Pizza is healthy. 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. Of course, the size of the slice and the number of slices you eat count, too.
Pizza pros include the fact that it offers calcium from cheese and disease-fighting lycopene from tomatoes. Pizza crust made with whole-wheat flour (including whole white wheat flour) is healthier than regular white crust, as it offers whole grains and fiber and is digested more slowly than refined grains.
Toppings such pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese can boost saturated fat, sodium and calories, while slices made with thinner crusts and topped with veggies tend to have lower calorie, saturated fat and sodium counts.
Frozen pizzas can be a convenient dinner, but they too can vary in terms of ingredients and nutritional value, especially with sodium counts, so it’s important to read labels carefully (some contain small amounts of trans fats, too). Dairy-free and gluten-free pizzas are available, but as with their traditional counterparts, their healthfulness varies.
Don’t forget to top it with lots of vegetables; the more colorful your pizza, the better!
Source: CNN
