Product review: PBCo protein pizza bases

The folks at PBCo (previously The Protein Bread Co) have added ready-made pizza bases to their product range of mixes. WIth PBCo protein pizza bases you can enjoy pizza without derailing your body composition goals.

Protein pizza bases

Each packet of PBCo protein pizza bases comes with 2x 28cm, thin bases. These are very high in protein, lower in carbs and vegan. However, unlike the protein pizza mix, they are not gluten-free.

Ingredients

Water, lupin protein, high protein wheat flour, rice protein, olive oil, golden flax meal, yeast, salt, bread improver (inactive dry yeast, vitamin C, enzyme).

Nutrition information

Nutrient	Per serve (1/2 pizza base)
Energy (kJ)	1073
Energy (Cal)	256
Protein (g)	25.0
Fat, total (g)	9.4
– Saturated (g)	1.5
Carbohydrate (g)	8.8
– Sugars (g)	1.9
Dietary fibre (g)	9.1
Sodium (mg)	366 mg

Taste test

I tried the pizza bases at the Fitness Show a couple of months ago. I liked the taste, thinness and texture and, even though they’re not gluten-free, didn’t get any noticeable adverse effects. I bought a couple of bags to try at home. The package recommends baking it on a pizza stone or directly over a rack. I baked them on a rack placed over a tray and they were ready within the recommended cooking time (7-8 minutes). The edges get crispy and the centre is sturdy enough to allow eating with your hands.

The serving size, according to the package, is 1/2 pizza base. In reality, one reasonably hungry adult will need 1 whole pizza to be full. This represents 50g of protein and 17.6g of carbohydrate without counting the toppings. The resulting total amount of protein is likely unnecessary to support health, muscle growth and performance. This is mainly because our bodies can only utilise a finite amount of protein at every eating occasion. In this case, it would be better to stick to the 1/2 pizza base and pair it with a large salad or vegetable soup.

More information

Head to PBCo’s website to learn more about this and other products.

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