In Good Taste: Powerhaus offers protein-packed pizzas and wraps in Pacific Beach
In Good Taste:
Pizza is notorious for being every dieter’s nemesis — until now.
Anisha Blodgett opened Powerhaus Wholesome Pizza & Eats in January 2019 and has been serving the health-conscious community protein-packed and unprocessed pizzas ever since. The mission of the restaurant is to support others in their wellness journey by making simple and enjoyable food — all recipes are created to maximize their nutritional benefits.
“It’s particularly important for the families in our community who want to feed their children what they crave eating,” Blodgett told PB Monthly via e-mail. “Now we provide a way to do so that supports short-term happiness and long-term health!”
According to Blodgett, her idea for a high-protein and unprocessed pizza establishment came from personal experience.
“As a vegetarian who is passionate about weight-lifting and fitness, I aim to eat a high protein diet — sometimes aiming for 100 grams of protein a day,” she explained. “I found this very challenging, and started experimenting with protein in my recipes.”
Blodgett even works closely with naturopathic Dr. Emily Poccia of Wildcraft Medicine to ensure each dish has a balanced amount of fresh, natural, organic and nutritious ingredients for ideal health, while still tasting delicious.
Recognizing that pizza is often loaded with processed and unhealthy ingredients, Blodgett stated: “Instead of being a junk food that I restricted myself from eating, and felt guilty about when I did, I wanted to change the way pizza was made.”
In a recent press release, she further noted her philosophy is to enhance pizza, along with Powerhaus’ smoothies, salads and wraps by incorporating superfoods and plant-based protein.
Ingredients, she said, include locally-sourced California tomatoes, grass-fed dairy and naturally-raised meats that are uncured and antibiotic-free.
True to its mission to make the wellness journey for all, Powerhaus offers vegan, gluten-free and low-carb options — including vegan cashew mozzarella and non-GMO vegan “chicken,” along with four pizza crust selections lauding their own specific benefit:
• Whole-grain crust: enhanced with plant-based protein (containing more than 30 grams of protein in the crust alone) and omega-4 rich healthy fats
• Garlic herb crust: made with organic, additive-free flour;
• Gluten-free white crust: contains 13 grams of plant-based protein;
• Cauliflower-based crust: low-carb and gluten-free.
In December, Powerhaus Pizza upped the ante with an expanded menu that boasts the addition of healthful wraps and new smoothie varieties.
Now, customers can indulge in the Beet Wrap (beets, sesame citrus carrots, spinach, pumpkin seeds, almonds, feta, and chia seeds) and the Cali Wrap (arugula, green peppers, carrots, red onion, feta, hemp seeds, apple, and mango apple cider vinaigrette). Both come with a choice of toasted chickpeas or naturally-raised chicken for the protein selection.
The smoothie options include The Green Drink with mint, ginger, spinach, celery, chlorophyll (to boost red blood cell count and support the immune system), apple, lemon juice and coconut water.
Or, for a more fruity/less veggie flavor, The Strawberry Sunrise smoothie blends strawberries, mango, pineapple, oats, glutamine (an amino acid that helps with tissue recovery and prevents muscle breakdown), orange juice and choice of protein (collagen, grass-fed whey or organic plant-based).
For those in the mood for something more dessert-y, Powerhaus collaborated with Christina Rice, a local blogger and creator of Paleo Women Lifestyle Program, to create Pumpkin Spice — made with pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, maca, almond butter, walnuts, cacao nibs, apple, banana and coconut cream.
Powerhaus goes the extra mile to promote health and wellness by hosting panel discussions with community leaders regarding body image and eating disorders.
Dr. Poccia even hosts monthly meet-ups on health topics including the gut-brain connection, natural hormone balancing, food as medicine, stress reduction and more.
The restaurant also co-hosts lifestyle events with wellness-oriented neighbors, such as Barre Body fitness studio, Movement Warehouse fitness studio, Spirit Yoga, Corepower Yoga, Belle and Barre fitness studio, Facility dance studio, Rush Cycle spin studio, and Milestone Running Club.
“I opened Powerhaus in Pacific Beach specifically because I love the health and wellness-minded community in this neighborhood,” stated Blodgett.
“Powerhaus is an opportunity for our community members to live healthier and happier.”
— Powerhaus Wholesome Pizza & Eats is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 1550 Garnet Ave. powerhauspizza.com