Strategies For Making Your Next Pizza Restaurant Order A Little Healthier

When you're watching your caloric intake and family members or friends suggest ordering pizza, you don't need to suggest alternative plans. It's easy to enjoy a pizza without allowing it to derail your weight loss efforts — all you need to do is put some thought into your order. This means that you might wish to order your own personal-sized pizza instead of share the pie that your family or friends are enjoying, but the added perk to this approach is that because your pizza is smaller, you won't be tempted to overeat. Here are some specific strategies to make your next pizza order a little healthier.

Swap Meats For Veggies

A meat lover's pizza might tantalize your taste buds, but this variety isn't the best choice when you're watching your caloric intake. Instead of loading up on meats, plan to top your personal pizza with plenty of vegetables. This doesn't mean that you can't have pepperoni or another meat, but it does mean that you should stay away from multiple meats. Toppings such as tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and more will all provide flavor with less fat than some common meat toppings.

Choose A Thinner Crust

While there's certainly something satisfying about biting into a deep-dish pizza, you're better off selecting a different style of crust if you're watching your calories. The thicker the crust, the more calories it typically contains, so a thin-crust pizza is generally your best choice. As much as they might be appealing, try to avoid any add-ons. Stuffed crust should be left for another time, and you should decline the offer of butter or Parmesan sprinkled on the crust. Additionally, if you're enjoying your pizza but find that you're getting full, there's no need to eat the crusts. By setting them aside, you'll be saving yourself plenty of calories.

Change The Cheese

Some pizzerias allow customers to order light mozzarella instead of the conventional kind. Light cheese is lighter in fat, so you'll be consuming fewer calories by making this simple change to your order. If light cheese isn't available at your local pizza restaurant, you can still ensure that your pizza doesn't unnecessarily boost your caloric intake by staying away from double cheese and even consider asking for less cheese than a conventional single-topping order. Many pizza restaurants post caloric data on their foods on their websites and menus, so you can browse this information to further make calorie-smart choices on your next order. Continue on for additional reading.