun with my recipes and include things that you love. Show me what you make and come up with a creative “name” use the #nutritionstripped to share it with me and the other NS lifers!

xx McKel