The Nurturing Well by: Jill Starbuck
Whether you like yours with pepperoni and mushroom, thick or thin crust, extra cheese or light cheese, pizza is one of America’s favorite meals. In fact, most Americans eat pizza, with 94% of us eating at least one pizza per month. Through nearly 70,000 pizzerias, we sell more than three billion pizzas each year! This equates to approximately 100 acres of pizza every day or 350 slices per second. Pizza is in such hot demand that the industry commands a whopping $40 billion, with Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Papa John’s, and Little Caesars topping the list of pizza chains.
Many of us love pizza for its variety, adding different ingredients each time we order one. We love it because it is one of the few meals in which we can get all five food groups in one sitting—if you include the right ingredients. For instance, you can choose a Hawaiian pizza that includes fruit (pineapple), protein (Canadian bacon), vegetables (onions, mushrooms, etc.), dairy (cheese), and grains (crust). Voilà!
OK. Using pizza as a great nutritious meal may be stretching it. However, pizza doesn’t always need to carry a bad reputation with it. While pizza often contains high fat content, loads of sodium, and many calories, we can control how much of these we consume. For healthier options, consider the following when ordering your next pizza.
1. Hold the cheese. What?! Pizza isn’t pizza without the cheese you may say. If you can’t live without the cheese, then consider ordering half the amount of cheese. Or order your pizza without cheese and lightly sprinkle grated parmesan on it for flavor.
2. Load it with veggies. Veggies provide fiber and flavor with few calories. Plus, they are filling.
3. Thin it out. Avoid stuffed crust or deep dish pizza that typically consists of deep fried crust. Request wheat crust if available.
4. Choose low-fat meat. Rather than pizza favorites such as pepperoni and sausage, try chicken, shrimp, or Canadian bacon instead of the higher fat choices.
5. Blot it. Blotting the oil off pizza can save you 20 to 50 calories per slice. If eating more than one slice, this can add up!
Naturally, there may be times when you just want to splurge and get the meat lovers or extra cheese versions. In these situations, you can try other tricks to help avoid pizza overload. For instance, you can cut the pizza into smaller slices so you are more likely to stop when you are full. If you get a large slice of pizza, you are more likely to eat the whole slice, even after you are full. Or try eating a salad or a piece of fruit beforehand so you are less likely to overdo it on the main meal. Bon appetit!
Jill Starbuck has 20 years of experience as a business writer, editor, and market research analyst. She is a certified health coach through the Integrative Institute of Nutrition and a certified running coach through the Road Runners Club of America. She is also the co-owner of a running business. She can be reached at jillstarbuck@hotmail.com.
