Do you know what today is?
If you said "March 14th," you are right, but it's much more than just March 14th!
Quick flashback to math class…
it’s Pi Day!
And that's not all...it's also the start of March Madness (also known as the NCAA basketball tournament)!
For those of us who love food, Pi Day is not about the mathematical formula (which happens to be the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter...just in case this trivia comes in handy today).
It's about great food!
And, yes, those of us who are passionate about REAL food can still celebrate Pi Day with the best of them!
We all know many "pies" are the perfect paradise for sugars, "bad for you" fats, sodium and a variety of artificial ingredients for color, taste and texture. Fruit pies...cream pies...pot pies…and the most popular, pizza pies!
For example, the Pizza Hut Meat Lover's Personal Pan Pizza has a SUPER-LONG list of ingredients (too many to list here) and contains 740 calories, 38 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 70 g carbs and a whopping 1,600 mg sodium. And it’s personalized, so who doesn’t eat the whole thing?!
Don't worry, REAL food lovers...pie-inspired foods can be very nutritious…and delicious!
Pizza Pies!
If you use whole grains for the pizza crust, and then top it with a great-tasting combination of vegetables, lean meats, fruits and nuts, you will get one amazing combination of nutrients!
Plus, you will find yourself saying, “this tastes so much better than takeout!” Enjoy the Spinach Artichoke Pesto Pizza on a whole-wheat pita…the whole pizza has 390 calories, 13 g fat, 2.8 g saturated fat, 51 g carbs and 640mg sodium.
And it’s not so much about these numbers as it is the fact it provides a fantastic balance of nutrients for your body!
Here are some more incredibly good – and good for you – pizza-pie ideas:
Cherry Tomato Margherita Pizza
Shallot, Asparagus & Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza
Mexican Black Bean Veggie Pizza
Get creative and make a vegetable crust!
Amp up the nutrition by using vegetables as the crust…zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, portobello mushrooms, and cauliflower are excellent options. If you haven’t already, we highly encourage you to give these a try:
Portobello Stuffed with Sausage, Spinach and Mozzarella
Cauliflower Pizza Crust (after many failed attempts, we FINALLY came up with a version that is really delicious and "website-worthy!)
What about Pot Pie?
Eat REAL America has ideas for pot pies too — try the Sweet and Savory Crustless Beef Pot Pie, Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Topping, the Chicken Pot Pie with Cornmeal Crust or the Moroccan Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie!
Sweet tooth?
“Pi Day” is, of course, the perfect day to enjoy other pie-inspired sweet treats!
The Strawberry Pie with Walnut Oat Cookie Crust is a great way to prepare your taste buds for spring flavors that are right around the corner. Or, for a simpler version, try the No Bake Strawberry Delight.
Other great pie-inspired sweet treats include the Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Pie, Fruit Topped Dutch Baby, Baked Apples with Oatmeal Cookie Granola, Homemade Apple Pie Granola and Apple Pie Overnight Oatmeal, and the Everyday Fruit Crisp!
Here we go basketball fans...the start of March Madness means brackets, food, drinks, parties…and did I mention FOOD?! Since March Madness games and food seem to go hand-in-hand, that got us thinking…
what if each school in the tournament had an official food?
What food would you associate with each team? Here are just a few ideas:
Princeton:
Their food would have to be something that supports healthy brain function…like Salmon! After all, only 4% of applicants are typically accepted to Princeton each year, so there must be some brain-healthy foods going on there! Serve up the Tropical Salmon Sandwich and your guests will rave about this fantastic sandwich…everything is grilled including the salmon, pineapple, jalapeño and avocado!
Kentucky:
What else could be the official food of Kentucky, but Fried Chicken! Since fried foods don’t qualify as healthy, Kentucky fans can celebrate with the Healthi-Fried Chicken Drumsticks or the Pecan Crusted Chicken!
Duke:
What else could the Blue Devil’s official food be but Deviled Eggs? So, it’s the perfect time to enjoy Blue Deviled Eggs! Mash the yolks with a little mayo and blue cheese, and then serve the deviled eggs topped with hot sauce, sliced celery and more blue cheese if desired.
Kansas:
The Jayhawks are always in the running for the Final Four — they are one of the “go-to” teams when you are filling out your brackets. So, their official food must be anything with the "GO-TO" seasoning!
Villanova:
If you play your home games in Philly or in the outskirts of Philly, it’s a no-brainer, your official food must be the Philly Cheesesteak!
It may sound crazy serving a meatless version to a bunch of ravenous basketball fans, but there is a good chance they won’t even notice. Give the Portobello Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches a try!
Celebrate π Day in style and enjoy the madness!
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