How Many Carbs Are In A Gluten-Free Pizza: Is It Better For You?

Last Updated on June 29, 2022

Today, we’re going to be answering the question: how many carbs are in a gluten-free pizza? When you first receive your diagnosis, foods like pizza, pasta, and bread are usually the first to go. They contain a huge percentage of wheat in the ingredients and are definitely not suitable for a gluten-free diet.

However, there are plenty of gluten-free options available nowadays, especially when it comes to gluten-free bread. You’ll likely have heard that there are less carbs in gluten-free food. But is that rumor true? Let’s take a closer look.

What Is A Gluten Free Diet?

You may be unfamiliar with what a gluten-free diet is. A gluten-free diet is when you remove any food or drinks containing gluten from your lifestyle. Gluten is found in the proteins of many popular grains, including wheat, rye, and barley. While you may first think it’s easy to follow this lifestyle – these grains appear in more food products than you may think!

While some people may choose to follow this diet as it’s deemed “healthier”, there are many of us who don’t have a choice. This is because we have gluten intolerance; whether through Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Continuing to eat gluten after a Celiac diagnosis can cause serious damage to your body.

Gluten is found in a range of everyday foods such as bread, pizza, pasta, biscuits, and cakes.

What Foods Are Naturally Gluten Free?

You may be wondering which food are naturally free from gluten. Foods like fresh meats, fruit, vegetables, and nuts are highly unlikely to contain any gluten unless they have any additional flavorings or seasonings. Other popular foods which shouldn’t contain gluten are fish, seeds, beans, legumes, eggs, and dairy. The most common foods that contain gluten that isn’t in the obvious group of bread and pasta, are foods that are highly processed.

Learn more about: What To Eat for Breakfast That Is Gluten Free: Best GF Breakfast

What Is Gluten Free Pizza Made Of?

Gluten-free pizza crust can be made from a selection of grains. Most of the time, instead of wheat flour used, naturally, gluten-free flours will be used in its place. Some of the most popular replacements are rice flour, potato starch, almond flour, and tapioca starch. However, recently there’s been a huge rise in vegetable-based gluten-free crusts, including cauliflower and butternut squash.

How Many Carbs In Gluten Free Pizza?

The number of carbs in pizza will obviously differ depending on which size pizza you have, and what the base is made from. If you’re opting for a vegetable-based pizza crust, the carbs will be much lower. However, if made with gluten-free flour – the carbs will typically be higher than in a traditional pizza crust.

A 10-inch gluten-free pizza crust (made from gluten-free flour) contains around 28g of carbohydrates. Whereas a traditional 10-inch pizza crust (containing gluten) contains around 22g of carbohydrates. It’s a myth that a gluten-free diet contains less carbs than a gluten-containing diet. While lots of gluten-containing foods are right in carbs, their gluten-free replacements usually are too!

How Many Carbs In Gluten Free Pasta?

There is no real difference between the carbs in regular pasta vs gluten-free pasta. Take penne pasta, for example. 100g of regular pasta contains 32g of carbs, whereas 100g of gluten-free pasta contains 36g of carbs. The main distinction between the two pastas are the texture. Gluten-free pasta does take some time to adjust to!

Read more about: Gluten Free Large Pasta Shells: Where To Buy

How Many Carbs In Gluten Free Bread?

Much like pasta, the significant difference between regular bread and gluten-free bread is the texture. If we look at a loaf of white bread – 100g of regular bread contains around 45g of carbs, whereas 100g of gluten-free bread contains 51g of carbs. The important thing to remember is that gluten-free food can be just as rich in carbohydrates as gluten-containing foods.

Is A Gluten Free Diet Healthier?

While lots of people choose to follow a gluten-free diet, there is no real evidence to suggest it offers a healthier lifestyle. However, a huge percentage of the population has a mild intolerance to gluten, and eliminating it from your diet can help symptoms such as cramps and bloating. You can find out more about the benefits of living gluten-free here.

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped to answer the question: how many carbs are in a gluten-free pizza? And also gives you an idea of the differences between popular gluten-containing foods, against their gluten-free alternatives.

Were you surprised that the majority of the substitutes were higher in calories than their gluten-containing opposites? If so, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. Sharing is caring! It’s also worth nothing that there are lower-carb alternatives available.

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