Why does pizza have such a bad reputation?

RllyGudTweetr

I hear regularly about folks giving up pizza in an effort to eat healthier. Flyers plastered around the local college compare "high nutrient density foods" to "low nutrient density foods," with pizza consistently placed in the latter category. What's going on?

If you were to eat two slices of multi-grain bread, 2 ounces mozzarella cheese, an ounce of beef or chicken, and an ounce each of chopped tomato, onions, green peppers, and olives, would you consider that a "low nutrient density" meal? If yes, what qualifies as a "high nutrient density food" for comparison? If no, then what magical process associated with a pizza oven removes the nutrients?

I mean, sure, if you pile on double cheese, extra pepperoni and sausage, and eat an entire large pie, you'll be filling up on calories while missing some macros and micros, but there's nothing inherent in pizza that requires you either skip ALL the veggies or down a whole pie at one setting.

What do you think?

ilovedeadlifts

homemade pizza =/= pizza you get from a local chain

You can make a nutrient dense pizza at home, whereas picking up a meat lovers pizza from pizza hut isn't exactly in your best interest.

Flyers and propaganda will do that with any food. Cheeseburgers get a bad reputation as well, when there are good options if you make them yourself.

nekoface

I imagine it's because most folks have takeaway pizza which is often greasy and not great for you, and it's glaringly obvious that a slab of dough topped with cheese and pepperoni with a stuffed crust isn't the best kind of dinner. Making your own pizza or having decent pizza is a different beast altogether. Also, lots of people are simply anti-bread and pizza is mostly bread. I do love pizza though.

RllyGudTweetr

The thing is, the pizza I described in the first post is available essentially exactly as I listed it from three different delivery outfits within 2 miles of my house. It's not as if I'd need to make it at home in order to ensure the nutritional value was there; I'd just have to avoid obvious and well-known nutritional pitfalls that are not exclusive to pizza.

TedStout

You know, I never really thought about it! For me, its not the pizza, its the quantity. I went out and had a big slice of pizza a couple weeks ago...lost a lb that day. Problem comes when a slice becomes 2, 3, 4....

Good question though...I am going to watch this one for the answers.

jaz050465

The thing is, the pizza I described in the first post is available essentially exactly as I listed it from three different delivery outfits within 2 miles of my house. It's not as if I'd need to make it at home in order to ensure the nutritional value was there; I'd just have to avoid obvious and well-known nutritional pitfalls that are not exclusive to pizza.

Lots of places pour on extra oil

Acg67

it has both grains and dairy, a recipe for obesity

HMVOL7409

I do believe for most it's bc of not being able to control the quantity they consume. Most when starting out look to restrict things instead of learning moderation tips. Also some chains are very greasy and fattening but many don't know how to work around that.

Myself I have regular, forbidden to most, pizza once a week and homade whole wheat healthy or nutritionally dense pizza once a week and always have even when I was trying to lose.

RllyGudTweetr

The thing is, the pizza I described in the first post is available essentially exactly as I listed it from three different delivery outfits within 2 miles of my house. It's not as if I'd need to make it at home in order to ensure the nutritional value was there; I'd just have to avoid obvious and well-known nutritional pitfalls that are not exclusive to pizza.

Lots of places pour on extra oil

I've never seen that done without it being listed, which means you can ask to have it excluded. Also, what's so horrid about a tablespoon or so of olive oil, assuming you aren't mainlining it?

RllyGudTweetr

it has both grains and dairy, a recipe for obesity

There's nothing inherent to grains or dairy products causing obesity except excess of calories, in any reputable study that I've ever seen.

UsedToBeHusky

I've always said that pizza is nutritious. I mean essentially it has the potential of having at least one ingredient in all the five food groups.

UsedToBeHusky

it has both grains and dairy, a recipe for obesity

There's nothing inherent to grains or dairy products causing obesity except excess of calories, in any reputable study that I've ever seen.

He knows that. He's being sarcastic.

RllyGudTweetr

it has both grains and dairy, a recipe for obesity

There's nothing inherent to grains or dairy products causing obesity except excess of calories, in any reputable study that I've ever seen.

He knows that. He's being sarcastic.

I've seen folks on these boards make the same claims with perfect seriousness, and no sarcasm intended; I erred on the side of caution in my response.

If I misread his response as an attempt at humor, I apologize if it caused offense.

servilia

For me it's not a great choice because it's hard for me to stop at 1 or 2 slices. So it's more of a quantity problem in my case.

jonnythan

Because people who actually are fat seem to eat a proportionally large quantity of pizza. Same with hamburgers, bacon, ice cream, etc.

