Caulipower is a brand of frozen cauliflower pizza crusts and other cauliflower-based products that have become popular in recent years. The company markets its products as a healthy alternative to traditional pizza crusts and claims they are “validated by nutritionists” as being low carb and high in fiber and nutrients. But are Caulipower products actually as healthy as they seem? Let’s take a closer look at the nutrition facts and ingredients to find out.
Nutrition Facts
Here are the basic nutrition facts for Caulipower’s original cauliflower pizza crust, per 1/3 crust serving (71g):
| Calories | 70 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 2g |
| Carbs | 10g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Protein | 3g |
Right away, we can see that Caulipower crusts are significantly lower in calories, carbs, and fat compared to a traditional pizza crust. For example, a 71g serving of original Caulipower crust contains 70 calories, while the same serving size of a regular pizza crust can contain 150-200 calories.
The 3g of fiber per serving is also a nice boost. Getting 25-30g of fiber per day is recommended, so Caulipower crusts can help contribute to your daily fiber intake.
However, it’s important to note that these numbers are for the crust alone without any toppings. Once you load on the cheese, sauce, and other toppings, the calorie and fat content will increase significantly. Still, Caulipower’s crust gives you a nutritional head start compared to regular pizza.
Ingredients
Now let’s look at the ingredients list for Caulipower’s original crust:
Cauliflower, water, rice flour, eggs, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, sunflower oil, modified food starch, soy protein, yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, spices.
The first ingredient is cauliflower, which is a good sign. We want to see the advertised main ingredient at the top of the list.
The next ingredients are mostly binders, starches, and leavening agents needed to make the cauliflower bind together into a pizza crust. Rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and modified food starch provide structure. Eggs help bind. Yeast helps the crust rise.
Overall, the ingredient list looks relatively clean. There are no artificial colors, flavors, or concerning additives. The only potential red flag is the soy protein, which some people prefer to avoid. But for most people, the ingredients should be fine.
One thing missing from the ingredient list? A decent hit of protein. With only 3g per serving, the crust itself lacks protein compared to a whole wheat pizza crust which can provide 5-8g. So you won’t be getting much protein from the crust itself.
Micronutrients
In addition to the macronutrients like carbs, protein and fat, we also want to consider the vitamin and mineral content.
Here are some of the main micronutrients cauliflower provides:
– Vitamin C: 77% DV per serving. Cauliflower is high in immune-boosting vitamin C.
– Vitamin K: 11% DV. Important for blood clotting.
– Folate: 10% DV. Crucial for cell growth and DNA production.
– Manganese: 7% DV. An antioxidant needed for nutrient metabolism.
– Vitamin B6: 6% DV. Helps convert food into energy.
– Potassium: 5% DV. Supports heart health and muscle function.
So in terms of micronutrients, cauliflower packs a punch. It accounts for nearly all the vitamins and minerals in the Caulipower crust. Replacing a refined grain like white flour with cauliflower means you’ll get a lot more beneficial nutrients.
Low Carb Credentials
One of the main selling points of Caulipower is that it’s low carb.
Indeed, at 10g net carbs per serving, it’s much lower in carbs than a traditional pizza crust made with white flour. A serving of white flour pizza crust can have 30-40g of carbs.
So if you’re on a low carb, keto, or diabetic diet, Caulipower offers a substantial reduction in carbs compared to regular pizza crust.
However, when people are doing very low carb diets like keto (20-50g per day), those 10g of carbs from Caulipower can still add up quickly. Adding sauce, cheese, and toppings will bump up the carbs further.
So Cauliplower crust is lower carb than regular crust, but not extremely low carb if you’re strictly watching carbs.
Gluten Free
In addition to being lower carb, Caulipower products are also certified gluten-free. This makes them suitable for anyone following a gluten-free diet due to celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Caulipower uses rice flour instead of regular wheat flour, making the crusts gluten-free. This gives people with gluten restrictions more pizza options.
However, it’s important to note that even though it’s gluten-free, Caulipower crust is still a processed food made with refined flour. So it won’t have the same nutritional value as an unprocessed, whole food gluten-free option like a sweet potato or chickpea flatbread crust.
Low Calorie
At just 70 calories per serving, Caulipower also scores points for being low calorie, especially compared to a 250-300 calorie slice of regular pizza.
This can make it easier to fit into a weight loss diet. You can eat a satisfying slice of veggie pizza on Caulipower crust for under 200 calories total, versus 350+ calories for the same slice on regular crust.
However, once you add on multiple slices or high calorie toppings and sides, those calories can still add up fast. Portion control is still important.
High in Fiber
One significant benefit of Caulipower products is that they are high in fiber. Each serving provides 3g of fiber, which is a substantial amount for a pizza crust.
