Pizza: not THAT unhealthy?

karmahunger

Alright, not saying I am going to eat it everyday (I don't like it THAT much) but my roomie got pizza delivered tonight. I was pretty hungry, and even though it's late I decided if it wasn't TOO many calories, I'd have a slice (just going to burn it off tomorrow at the gym, anyway). So, I go on Panago.com to look up the nutritional information and was SHOCKED to read the nutritional information: 180 calories, 26g carbs andg protein. Not that much fat either. That is AMAZING.

I had a slice, and don't feel all that guilty. I had a SMALL slice just to make sure I didn't over-do it, but I am absolutely dumbfounded that it has so few calories! I always thought pizza was AT LEAST 400 calories per slice, depending on size. Once again, won't eat it often, trying to eat healthy food, but if I do eat pizza, I know not to feel so guilty

Medilia

Depends on the pizza. I can make a really healthy home made pizza. Just reduce cheese and use thin crust. Put lots of veggies on it and it is all good.

As for store pizza just use self control and eat a little bit it is all about ... can't think of the proper word, but it is all about how much you eat.

keni88

i think the key is the cheap, store bought ones, or the dirty takeaway OTT ones, like stuff crusts with everything on it!
As said above, you can make a really health pizza, wholemeal dough base, your own tomato paste not the store bought stuff with loads of sugar, reduced fat cheese and loads veg or chicken! (making myself hungry now!)

PurpleTina

We make our own with goats cheese and it's quite healthy. Cooked a frozen one for my daughter the other day and was shocked to see it had 1200 calories!! It wasn't even very large!

raethepain

I think the problem is mostly with the the fact it's so moreish- it's easy to get through a whole pizza if you're not careful! But anything can be okay if it's in moderation!

wfte

I think the issue with pizza is the tendency to over indulge.

I'm low carb now but previously used to buy mini pizza bases by Napolina, 6 inch ones. Each base is 220 kcal.
Add some dolmio, 30g low fat cheese, peppers onions, sometimes a diced rasher of bacon. 15 mins in the oven and you're done.

Even with the bacon it hardly reached 450 kcals and was always enough to leave me satisfied.

LittleMissDover

The issue is not many people eat just one slice and for the calories of 3 slices (I could eat more) I could have a much more filling meal.

If I have pizza now it's a Goodfellas Delizia roasted tomato and mozzarella pizza, 372 for a whole small pizza and I have a large salad with it. Take away pizza, here in the UK you can't order by slices (not sure if it's the same there), it's per pizza and I couldn't stop at 2 slices and even if I could it would be a terrible waste of money.

MoreBean13

I have my best runs and lifting sessions the day after pizza. Its my secret weapon. And I definitely don't have just one slice, usually I go with half a pie. I just make it fit in my calories. Mmm pineapple pizza......

Pizza=winning.

karmahunger

I guess over-indulging in pizza has never been an issue for me since I don't like pizza that much.

@Littlemiss: it's not by the slice here either. That'd be odd haha.

I made a gluten-free pizza with my sister last month, with pesto, candied salmon and feta cheese. Don't usually eat fish but YUM.

zachatta

Define what you mean by unhealthy?

eatrainsmile

Yes it's healthy if the crust is whole wheat and topped with good quality cheese and veggies. For me home made pizza is always a win win.

TonyStark30

Pizza is oversized, thats it, nothing wrong with the pizza itself no matter what is is topped with. its just 7 grilled cheese sandwiches in one sitting.

karmahunger

Define what you mean by unhealthy?

As in, salty, fatty and high-calorie...lacking any nutrients? Haha

zachatta

Define what you mean by unhealthy?

As in, salty, fatty and high-calorie...lacking any nutrients? Haha

Fatty = ?
High Calories = it has decent macros really, decent protein, of course it is higher cal per piece, but
i find pizza filling.
Salty = ? Maybe if you eat ridiculous amounts of salt every week for years I am sure there are negative side effects for doing that.

My point is that the term "un healthy" is subjective, You have labeled pizza as "un healthy" and I was asking why.

It really isn't that terrible for you, if you eat it in moderation.