These are very calorie-dense foods that make it very easy to consume excess calories.

None of these foods are inherently bad. If you can eat them while fitting them into a reasonable quantity of calories then there's nothing to worry about.

ac_boubou

I think that homemade pizza is a good meal. I use to eat pizza sometimes. I put a LOT of veggies, some tuna or shrimps, or breast chicken. To give a good twist I tried a bit of pesto or goat cheese, fresh herbs...there's so much possibilty.

But I don't eat restaurant pizza, too salty, too greasy, I just don't like it.

ApexLeader

i'm just guessing here but don't most pizzas use bleached flour for the dough? that crap is like cancer.

meredith1123

I am NOT giving up Pizza, even when trying to lose my most weight i still did not give it up. I ate LESS OF IT. I think people tend to over eat on pizza therefore it creates a bad rep for it, but it's not the pizzas fault!

two slices... walk away.
it's simple.

Or make your own, mmmm, healthier decisions - yum!

Pizza will never be given up by me though.I love it.
I admit howver the sodium intake is ridiculous. I have to drink mad amounts of water to flush it through.

Helloitsdan

People give different foods a bad name BECAUSE THEY DONT KNOW WTF THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT!
;D

Learning when to eat is just as important as what to eat.

UsedToBeHusky

it has both grains and dairy, a recipe for obesity

There's nothing inherent to grains or dairy products causing obesity except excess of calories, in any reputable study that I've ever seen.

He knows that. He's being sarcastic.

I've seen folks on these boards make the same claims with perfect seriousness, and no sarcasm intended; I erred on the side of caution in my response.

If I misread his response as an attempt at humor, I apologize if it caused offense.

Oh no, you didn't offend anyone... I don't think. You wouldn't have known he was being sarcastic if you didn't know him. He does this a lot actually... it's a "When in Rome" mentality. I love Acg though. He cracks me up! And he eats delicious yummies!

jonnythan

it has both grains and dairy, a recipe for obesity

There's nothing inherent to grains or dairy products causing obesity except excess of calories, in any reputable study that I've ever seen.

He knows that. He's being sarcastic.

Well refined grains and dairy are very easy to eat in large quantities. Obviously they're fine if you control your portions, but if you don't they lend themselves to overeating.

FitMrsR

You know, I never really thought about it! For me, its not the pizza, its the quantity. I went out and had a big slice of pizza a couple weeks ago...lost a lb that day. Problem comes when a slice becomes 2, 3, 4....

Good question though...I am going to watch this one for the answers.

Same for me! I can eat a lot more 'healthier food' for the same calories as one or two slices of pizza and feel full. If I'm not going to eat 5-6 slices or more I don't see the point because I'll still be hungry after 2 slices and have no calories left. I do make pizza at home occasionally and I eat the whole thing (about 1250 calories worth) but I make sure to budget around that. So pizza every week just doesn't make sense for me.

ETA: When I lived in the states, I used to go to Pizza Hut and order a medium sized pepperoni pizza, 5 breadsticks, and 2 root beers (you know, the sharing lunch deal) and eat all of it myself. Then go home and make a boxed sheet cake with an entire tub of pre-made frosting and eat half of it with a huge bowl of ice cream and hot fudge of course. But that would be my only meal for the day. I did this a couple of times per week. I wasn't overweight but I was VERY unhealthy and had a ridiculously high BF%

UsedToBeHusky

it has both grains and dairy, a recipe for obesity

There's nothing inherent to grains or dairy products causing obesity except excess of calories, in any reputable study that I've ever seen.

He knows that. He's being sarcastic.

Well refined grains and dairy are very easy to eat in large quantities. Obviously they're fine if you control your portions, but if you don't they lend themselves to overeating.

Very true. But that, in and of itself, does not make pizza inherently evil. People blame foods for obesity because they can't hold themselves accountable for their own will power.

haroon_awan

Hmm

US Congress rules that pizza is a vegetable

http://www.thejournal.ie/us-congress-rules-that-pizza-is-a-vegetable-282033-Nov2011/?utm_source=shortlink

Works for me!

FlaxMilk

Because anything that perfect must have been spawned from some kind of an evil deal.

Jennifer10723

I am NOT giving up Pizza, even when trying to lose my most weight i still did not give it up. I ate LESS OF IT. I think people tend to over eat on pizza therefore it creates a bad rep for it, but it's not the pizzas fault!

two slices... walk away.
it's simple.

