Pepperoni may make your pizza taste good, but it does not help your health or waistline. A 1-oz. serving of pepperoni, or about 14 slices, contains 138 calories, 12 g of fat and 463 mg of sodium. Instead of giving up pizza and pepperoni altogether, seek out healthy alternatives that still satisfy your cravings.
Commercial Alternatives
A slice of takeout pepperoni pizza contains as many as 380 calories. Most contain at least 14 g of fat, if not more, with 8 g saturated fat. Most takeout pizzas are also made with refined flour crusts, which offer little nutrition or fiber, and liberal amounts of full-fat cheese. If you must have restaurant pizza, look for ones that offer whole-wheat crusts. Order your pizza with minimal cheese and extra vegetable toppings, instead of pepperoni. A slice of vegetable pizza from popular takeout establishments contains 290 calories and 10 g of fat.
Homemade Options
Making pizza at home is easier than you think. If you make your own crust, substitute whole-wheat flour for half of the recipe's white flour. You can easily purchase premade crusts -- again look for whole-wheat options -- or use whole-wheat English muffins or pita bread. Top with low-sodium pizza sauce made with a can of tomato sauce, minced garlic and onions, dried oregano and dried basil. Use modest amounts of part-skim mozzarella and grated Parmesan and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is crispy. Add toppings such as roasted red pepper, grilled onions and cooked eggplant. Other healthy alternatives to pepperoni are ham and pineapple, mushroom and grilled chicken or part-skim ricotta and grilled radicchio.
Pasta
You can create the flavor of pepperoni pizza in a pasta dish. To prepare, cook 4 oz. of whole-wheat penne according to package directions. Chop 1 oz. of pepperoni into strips and saute with a minced garlic clove and diced red onion. Add one 14-oz. can of low-sodium diced tomatoes and stir in the drained, cooked pasta. Serve in two bowls, each topped with 1/2 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, for a dish containing fewer than 400 calories. While this alternative may contain slightly more calories than one slice of pepperoni pizza, ask yourself how often you stop at one slice.
Considerations
As far as meat toppings go, pepperoni is not the most diet-damaging. Avoid fatty ground beef, sausage and pork toppings, which usually contain the most fat and calories. If you do choose to use pepperoni, look for all-natural options that do not contain nitrates and nitrites -- preservatives linked with increased cancer risk in some people.
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