6 Ways To Order A Healthy Pizza - Consumer Reports

6 Ways to Order a Healthy Pizza

You can score a good-for-you pie without sacrificing taste

By Trisha Calvo Last updated: September 05, 2018 SHARES

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Unless you make it yourself, it's tough to serve up a healthy pizza. All the fat, calories, and sodium in a typical pizza wouldn't matter as much if Americans weren't such big fans of the stuff, but on any given day, pizza is on the menu for 1 in 8 people, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. And on those days, it accounts for 25 percent of the average adult's calories and a third of the sodium.

Fortunately, with a few simple tweaks you can turn takeout pies from one of the national chains or your local pizzeria into a healthier pizza.

1. Downsize Your Pie

Opt for medium pizzas over large ones. "It can make a big nutritional difference on a slice-by-slice basis, and no one is likely to mind that the slices are a little smaller," says Amy Keating, R.D., a nutritionist at Consumer Reports.

For example, one slice of a large cheese pizza at Papa John's has 280 calories, 9 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, and 680 mg of sodium. A medium slice has 200 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, and 480 mg of sodium.

2. Don't Get It Stuffed

Stuffing a large Pizza Hut crust with cheese adds about 20 calories, 2 grams of fat, and 120 mg of sodium per slice. And speaking of cheese, we don't have to tell you that the words "extra," "double," and "triple" boost calories, fat, and sodium.

3. Go Thin, Not Deep

You'll get a lot more calories and fat in a deep-dish or pan-style pizza than in a regular pie. For instance, a Little Caesars Deep Deep cheese has 320 calories and 11 grams of fat per slice. A slice of its regular pie has 250 calories and 8 grams of fat.

On the other hand, opting for the thin-crust version, when available, usually saves you calories. At Papa John's, you'll cut 70 calories per large slice of a cheese pizza. At Domino's, a large thin-crust slice has about 60 fewer calories than a regular hand-tossed slice.

4. Pile On the Veggies

Any vegetable makes a healthier topping than meat. Most marry well with pizza, so mix and match your favorites. At the chains, vegetable pizzas tend to have fewer calories and less fat—and there are a surprising number of decent choices.

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Per medium thin-crust slice, Pizza Hut's Veggie Lovers pie has 170 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 440 mg of sodium. A slice of a large Garden Fresh thin-crust pie at Papa John's has 210 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 460 mg of sodium.

A slice of Little Caesars veggie pizza (regular crust) has 270 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 570 mg of sodium per large slice. The calorie count for a large thin-crust cheese pizza with tomato and spinach at Domino's is 200 per slice.

If you really want meat, go for chicken or lean ham instead of sausage or pepperoni.

5. Start With a Salad

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that women who had a large mixed salad (about 3 cups) before a meal ate 12 percent fewer calories, even when the salad calories were factored in.

6. Skip the Dip

If you've ever ordered a Papa John's pizza, you're probably familiar with the buttery garlic dipping sauce provided on the side. Other national chains have also embraced the dipping trend in recent years, offering some version of garlic butter or ranch dipping sauce.

Unsurprisingly, these dips add significant fat and calories. For instance, one serving of Little Caesars' Ranch Caesar dip contains 250 calories and 25 grams of fat, while its Buttery Garlic Caesar dip has a whopping 380 calories and 42 grams of fat. Similarly, a Domino's Garlic Dipping Cup will add 250 calories and 28 grams of fat to your meal.

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Trisha Calvo

I've covered health and nutrition my entire career, so I know how to separate science from hype. Whether it's about food labels, sunscreen, or food safety, my goal is to deliver information that makes following a healthy lifestyle easier. Healthy cooking is a favorite hobby, and friends think I'm crazy, but I can happily spend hours grocery shopping. Follow me on Twitter. (@TrishaCalvo)

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