PurpleTina

Define what you mean by unhealthy?

something like 28% fat.

zachatta

Define what you mean by unhealthy?

something like 28% fat.

Why are fats terrible for you again?

Peanut butter has fats, is that bad too?

kendzini13

it's all about moderation Unfortunately I am unable to restrain myself and have just one slice of pizza, particularly when I'm out with friends. I need a friend who wants to share a pizza with me so I don't eat the entire thing! And, homemade and reduce the cheese... I live for the cheese! Pizza is really one of my worst temptations...

wfte

I do hope you're including sat fats in that statement when you say real fats. About as real as you can get.

LinaBo

Depends on the pizza. I can make a really healthy home made pizza. Just reduce cheese and use thin crust. Put lots of veggies on it and it is all good.

As for store pizza just use self control and eat a little bit it is all about ... can't think of the proper word, but it is all about how much you eat.

^^This^^ (Oh, and I think the word you're looking for is "moderation")

witchy_wife

Ah c'mon... the OP didn't claim pizza was bad. She said she THOUGHT it was. I did too. If someone had asked me to guess I would have never said pizza was 180 cals a slice unless it was a tiny one.

The OP is actually agreeing with what you say about pizza, she is just saying she was shocked to discover it, that's all. I thought pizza was something I had to avoid when trying to lose weight but will now investigate various brands or make my own since reading this.

pkw58

Pizza is a trigger food for me... like lay's potato chips, I could never just eat one... slice .... and if there was leftover pizza in the fridge, it made a wonderful breakfast. Not so much as I tended to eat enough calories to supply myself with 3 weeks worth of sodium, fat and carbs.

I have to just walk away from the pizza.....

miss_rierie

Ah c'mon... the OP didn't claim pizza was bad. She said she THOUGHT it was. I did too. If someone had asked me to guess I would have never said pizza was 180 cals a slice unless it was a tiny one.

The OP is actually agreeing with what you say about pizza, she is just saying she was shocked to discover it, that's all. I thought pizza was something I had to avoid when trying to lose weight but will now investigate various brands or make my own since reading this.

THISTHISTHIS.

And I'm not meaning to make a personal attack, I just mean that the way you're expressing yourself could be better -- I feel like you're not reading our posts properly, or you would have realised that YOU'RE ON THE SAME SIDE. :flowerforyou:

CassieReannan

I make my own pizzas with a light wholemeal wrap, light cheese and heaps of vegetables! Its about 300 calories for the whole thing and is the size of a large dinner plate. pizza can be healthy

witchy_wife

I make my own pizzas with a light wholemeal wrap, light cheese and heaps of vegetables! Its about 300 calories for the whole thing and is the size of a large dinner plate. pizza can be healthy

That sounds delicious! In fact I am going to find some wholemeal wraps at lunch time

dawnblu

We used to buy the low fat pizza crusts already prepared but I find that I like fajita size tortilla shells or wraps better (if you like thin crust). The key is to dice the toppings really small so the crust isn't weighed down. I dice up lots of mushrooms and add just a little turkey pepperoni. A serving of pepperoni is about 17 slices I only use one serving for 4 pizzas and dice it up really small. You still get the flavor of the pepperoni with very little of the calories and sodium. Use 2% cheese and some grated parm to kick it up a notch, add italian seasoning and it's better than store bought. And since the crust is only 70 cals, I can eat the whole thing and not feel guilty at all... I think I'm gonna make these this weekend.

MoreBean13

You're making personal attacks, by asking me to explain why pizza is bad...****. We are arguing over pizza. This is stupid. I am not a person who usually eats pizza, and always had the impression all the cheese made it unhealthy. And salt.

NOW. STOP THIS MADNESS.

Cheese is not bad.
Salt is not bad in moderation.
This isn't madness you are suffering from Cognitive Dissonance.

My point is, stop labeling arbitrarily that pizza is bad for you.

Pizza in extreme excess, is probably not good for you.

Pizza by itself, isn't unhealthy.

