Cheesy, chewy, and full of flavor, fresh-from-the-oven pizza is one of the few dishes that is universally adored and delicious. Is it possible to lose weight without giving up pizza night? Luckily for pizza lovers, there’s no need to give up your favorite pie, even when you’re looking to lose weight. By the end of this article, you’ll have a better idea of how pizza can stay in your life without getting in the way of your weight loss goals, and you’ll see how these strategies can be applied to other foods, too.
The Nutritional Breakdown of Pizza
Each part of your pizza also provides a unique set of nutrients, according to Jessica Garay, PhD, RDN, a sports dietitian and nutrition professor at Syracuse University in New York. “Pizza crust is a source of carbohydrates and some B vitamins,” Dr. Garay explains. Keep in mind that the exact nutritional breakdown might vary a bit for different types of pizza. For example, frozen pizza may be slightly lower in sodium, protein, and carbs than fast-food pizza, according to the Department of Agriculture (USDA). For example, pizzas made with thick or stuffed crust, or add-ons like extra meat or cheese, tend to be higher in calories.
Can You Eat Pizza And Still Lose Weight?
The answer is yes! “When I’m counseling patients, I try to steer them away from thinking of foods as ‘good versus bad,’ but instead, learning to enjoy all foods as part of a varied diet,” says Sarah Schlichter, MPH, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Maryland. Garay agrees, emphasizing that moderation is key. She recommends sticking to just one or two slices when eating out, depending on the size of each slice and balancing that out with a side salad.
Strategies for Including Pizza in a Weight Loss Plan
Here are several strategies for including pizza in a weight loss plan.
1. Choose a Healthier Crust
If weight loss is your goal, Schlichter recommends opting for thin crust to help cut back on calories or going for whole-grain crust to bump up your intake of fiber. “This can help prevent overeating, and encourage moderation of a few slices,” she explains.
Read also: Low-carb taco pizza: a must-try!
2. Consider Naan Bread
“A great alternative to regular pizza crust is to use [whole wheat] naan bread,” says Garay. Naan is a type of flatbread that is a staple ingredient in many Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines. According to Garay, naan works especially well as a substitute for pizza crust if you’re making personal pizzas for just one or two people. It has a small size; a soft, fluffy texture; and a flat surface that’s perfect for adding toppings.
3. Moderate the Cheese
Even though cheese is a key ingredient for pizza, it’s also high in calories and fat, per the USDA. While there’s no need to skip the cheese altogether, using a little less or swapping in a low-fat variety can reduce the amount of calories in each serving, according to Garay.
4. Add Lean Protein
For an easy way to round out your meal, consider topping your pizza with some extra protein. “Adding lean protein, like chicken breast, can add filling protein to complete the meal,” says Schlichter.
5. Load Up on Veggies
Not only can veggies add a pop of color to your pizza pie, but they can also help ramp up its nutritional value. Garay also recommends piling on the veggies.
6. Make Pizza at Home
While ordering takeout from your favorite pizza place might be more convenient, Garay recommends making your own pizza at home when possible. “This can help give you control over all of the ingredients,” she explains.
Read also: Low-Carb Pizza Guide
Key Considerations for Pizza Night on a Diet
If you want to reach your weight loss goals without giving up pizza night, there are several things to consider.
1. How Strict You Want to Be
The first step to deciding how to do pizza night on a diet is knowing how quickly you want to lose weight compared to how much you want your life to suck (or not suck). The more restrictive you are with diet and exercise during weight loss, the harder your body will push you into eventually just sitting on your butt and stuffing your face. It may happen before you make any progress at all, or it may be after you lose a bunch of weight (causing you to gain it all back). If you want to lose weight quickly enough to stay motivated, but not so quick that you can’t enjoy “normal” life stuff - like family pizza night - losing around 0.5% of your body weight (i.e. your weight x 0.005) per week may be a good target.
