You can never go wrong marketing pizza to health nuts in southern California. Just ask Anisha Blodgett, owner of Powerhaus Wholesome Pizza & Eats in San Diego.
Blodgett has been serving up good-for-you pies, wraps and smoothies since January 2019 and earning coverage in digital media outlets like Eater San Diego and Sandiegoville.com.
A former New York real estate analyst, Blodgett founded Powerhaus with the goal of offering a healthy, protein-packed version of pizza and other menu items that benefit the body. She even worked with a holistic nutritionist to create her superfood- and vegetable-based smoothies and with a naturopath to make sure each dish has the right balance of nutritious ingredients and flavor.
“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,” Blodgett told PB Monthly. “I found this very challenging and started experimenting with protein in my recipes.”
The pizzas at Powerhaus Wholesome Pizza & Eats feature locally sourced California tomatoes and naturally raised meats, plus crusts enriched with plant-based protein.
Her ingredients include locally sourced California tomatoes, milk from grass-fed dairy and naturally raised meats that are uncured and free of antibiotics. She also offers vegan options, such as vegan cashew mozzarella and plant-based chicken, plus four healthy crusts: a whole grain crust enriched with plant-based protein and omega-4-rich healthy fats; a garlic herb crust made with organic, additive-free flour; a gluten-free white crust bursting with 13 grams of plant-based protein; and a low-carb, gluten-free cauliflower crust.
Powerhaus’ wrap options include the Cali, featuring plant-based or traditional chicken, carrots, feta, arugula, hemp seeds, apple, red onions and a mango apple cider vinaigrette, and the Balsamic, with the same chicken options, spinach, roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onions, basil, feta, almonds, pumpkin seeds and a balsamic glaze.
A welcoming ambience gets customers in the mood for healthy pizza at this San Diego eatery.
Blodgett has worked with local health and fitness influencers and business owners to build out her menu and cross-promote the restaurant. To create a dessert-like smoothie, she collaborated with local blogger Christina Rice, creator of the Paleo Women Lifestyle Program, on the Pumpkin Spice, made with pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, maca, almond butter, walnuts, cacao nibs, apple, banana and coconut cream.
In February, Blodgett hosted a “lunch and learn” session about the heart and circulation health with a local physician, Dr. Emily Poccia, and appeared on local TV station Fox 5, making pizzas and smoothies, kombucha and wraps. And she has co-hosted events with wellness-oriented fitness studios, businesses and organizations in the area, such as Barre Body, Movement Warehouse, Spirit Yoga and the Milestone Running Club.
“It’s all about balance when it comes to eating and maintaining a sustainable healthy lifestyle, and I’m really excited that our menu has grown to offer even more options,” Blodgett told the San Diego Food Finds restaurant blog. “Rather than eliminating some of our favorite foods from our diet that many would consider a ‘cheat meal’ like pizza, which is often loaded with processed and unhealthy ingredients, our philosophy is to enhance it … to its highest potential by instead incorporating superfoods and plant-based protein.”