THAT'S WHAT SHE'S SAYING. For Christ's sake. Most people assume that pizza is unhealthy. It is salty, greasy, fast-food. She's looked up the nutritional info and is expressing her amazement at how the only major problem with it, is portion control.

Why did this argument even happen?

For the record, I also get the feeling that you have a bit of a superiority problem.

Again with the personal attacks.

Someone is making an arbitrary claim, that pizza is bad.

I am asking that person, with logic, to prove their claim.

There isn't anything mean, or superior, about that.

My point is, i get tired of people slapping the arbitrary "unhealthy" label on food, when

they have no justification to do so.

I am glad OP found out today, that pizza isn't as terrible as perceived.

However, any kind of pizza, is not as terrible as perceived, not a specific brand type.

FTR I agree with everything you've said. I must have a superiority complex too, since I appreciate dispelling myths about 'bad foods' and the assumption that salt and fat mean 'unhealthy'. In reality, salt is an essential mineral and fat makes for highly satiating food, and helps with some nutrient absorption. One lesson I recently learned was that a higher fat diet makes it easier to stick to my calorie limits, so I've actually upped my fat intake, making my macro percentages close to even across the board. Its ama,Ing how much that small change has eliminated cravings and keeps me full round the clock.

zachatta

FTR I agree with everything you've said. I must have a superiority complex too, since I appreciate dispelling myths about 'bad foods' and the assumption that salt and fat mean 'unhealthy'. In reality, salt is an essential mineral and fat makes for highly satiating food, and helps with some nutrient absorption. One lesson I recently learned was that a higher fat diet makes it easier to stick to my calorie limits, so I've actually upped my fat intake, making my macro percentages close to even across the board. Its ama,Ing how much that small change has eliminated cravings and keeps me full round the clock.

It's cool as long as people understand that pizza is not Satan, I don't care.

keni88

So not to stoke the fire of a really pointless argument, but by that your saying that i cant make the general assumption (label) that doner kebabs, or burgers are unhealthy.
yes there are going to be exceptions to this rule, as there are with pizza, and serving size is definately a big issue (exactly the point being made!) but by definition and origination, they are not designed as health food! they are indulgent fast foods and therefore UNHEALTHY

Zichu

I used to eat a 1200 calorie plus pizza on a regular basis. That's more than half of my calories, then I would add fries on the side and maybe pick and mess at whatever leftovers we had. Then I would go looking for the Ben & Jerry's.

If I am not in the mood for cooking and pizza is what I fancy, I go with one that is like 850 calories and still the same size as my old pizza's. Instead of pepperoni, small meatballs, different types of salami and a lot of mozzarella, it has mushrooms, spinach and ricotta cheese with a mildly spicy sauce which tastes amazing.

Sometimes I like to make my own pizza, I use a Warburton's Square Wrap, I've used a small amount of cheese, but just recently bought ricotta which I will try. I usually put chicken or tuna on there along with onions, peppers and mushrooms. I use some pasatta and mix in some herbs and garlic powder. It usually comes at around 500 calories and it tastes great.

Amo_Angelus

Pizza can be really good for you or really bad for you depending on how it's made and the same size slice from pizza A can have 4x as many calories as pizza B. Which is why I tend to make pizza rather than order it in. I can control the ingrediants, the method and thus the calories.

zachatta

So not to stoke the fire of a really pointless argument, but by that your saying that i cant make the general assumption (label) that doner kebabs, or burgers are unhealthy.
yes there are going to be exceptions to this rule, as there are with pizza, and serving size is definately a big issue (exactly the point being made!) but by definition and origination, they are not designed as health food! they are indulgent fast foods and therefore UNHEALTHY

This will be my last post. I promise.

Everyone else can label whatever food they want as unhealthy or not, just don't preach it like it is a biblical truth.

That being said, define fast food, what makes fast food unhealthy? What is clean in a food? What is dirty in a food?

If you can't tell us specifically what is clean or dirty in a food, you probably shouldn't label it healthy or unhealthy.

Regardless, exactly what i said prior, Unhealthy is a subjective term. I happen to believe burgers aren't "unhealthy".

There is nothing in a burger that makes it unhealthy.