The Short Answer
Cauliflower crust isn't the low-carb health hack you think it is. Caulipower's Margherita pizza contains 94g of carbohydrates per pie—the exact same amount as Amy's traditional wheat Margherita pizza.
While Caulipower is strictly gluten-free, it relies on highly processed starches, gums, and seed oils to hold its shape. Amy's uses much cleaner, mostly organic ingredients, making it the better overall choice if you tolerate gluten. Is Amys Pizza Clean
Why This Matters
The cauliflower crust trend convinced millions of consumers that they were buying a low-carb, keto-friendly vegetable product. But commercial cauliflower crusts are actually starch bombs. To make pulverized cauliflower behave like pizza dough, manufacturers have to load it up with refined rice flour, tapioca starch, and corn starch. Is Cauliflower Crust Healthier
When comparing two popular "healthy" brands, the ingredient quality matters more than the marketing. Amy's approaches pizza like a traditional bakery. They use unbleached wheat flour, organic tomatoes, and standard yeast to create a wholesome, recognizable pie. Healthiest Frozen Pizza
Caulipower approaches pizza like a chemistry experiment. Their crust contains more than 15 separate ingredients, including sodium acid pyrophosphate and xanthan gum. If you're trying to eat a diet based on whole foods, Caulipower is significantly more processed. Is Caulipower Pizza Clean
What's Actually In These Pizzas
- Cauliflower vs. Wheat Flour — Caulipower leads with cauliflower but backs it up with heavily processed rice and corn starches to create texture. Amy's uses straightforward, organic unbleached wheat flour. Is Cauliflower Crust Healthier
- Vegetable Oil Blends — Both brands cut their premium olive oil with cheaper, inflammatory seed oils. Caulipower uses a blend of canola or sunflower oil, while Amy's uses high-oleic safflower or sunflower oil. Frozen Meals No Seed Oils
- Binders and Additives — Amy's relies on simple baker's yeast to make their dough rise. Caulipower uses xanthan gum and laboratory leavening agents like sodium acid pyrophosphate to mimic the chewy texture of gluten.
- Sodium Levels — A whole Amy's Margherita pizza contains a hefty 1,590mg of sodium. Caulipower is slightly better for blood pressure management, coming in at 1,180mg per whole pie. Is Frozen Pizza Bad
What to Look For
Green Flags:
- Organic unbleached flour — A traditional, minimally processed base for those who tolerate gluten.
- Extra virgin olive oil — The healthiest fat for baking and cooking, used as a primary ingredient in Amy's.
- Real cheese — Both brands use actual whole or part-skim mozzarella with simple cultures, avoiding processed cheese products.
Red Flags:
- Canola and sunflower oil — Highly processed industrial seed oils linked to inflammation, found in both brands.
- Refined starches — Tapioca, corn, and rice starches spike blood sugar just as fast as traditional white flour.
- Xanthan gum — A fermented binder used in gluten-free foods that can cause digestive distress in sensitive individuals.
The Best Options
Neither of these pizzas is perfect, but they both offer a massive upgrade over traditional frozen junk food. Are Frozen Meals Healthy
| Brand | Product | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amy's Kitchen | Margherita Pizza | ✅ | Cleanest overall ingredients if you tolerate gluten. |
| Caulipower | Margherita Pizza | ⚠️ | Acceptable for strictly gluten-free diets, but highly processed. |
| DiGiorno | Standard Frozen Pizzas | 🚫 | Loaded with artificial preservatives and poor-quality ingredients. |
The Bottom Line
1. Don't fall for the low-carb myth. Caulipower has just as many carbs (94g) as Amy's traditional wheat pizza (93g).
2. Choose Amy's for cleaner ingredients. If you don't have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, Amy's traditional organic dough is much less processed.
3. Watch the seed oils. Both brands unfortunately cut corners by blending healthy olive oil with cheaper, inflammatory sunflower or canola oils.
FAQ
Is Caulipower pizza good for weight loss?
Caulipower is not a low-calorie or low-carb diet food. A whole pie contains 740 calories and 94g of carbs, which is comparable to many traditional thin-crust frozen pizzas. If you're eating it strictly for weight loss, you might be disappointed. Is Caulipower Pizza Clean
Does Amy's make a gluten-free pizza?
Yes, Amy's offers rice crust options for those avoiding gluten. However, their traditional wheat pizzas generally have cleaner ingredient profiles than their gluten-free alternatives, which rely on similar processed starches to Caulipower.
Are cauliflower crusts actually healthier?
It depends entirely on the binders. A homemade cauliflower crust bound with just egg and cheese is very low-carb and nutrient-dense. Commercial cauliflower crusts use refined rice and tapioca starches to survive freezing and baking, making them high on the glycemic index. Is Cauliflower Crust Healthier