Pizza has been present in America since the late 19th century and by 1957, pizza was being sold in the frozen section of the grocery stores, making it more common in the American diet. As of 2011, more than 3 billion pizzas are sold each year, 60 percent of which have pepperoni on them. Pizza commercials show pies loaded with cheese and piled high with toppings, both of which can be high in fat. And for anyone trying to watch his weight and eat healthy, this can be a major turnoff. But can be fine for an occasional lunch or dinner option if you know how to build a healthier pie. Just like other foods, moderation is the key.
Crust
When it comes to fat content in pizza, thinner crust is a healthier option. Thin crust is made with less fat than thicker crusts, and since a thick crust can hold more cheese and toppings the calories it carries are likely higher, too. For example, a slice of thin crust cheese pizza weighs 39 g, has 123 calories and 6.5 g of fat. A slice of hand-tossed crust from the same company weighs 106 g, has 272 calories and 8.5 g of fat. Stay away from stuffed crusts also because they are filled with cheese. A stuffed crust slice weighs 165 g, has 450 calories and 19 g of fat. Garlic bread crusts have extra oil to make the garlic and cheese flavoring adhere to the dough, so steer clear of them as well.
Sauce
There are a few options when it comes to choosing a sauce for your pizza. Tomato-based sauce is the most common. A slice of pizza has about an 1/8 of a cup of pizza sauce, which has less than 1 g of fat. It also provides vitamins C and A. White pizza forgoes the tomato-based sauce and uses a mixture of ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan to make an Alfredo sauce. A slice of white pizza with regular crust weighing 87 g has roughly 11 g of fat and 320 calories. And that's without additional toppings. Some specialty pizzas have ranch or blue cheese dressing drizzled on top to simulate dishes like buffalo chicken. Just 2 tbsp. of regular blue cheese dressing adds 15 g of fat. Stick to tomato-based sauces that do not have cheese mixed in for the least fat.
Cheese
Mozzarella is the most commonly used pizza cheese, but you can find ones with dollops of ricotta and layers of grated Parmesan as well. One-quarter cup of whole milk mozzarella cheese has about 85 calories and 6 g of fat, and 1/4 cup of whole milk ricotta cheese has 110 calories and 8 g of fat. Pick a pizza with the least cheese to ensure the lowest fat content. If cheese is not what draws you to pizza, look for a tomato pie because they have little or no cheese. Ask your server the ingredients of his tomato pie to be sure of its contents.
Toppings
Meats are common pizza toppings but can add significant amounts of fat to your slice. Six pieces of pepperoni have 5.5 g of fat and 1/8 of a pound of sausage crumbles has 11 g of fat. To avoid this extra fat, pick pizza slices that are free of sausage, pepperoni and other high-fat meats like breaded and fried chicken. Instead, choose veggie toppings like peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli and tomatoes. They add fiber, which can help you stay fuller longer, and they have less than 1 g of fat per 1/4 cup. They also provide vitamins such as C, E and A.
Portion Control
Pizza slices come in different sizes and the bigger they are the more fat they will have. Choosing low-fat toppings and less cheese to decrease fat doesn't do much good if you eat twice as much. Order a smaller pie to decrease the amount you see while eating. If you are only getting a slice and it is an extra-large slice, ask your server to slice it in half and put one side into a to-go box. This can decrease the temptation to keep eating because you want to finish the food on your plate.
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