Fiber provides many health benefits including:
– Improved digestion and regularity
– Increased satiety after meals
– Balanced blood sugar levels
– Lower cholesterol
– Reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes
Most Americans only get around 15g of fiber per day, while the recommendation is 25-30g. So the fiber from Caulipower crusts can help boost your daily intake.
However, to maximize fiber, it would be even better to pair your Caulipower pizza with a big salad full of high fiber veggies and beans.
Nutrient Density
In addition to being low calorie and high fiber, Caulipower crust is more nutrient dense than a standard white flour pizza crust.
Cauliflower contains a host of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These nutrients are lacking in refined grains like white flour.
So by replacing a less nutrient dense ingredient with cauliflower, you are getting more nutritional bang for your caloric buck.
However, cauliflower loses some of its nutrient density once processed into flour. It’s still not nearly as nutritious as eating raw or gently cooked cauliflower. But it’s better than white flour.
Protein Content
One area where Caulipower crust is lacking a bit is protein. With just 3g per serving, it doesn’t provide much protein on its own.
A grain-based crust like whole wheat offers more protein, usually around 5-8g per serving.
This doesn’t mean Caulipower crust is too low in protein if you top it properly. By adding a protein source like chicken, beans, cheese, or veggies like mushrooms, you can easily boost the protein. But the crust itself is low.
So if you are an athlete or trying to increase daily protein intake, you may want a plant-based or whole grain crust to provide more protein from the base.
Satiety
Replacing refined grains with cauliflower, fiber and protein should improve satiety from Caulipower crusts.
These nutrients take longer to digest, leading to increased feelings of fullness and satisfaction after eating. This means you’ll likely feel fuller compared to eating regular crust.
The increased satiety can help with weight management by preventing overeating later. It also leads to more steady energy levels rather than spikes and crashes from high glycemic foods.
However, individual experiences with satiety will vary. Some may not feel a big difference depending on portion sizes and toppings.
Taste and Texture
In the taste and texture department, opinions are mixed on Caulipower products. Some people say they have a great flavor and texture similar to regular pizza crust.
However, others feel the cauliflower flavor comes through too strongly or the texture is too mushy. There are also complaints that the crust lacks structure and can fall apart easily when loading on toppings.
Texture and taste preferences are highly individual, so it’s hard to make definitive claims here. The best bet is to try Caulipower yourself and decide if you enjoy the taste and texture. Some people love it while others don’t like the cauliflower flavor profile.
Price
One frequent complaint about Caulipower is the high price, especially compared to regular frozen pizzas. Their pizzas cost around $9-12 depending on the retailer, while frozen pizzas are often $3-7.
The added cost comes from using higher quality ingredients like cauliflower, eggs, and real cheese instead of artificial ingredients found in cheap frozen pizzas.
The price also reflects facility certification costs, food processing equipment, and increased labor compared to highly automated large-scale pizza producers.
So while Caulipower costs more than frozen pizza, you are getting a product free of artificial additives with better ingredients. It’s up to you whether the added quality is worth the extra cost or not.
Environmental Impact
In terms of environmental impact, Caulipower frozen pizzas require substantial water and energy to grow the cauliflower, process and freeze it into pizza crusts, and package and distribute the final product. There is definitely an environmental cost, like most frozen foods.
However, food waste is a major issue in frozen pizzas. If you frequently have to throw out unused portions of take-out pizza, Caulipower’s smaller single serving crusts may help reduce waste since you take out only what you need. But overall, any heavily processed frozen food will have some sustainability drawbacks.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, here are the key highlights:
– Caulipower crusts are lower in calories, carbs, and fat compared to regular pizza crust. The cauliflower base gives it a nutritional advantage.
– The ingredients are relatively simple and clean, free of artificial additives. But the crust is still decently processed.
– Caulipower provides more beneficial nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals vs. white flour crust. But it loses some of cauliflower’s original nutrients in processing.
– It’s substantially lower carb and gluten-free, making it suitable for low carb and gluten-free diets. But it’s not extremely low carb.
– The fiber and nutrients may provide more satiety, but protein content is low compared to whole grain crusts.
– Taste and texture appeal are mixed; some love it, some don’t like the cauliflower flavor.
– It’s pricier than regular frozen pizza, but you may waste less if taking individual servings.
– Not the most sustainable option, but likely better than frequent wasted take-out pizza.
Overall, Caulipower makes a convenient, low carb pizza base that’s more nutritious than flour-based crust without artificial additives. But it’s still decently processed and lacks whole food properties. Some may not like the taste or find it worth the cost. In moderation, it can be a healthier option for pizza lovers looking for more vegetables and fiber. But don’t treat it like a health food.