2. How Lean You Want to Get
If you were a bodybuilder getting ready for a competition, pizza wouldn’t even be an option. Since most “normal,” everyday people feel the same way, pizza can definitely stay on the menu. You just have to decide what level of leanness you’ll be happy with. The leaner you go, the less realistic it is to think you can have pizza whenever you want.
3. The Type of Pizza
The problem with pizza is that it’s not super filling but it tends to be high in calories. In other words, it’s easy to eat way too much of it. When you want to lose weight, it’s easier to stay on track if you’re intentional about your choices for the meal. Some quick tips:
- Use lean protein and veggies as your toppings
- Make it at home to avoid “extra” ingredients
- Eat a giant side of veggies to help fill up
- Avoid liquid calories - let pizza be the treat
It may be wise to steer clear of deep dish, stuffed crust, everything-on-it pizzas for a while. But don’t be fooled by “healthy” pizzas either. Even some cauliflower crust pizzas can be high in calories and are even less filling than normal pizza.
Read also: Keto Pizza Options Explored
4. How Much You Eat
If you’re really concerned about pizza night messing up your weight loss goals, you should know that if you can stick to just one slice (probably two at the most), you’ll likely be able to stay 100% on track. It takes the right type of pizza, a firm grasp on how much you need to eat the rest of the day, and a decent amount of willpower. It’s not easy, but it IS possible.
5. How Often You Have It
Far more realistic - and less stressful - than sticking to your weight loss goals on pizza day, is to let it be a day where you hit “maintenance calories” (you’ll still be intentional about not OVEReating, but you can have enough to actually enjoy yourself). It won’t actively promote weight loss in the short-term, but it does promote keeping your sanity, which facilitates better weight loss in the long-term. To allow room for ALL of the foods you enjoy, a full-on pizza night like I’m describing here is probably more realistic as a monthly occurrence. But again, that comes down to personal preference.
The Story of Chef Pasquale Cozzolino
Naples, Italy, native Pasquale Cozzolino, 38, moved to New York in 2011 to work at Midtown’s PizzArte, and he quickly packed on the pounds. He’d never dieted before, but he was intent on getting his old body back. He calculated his BMI and figured that if he dipped below 2,700 calories a day, he could start losing weight. For lunch nearly every day, he eats an entire pizza margherita. While that might not seem like diet-friendly fare, Cozzolino explains that his Neapolitan-style pies are not your typical New York slices. The dough is made from just water, flour, yeast and salt - no butter or lard - and the toppings are light - fresh tomato sauce, a thin layer of mozzarella cheese and basil. After three months, he had lost 40 pounds. Ribalta chef Pasquale Cozzolino, who stands at 6-foot-6, has lost 12 inches off his waist eating a 12-inch pizza daily.
The Experiment of Jayden Lee
Lee ate a pizza every day while in a calorie deficit. For his experiment, Lee ate a small Domino’s pizza with various toppings every day, meaning it would clock in at between 900 and 1,500 calories. Overall, Lee ate between 2,200 and 2,500 calories a day, so he would adjust his breakfast, lunch, and snacks to fit his target around the daily pizza. Lee made sure the rest of his meals and snacks were nutrient-dense, high-fiber, high-volume - meaning they took up a lot of space in his stomach for relatively few calories - and made primarily from whole foods, including fruits and vegetables, he said. Lee made sure he was eating plenty of protein to help him feel full and minimize any muscle loss, he said, and he didn’t struggle with hunger much. Overall, he lost 13.2 pounds or 8% of his body weight during the experiment.
General Guidance
Pizza is one of the tastiest things on earth, and most people love it. Pizza lovers do not need to compromise on their happiness to stay fit, and there have even been many instances of people losing weight while on an all-pizza diet. You can make some wood fired pizza in the comfort of your home, taking special care to add only ingredients which cater to your diet. That is what healthy pizza is all about. You should only choose pizza toppings, which are good for your diet. Make sure that you do not add too much cheese and bread. You will need to eat less to lose weight, which is why the size of the pizza you make is important. You can simply split your meals into several smaller ones for better health benefits. Have a slice now, and wait a couple hours before you eat the next one.