Pizza: not THAT unhealthy?

paulaviki

In the UK the pizza express small pizzas they sell in supermarkets are about 580 calories which isnt bad for a whole pizza!!

EvgeniZyntx

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

Is this based on some moral code that indulgence is bad?
I indulge in sports that I like and am indulgent in lots of activities that benefit me - reading, travel, sex, etc. Morally questionable?

The issue is volume - not the food type. A ton of carrots will kill you as surely as a ton of pizza.

Pizza is likely not going to be in my list of foods often, simply because for me, I prefer to lots of other things. But I suggest that you look at nutritional value vs calories within a overall diet and pizza, chocolate, burgers and ice cream can all fit in nicely.

TheViperMan

As I've been making my own pizzas at home (spinning the dough and all!) I thought I'd "weigh in" here...

There are basically two elements of pizza that will affect your weight-loss efforts: the crust, and the cheese. LUCKILY low-fat mozzarella cheese has less calories-per-serving than cheddar, and parmesan cheese has even less. So if you just go a little light, you'll probably find it rather easy to stay within your ranges. As far as the crust goes, I started making mini-homemade pizzas for lunch with a lightly-toasted tortilla shell. It makes a phenomenal "thin-crust" pizza, topped with a serving-size of Del Grosso sauce, deli-pepperoni (less salt than the Hormel bagged kind) mushrooms, black olives, onions, mild pepper rings, some italian seasoning, and cheese. You can also fold them in half as it's toasting and make what we call a Pizza Quesadilla!

I've also added "Generic - Bread Flour" to the food database at MFP in case people want to make their own crusts. Pizza dough usually consists of bread flour (approx 3 cups), olive oil (approx 2 tbls), a dash of salt, yeast, and water. You also have to use a sugar of some kind to activate the yeast - I prefer Honey or Brown Sugar for their hygroscopic characteristic - the ability to absorb moisture from the atmosphere (keeps crusts soft and moist!) But a majority of the sugar is actually consumed by the yeast, so your overall impact to calories is minimal.

My pizza quesadilla - before vegetables - comes in at 395 calories. We all know that veggies don't have much caloric content, so add as many as you want! Plus, you can make one in 10 minutes, and that INCLUDES rummaging through the 'fridge for all your ingredients!

Enjoy!

Cougarita65

Pizza is the best food in the world, especially from Luigis ....end of story...lol

rml_16

they are not designed as health food! they are indulgent fast foods and therefore UNHEALTHY

That makes absolutely no sense.

eliz_in_pink

I love love love pizza, and eat it probably once a week.

It makes my heart happy.

And this tread.. just made me crave pizza! LOL!
Mmmm...Buffalo Chicken pizza from Papa Johns!

andream1976

I know, I was kind of shocked to see that, as well. I think the main things about pizza that make us believe it's so unhealthy is that we usually can't eat it in moderation or that we order it from a restaurant and assume it's made with the worst quality, unhealthiest ingredients. Both could be true, but really, I've found that if you can limit it to 2 average sized slices then you usually aren't doing too bad, even if you order it from takeout. Making it at home, pizza can be very healthy and low calorie, and you have so many options. From traditional pizza crust to bagels, muffins, tortilla, even califlower crusts and toppings, even cheese and meat toppings can be fine as long as you don't overdo it. I say go for the pizza! Enjoy it!

butterfli7o

LOVE pizza....but I will eat half a pizza (or more) if we order from Papa John's or etc. So the healthiest option for me is to make my own...with thin crust, less cheese, and more veggies.

256Sept12

1 slice of pizza isn't that bad, like you said.

But who can only eat one slice and be satisfied?

I don't eat pizza because there is NO way I will stop after one slice.

(when i want pizza, i make mini english muffin pizzas...u can eat a lot for little calorie)

rml_16

LOVE pizza....but I will eat half a pizza (or more) if we order from Papa John's or etc. So the healthiest option for me is to make my own...with thin crust, less cheese, and more veggies.

Only half? Lightweight!

That is my problem with pizza. I have NO control. It doesn't fill me up quickly and it tastes SO GOOD, so I will eat and eat and eat until it's gone.

One slice, two, or even three might be OK. But the whole pizza? Yeah ... not so much.

bbriscoe13

I have a problem with one slice not filling me up. I would much rather eat a whole LOT of something with less calories than 3 slices of pizza (because that is what I would end up eating) haha. I make my own with cauliflower crust...or thin crust. It is yummy and I get more of it!

JennaM222

I never eat pizza thniking i will only have one slice. it is 3 or nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shrinking_Moody

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.

This - we've started making our own pizzas too and I love the whole wheat crust and being in control of the quantity/quality of the toppings I use - and it's fun too :happy:

TheSink

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.

Like 7 snarky posts to get to this one. Thanks for all your "input".

emtjmac

I make homemade pizza all the time. If your food fits your macros, it doesn't matter what it is. That's how I've been living and I've lost almost 40 pounds so far.

AngryDiet

Pizza isn't that bad, I agree. The problem is that it's not filling given the calories. I often find myself hungry and out of calories later that night. But as an indulgence, it's hard to beat.

Elise1324

personally it's not the carbs, cal or fat that get me on pizza it's the sodium. Yesterday I was running around a lot and didn't get to eat much during the day and we ended up ordering pizza because I was too tired to cook had 3 pieces ( I was really hungry by then) and it killed my sodium intake for the day 2428g. I slapped myself in the forehead for that one. cuz I new that before I eat it and did it anyway. figured I would just do two walks today, but I'm praying I get through all 92 mins of it because the space at the back on my knee is yelling at me when I straighten it.

rawhidenadz

There's nothing unhealthy about pizza in moderation. Fat isn't evil. It is a necessary macronutrient. Man, you people are dumb.

firstsip

I agree about the "awesome runs" the next day. I've had pizza and run and biked like nothing the next day; kinda like the "spaghetti dinners" of track & field days.

Pizza's amazing. It's generally only an issue if you're low carb, because even thin crusts pack a carb punch, and sodium. Yeah, if you drink water and watch your salt usually, you can be fine--but pizza still has lots of sodium, especially frozen.

EDIT: I see fat was the argument here? Really? People still think fat is the ultimate evil culprit?

AngryDiet

Man, you people are dumb.

Preach it!