Pizza is the greatest food ever invented. I love pizza so much it makes me sick. I literally could eat pizza every single day.
In fact, in my early 20s, I'm sure there were times when I did eat pizza every day.
Our obsession with this delicious comfort food has many of us wondering how unhealthy our addiction to this greasy, cheesy food really is.
So let's dive in!
Is Pizza Bad For You?
Have you ever thought about plain steamed broccoli--with no butter or cheese on it--and started desperately craving it so much that you had to pull over to the next restaurant and order a plate of it straight away?
No, you've never done that. Why? Because broccoli is healthy and good for you and therefore sucks ass. We don't want it unless it's smothered in cheese sauce.
You're damn right pizza is bad for you, that's why we love it so much. Pizza is cool and dangerous, that's why all the chicks want to get with pizza and not steamed kale.
Yeah, people might say they love kale, but they're lying. Disgusting kale is something people have to eat because they need to reverse the negative effects that delicious, mouth-watering pizza had on their bodies.
I know, because that's the reason I eat kale and other healthy food all the time; because eating pizza all the time jacked me up.
Let's face the facts, guys. Delicious, pupil-dilating food that you desperately crave is very rarely healthy for you. Who am I kidding? That kind of food is never healthy for you.
Pizza is loaded with saturated fat, sodium, added sugar and carbohydrates.
We're not gonna bullshit you. Pizza--and I'm talking real pizza with oozing double cheese and pepperonis and sausage--is bad for you. Really bad for you.
Don't believe me?
Look at a study published by the National Library of Medicine that warns, "The adverse dietary effects of pizza consumption found in this study suggest that its consumption should be curbed and its nutrient content improved."
If you eat slippery, greasy, intoxicating and delicious pizza for every meal over the next 365 days, it will probably kill, maim or mortally wound you.
But don't be scared off by these overzealous health weasels who tell you to avoid it completely.
When I went to see my nutritionist, I asked her about pizza and she said having a slice here and there isn't a problem so long as you maintain an overall decent diet.
It's all about moderation.
That's great news because I love pizza and I don't want to ever give it up completely. I've always loved pizza.
When I was in my early 20s, I would wake up after a night of boozing with my buddies and we would call the local pizza joint and put in our Sunday afternoon order: cheesesteaks, cheese fries and, of course, 2 or 3 pizzas with extra cheese and pepperonis and sausage etc.
Sure, when you're young and resilient, the hangover pizza parties might not seem like they're doing much damage, but that lifestyle is unsustainable in the long run.
You can't keep doing that forever, I'm sorry to say. (Because it sure is fun.)
Eventually, you have to be mindful of your health if you want to live a good, long life. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is now very health conscious, said, "You get away with a lot more when you're young."
Guzzling beer and chowing down pizza all the time is not healthy and will certainly cause major complications as you get older. Trust me, I'm living proof of this.
Wow, this is depressing, right? So we can't binge pizza if we want to be healthy? Is there a way to make pizza healthier?
While not going too overboard on the stringent health stuff, there are ways to make pizza healthier and still delicious. But by no means are these pizzas meant to be eaten constantly.
Let's dive into some tips on how to create a healthier pizza.
How To Make a Pizza Healthier
The first painful fact that you'll have to face is that our beloved pizzeria pizzas are essentially in the camp of 'not healthy in the slightest.'
On special occasions, you can have pizzeria pizza and still be healthy overall, but these outings must be limited.
The reality is that healthy pizza is extremely hard to find out and about. Restaurants, even ones billed as healthier eateries, don't typically offer super healthy food.
They usually use a lot of preservatives, processed foods and sodium to keep things flavorful.
The truth is, if you want healthier pizza, you have to make it at home, and from scratch.
Make Your Own Dough for Healthier Pizza
Instead of store-bought dough that contains preservatives, seed oils, and sometimes biochemically engineered ingredients, you have to make your own dough.
Making your own dough from scratch is the first step to making a healthier pizza. Use good, whole flours that are minimally processed.
Make Your Own Sauce for Healthier Pizza
Believe it or not, sauce from the store can have a lot of ingredients in there that shouldn't be in the sauce.
When you make sauce at home, it doesn't have a very long shelf life, but it will be much healthier.
Use fresh tomatoes, onions etc. to make your sauce. It'll be much better than the processed garbage you find at the supermarket.
Choose Fresh Mozzarella over Shredded Bagged Cheese
Fresh mozzarella is minimally processed and a good source of protein. If you're going to eat cheese on a pizza, fresh mozzarella is your best bet.
Bagged "mozzarella" contains preservatives and additives that turn it into unhealthy junk. Avoid it. Use fresh mozzarella.
Fresh mozzarella is, in my opinion, tastier than bagged. I love traditional-style pizza.
Avoid Processed Meats for a Healthier Pizza
Processed meats are the sausages, pepperonis, salami and pastrami-type toppings that we all love, but will make a pizza unhealthy in a matter of seconds.
The best way to make a pizza healthier is to avoid meat products on your pizza and stick to Mediterranean or Margherita-style pizza with fewer toppings.
Fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato and basil on wholegrain dough is a very good pizza. Try it!
The Bottom Line
Frozen pizza from the grocery store or pizza from pizzerias typically contain highly processed ingredients and additives that make them unhealthy to eat regularly.
Pizza is a delicious food meant to be enjoyed in moderation. It is wise not to overindulge.
While restaurant pizza can be on the unhealthy side, making pizza at home with whole foods ingredients and fresh mozzarella can be a much healthier option.
Remember, moderation is key, and enjoying a few slices of pizza now and again is okay!
We love pizza!
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