Losing weight can be difficult. Although there are many diet plans to choose from, many of them specify that it’s best to stick with lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, that means you will have to control your pizza cravings…or will you?
According to the New York Post, one New York City chef (and Naples, Italy native) dropped nearly 100 pounds by, among other changes, eating a pizza for lunch every day. Which begs the question: Can eating a slice a day really help you shed pounds?
Science has finally answered our biggest dilemma. Eating Pizza can help you loose weight.
If you want to give the slice-a-day diet a try, there are a few ways to pack your pizza with more nutrients and fewer calories. And according to the USDA, when your pizza contains the right mix of food groups, a pie can provide you with 37 percent of your bone-building calcium, 30 percent of the day’s fiber, 35 percent of the day’s protein, and over 50 percent of your recommended intake of lycopene (a cancer-attacking antioxidant found in tomatoes).
The tricky part is identifying a pie that falls within these parameters.
Customize – Homemade pies will almost always be lighter on grease than delivery styles, says McDaniel. But many chains now offer thin and whole-wheat crusts, leaner meats, and a larger variety of vegetables.
Downsize – Here’s a sneaky way to control your portions: scale down your size. If you usually get a large, go for a medium. People tend to eat the same number of slices so you’ll trim calories without trying. Another tip: Have the pie cut into more slices so each is smaller.
Veg out – More sauce, less cheese is a good start. Then, when it comes to toppings, opt for fiber- and vitamin-rich veggies instead of fatty meats.
Supplement your slice – A traditional piece of pizza is not nutrient dense, so it takes more slices to fill you up, which adds up in calories and sugar which can contribute to weight gain, says Zeitlin. With no fiber or protein, you have nothing to really fill you up and keep you full. So pair your pie with a salad or other fiber-filled option.
You can also continue toward your weight loss goals by choosing healthier pizza options. For example, a large slice of cheese pizza has 200 calories. If you opt for a thin crust, you’ll save 40 calories.
If you are hoping to add some nutritional value to your pizza, vegetables are a great source of vitamins and minerals. Adding mushrooms, onions and green peppers to a large thin crust pizza adds minimal calories to each slice. You can also add some lean protein, like steak, which will only add another 10 calories to each slice.
The pizza diet may not be the best option for you, but adding some slices into your diet plan could help keep you motivated and on track to meet your weight loss goals.
And according to the USDA, when pizza contains the right mix of food groups, a pie can provide you with 37 percent of your bone-building calcium, 30 percent of the day’s fiber, 35 percent of the day’s protein, and over 50 percent of your recommended intake of lycopene (a cancer-attacking antioxidant found in tomatoes).
The tricky part is identifying a pie that falls within these parameters. Mentioned below are some ways how you can downsize calories on your pizza.
1 – Order Thin Crust
Most of the evils of pizza lie in the crust. Aside from being stacked with calories, they’re basically void of any nutrients. And that’s because most pies are made from refined white flour which will spike your insulin levels causing you to crave more and more.
2 – Request a “Double Cut” Pie
While most pies are sliced into eight pieces, a double cut pie will come with 16. Start with one slice and only grab another if you’re genuinely still hungry. If you pair your pizza with something fibrous and filling like a house salad with chicken, you likely won’t need to go back for more.
3 – Say “No” To Individual Pies
Serving sizes for “individual” pizzas have reached a new level of caloric callousness. Though not all pies are quite this bad, you’ve almost always better off going with a single slice—even if it’s fully loaded with toppings.
4 – Blot!
When you see a pool of oil floating on top of your cheese, take a napkin and mop up the excess. You’ll save about 50 calories—and maybe keep the grease off your shirt.
5 – Avoid Salty Meats & Add Lean Proteins
Adding protein to your pie will help fill you up which means you’ll be less tempted to go back for another slice. But not any source of the muscle-building nutrient will do. Pizza classic like pepperoni, bacon, and sausage are packed with unhealthy saturated fats and tons of salt. Skip ’em and opt for grilled chicken, sliced ham, or anchovies (a potent source of healthy fats), instead.
6 – Don’t Eat Out of the Box
Whatever you do, eat off a plate—not out of the box! Research shows that people consume more when their food is served on a larger plate. In fact, one Georgia Institute of Technology study discovered that those eating off a 12-inch plate consumed 22 percent more calories than those dining on 10-inches! We can only imagine what those stats would look like is a giant pizza box was thrown into the mix. Not only does eating off a smaller plate trick your brain into thinking you’ve eaten more, keeping the other slices out of reach will make you think twice before going back for more.
7 – Skip Cheese-Filled or Deep-Dish Crusts
There’s already cheese on top of the pie, so really there’s no need to have it stuffed inside the crust. Another unnecessary pizza twist: deep dish. More surface area always means more calories—and typically, no improvement on the flavor, so it’s really not worth it.
8 – Making a Pie? Replace White Flour With Coconut Flour
Are you all about making things from scratch? Rebecca Lewis, RD suggests swapping white flour for coconut flour. Not only does it have fewer carbs, it has 11 times as much fiber, she tells us.
9 – Turn Up The Heat
Want to boost your metabolism and trick yourself into eating less? Who wouldn’t!? To make it happen, add some spice to your pie. A study by Canadian researchers found that men who ate spicy appetizers consumed 200 fewer calories than those that skipped out on the hurt-so-good burn. Top your pie with a few grinds of fresh black pepper, red chili flakes.