Some Types Are High in Calories, Carbs, Sodium and Sugar Most types of pizzas are high in calories and sodium, as they're usually topped with cheese, salty meats and other high-calorie toppings. Plus, some pizzas contain added sugar in the crust, certain toppings and sauces.
And it isn't healthy. Depending on the type of crust, the amount of cheese and the toppings used, pizza can rank anywhere from nutritionally decent to a diet disaster. Even healthy pizzas deliver a good amount of sodium from tomato sauce and cheese, so if you are watching your salt intake, you should eat with caution.
But since pizza is still a source of saturated fat (about five grams) and chock-full of sodium, limit it to once a week and load up on those veggies.
2 pizza slices contain 18 gram of total fat out of which 8 gram is the harmful saturated fat. On the other hand, a burger contains 19.8 gram of total fat, out of which 9.2 comes from saturated fat. Although low in total calories, a burger is higher in fat content than pizza slices.
The bottom line is: If you live a mostly healthy lifestyle, one slice of pizza won't change that, and you'll only gain the weight of the pizza you consumed. However, if you have health issues — including heart disease, or high blood pressure — it's obviously best not to overindulge.
Pizza is a complete food and part of the Mediterranean diet. It contains carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and fats, and the calorie intake of an average portion is about 300 grams. The classic margherita with tomato and mozzarella is about 815 calories.
Opt for a Thin-Crust Pizza to Cut Down on Calories
“Thin crust means you can get more of the veggies in before getting full,” says Lemond. By going the thin-crust route, your main focus of the meal is the veggies, rather than the bread.
Pizza and cheese are the biggest sources of saturated fat in the American diet. As we mentioned with meat, this saturated fat clogs our brain vessels just like it clogs our heart vessels. Higher saturated fat is linked with inflammation of the brain, higher risk of stroke, and impaired memory.
The psychological response to pizza's ingredient combinations is partially explained by the fact that highly processed foods like pizza, with added amounts of fat, refined carbohydrates and salt, are most associated with behavioral indicators of addiction, such as loss of control over consumption, cravings and ...
When it comes to health, you can choose either, but the type of pizza or pasta you compare will determine which is healthier. A tomato-based pasta is preferable to pizza or cream-based pasta. Thin crust, veggie-loaded pizzas contain less flour and more vegetables, making them an excellent choice.
Three slices per adult and two slices per child offer a good base to start from when you're estimating how many pizzas to order. If you know in advance that you have guests with major pizza appetites, allow for one or two more slices per person, just to be safe.
He adds that pizza shouldn't be consumed more than two or three times a month. "And it shouldn't be part of the daily diet, even less for children," he adds, "Because it is during that period of growing development that you have to provide a varied and healthy diet with lots of vegetables and fruit."
Pizza is a relatively simple and fast food to cook; however, it is a much healthier option than other fast foods that are available.
The stomach receives the pizza from the esophagus and mixes it with gastric juice. The pepperoni or Canadian bacon -- the protein -- will start to be digested in the stomach. A limited amount of absorption in the stomach can occur (mostly water, salt and some lipid-soluble medications).
A slice of pizza: 6-8 hours
Pizza has carbs in the crust, sauce, and vegetable toppings, plus high fat and protein in the cheese, and any meat toppings. The higher fat means it takes longer to digest.
That's because your favorite pizza joint's combination of white flour dough, hydrogenated oils, processed cheeses, and preservatives can throw off your blood sugar levels, production of satiety hormones, and hunger-regulating regions of the brain, according to Dr. Decotiis.
The Answer
Considering all the above information, please note, it takes 6 to 8 hours to digest a pizza given the higher fat content.
Consider this: The average slice of cheese pizza packs about 285 calories, according to the USDA. If you're trying to lose weight and your goal is to consume around 1,500 calories a day, eating two slices is over a third of your daily caloric intake.
It's Lower in Fat, Calories, and Salt
Unloading that layer of cheese will slice the fat and calories of your pie dramatically without compromising flavor (read reason #5).
Skip Cheese-Filled or Deep-Dish Crusts
More surface area always means more calories—and typically, no improvement on the flavor, so it's really not worth it.
Fish & Chips on average have 9.42 grams of fat per 100 grams, while the average pizza has 11, chicken korma 15.5 and a donner kebab a whopping 16.2. In terms of calories, fish and chips have 595 in an average portion, an average pizza has 871, chicken korma 910 and a donner kebab 924.