Or make your own, mmmm, healthier decisions - yum!

Pizza will never be given up by me though.I love it.
I admit howver the sodium intake is ridiculous. I have to drink mad amounts of water to flush it through.

Yep .. this

pennydreadful270

Because I can consume more calories in one sitting in the form of pizza than I can with probably any other food.

Cheese in particular has a ratio of protein to fat that "hides" the amount of fat that it contains. So you can eat more fat in that form than you otherwise would. And the dough, calorie dense in itself, is really just a vehicle for the cheese.

The toppings and sauce are pretty harmless. It's the way it's composed as a vehicle for calories, and the fact it is unbelievably delicious, which makes it so dangerous.

BeachIron

It's like any other calorie dense food, it makes an easy demon for people who don't want to think carefully about their food choices. At it's core pizza is simply dough, tomatoes, cheese and olive oil. I prefer basic pizza such as Neapolitan or NY style margherita, that is easier to fit into my daily calorie and nutrition allowances, than something like Pizza Hut's pan pizzas, but I'm also biased there for taste reasons. If it works in someone's nutrition allowances and their tastes, then people need to leave it alone.

Siege_Tank

Ahhh, this is an excellent question.

Pizza from a chain or store is bread loaded with fat (cheese, wayyy more than it needs) and fatty cuts of meat. The fattiest. Pepperoni and sausage? Why don't we just put cookies on the pizza too..

My homemade pizza is made with bread flour, so yes, the crust has carbs, but it has a ton of protein.

Low fat mozarella = mozarella when it comes to taste, just like light sour cream and sour cream have little difference between them, so I choose to use the lighter of the two..

But the kicker comes with how much cheese you load it with. If you like doing a thin crust, crispy style pizza, you really get to taste the crust and the slightly darkened spots, the differences in textures in each bite. You sort of lose that when you load up the top with fat.

And I don't mean fat in a disparaging way, I mean fat in a culinary term. You have to be aware of your ratios when you cook, and what each component and macronutrient brings to the table. Fats bring a heavy mouth feel, a richness to it, and they have a "muting" effect if you will on other flavors.

Acids like tomatoes and lemons and vinegar have a brightness, a sharpness, so when I build my pizza I toss a few cherry tomatoes (I keep these stocked in my kitchen ALL the time) in the food processor and make my own sauce, add a touch of balsamic vinegar for smokiness or a little brown sugar if you have a sweet tooth like me (a little brown sugar won't hurt nothing, like a pinch or two).

But, Seige, where's the meat? I indulge in bacon sometimes, you can get a thin steak, sear it quickly to med-rare and lay steak slices on top for protein without overdoing it on fats, some pepperoni is okay, but when you layer the top like you're building a lasagna.. no no. browned and crumbled and well seasoned ground beef is always a plus, the McCormick hamburger seasoning is great, it's got a perfect balance for seasoning ground beef with a hearty pepper flavor. Canadian bacon is also A+..

Tie in the top with a touch more mozarella just to keep everything in place and give it that melty goodness, and viola, you've built a pizza that ISN'T 200+ calories per slice.

jonnythan

Why don't we just put cookies on the pizza too..

They do that, yanno. And it's glorious.

Vailara

I've sometimes wondered why pizza gets such a bad name too. As you say, it's basically just bread and cheese, with a bit of tomato. It's not a WELL balanced meal, but there obviously more nutrients in it than, say, sugar-only foods. Or, say, bread on its own, without the tomato and cheese.

Hamburgers are another one that are seen as terrible. It's just a meat sandwich. Maybe with a bit of salad, dressing and cheese.

It's not a good idea to live off them entirely, but it's probably not any worse (or more likely, better) than living off fruit and veg entirely. They are fine now and then. I know there's the argument that it's easy to eat too much of them, but I refuse to accept "it tastes so good I want to eat more" as a criticism of a food :laugh: . It's a fair point with pizza though, because it seems to come in such big portions (you used to be able to buy takeaway pizza by the slice - I don't see that so often now). Hamburgers usually have better portion control, so maybe that's why pizza comes out as the big, evil baddie.

Honestly, I think there's a kind of snobbery about takeaway food. I know people will say that you can make a healthier version if you make it home -possibly. It will still be bread, cheese and tomato, but you can juggle the proportions to your liking a bit more. Howver, I do think some people believe that it's inherently more healthy if you made it at home than bought it from a fast food place, even if it was exactly the same.