You can buy pregrilled chicken in grocery stores these days for convenience, or you can make it yourself in bulk a couple of days a week (see Basic Grilled Chicken, page 219). If you make it yourself, you’re apt to save a lot of sodium—and likely a lot of money too. I love adding chicken to pizza. The addition of plenty of lean protein can transform pizza into a very well-balanced meal. Because chicken is so low in fat, it’s best to put it under the cheese (instead of on top, like you traditionally would with meat toppings) when making pizza—you’ll keep the chicken from drying out.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 (10-ounce) Boboli whole-wheat pizza crust

　　3/4 cup low-fat pizza or marinara sauce (lower-sodium, if possible)

　　8 ounces Basic Grilled Chicken (see page 219) or lean, store-bought grilled chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

　　2 ounces (about 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) finely shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (no more than 3 g of fat per ounce; I used Lucerne, found at Safeway chains)

　　1 tablespoon grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese (look for it in a plastic canister or jar, not in the refrigerated section)

　　1 to 2 tablespoons fresh basil slivers, optional

　　1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste, optional

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

　　

Step 2

Place the crust on a baking sheet large enough for it to lie flat. Spread the sauce evenly over the crust to cover all but the outer 1/2 inch. Top it evenly with the chicken and then the mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, and red pepper flakes, if using. Bake the pizza until the cheese melts and the dough is lightly crisped, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer it to a platter or cutting board. Let stand 5 minutes, and then slice into 8 equal slices and serve immediately.

　　

nutrition information

Step 3

Each (2 slice) serving has:

　　

Step 4

Calories: 310

　　

Step 5

Protein: 26g

　　

Step 6

Carbohydrates: 40g

　　

Step 7

Fat: 7g

　　

Step 8

Saturated fat: 3g

　　

Step 9

Cholesterol: 39mg

　　

Step 10

Fiber: 6g

　　

Step 11

Sodium: 667mg

　　Reprinted with permission from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander. Copyright © 2010 Devin Alexander. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Devin Alexander is the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever, Fast Food Fix, and coauthor of The New York Times bestsellers The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. She was a chef on NBC's The Biggest Loser and the host of Healthy Decadence on Discover Health and FitTV.