Is pizza REALLY bad for you
Perhaps it has lots of calories but is it really bad for you if you are using fresh ingredients?
Cheese, tomatoes, veggies, protein, wholewheat? All good no?
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26 Comments:
i think if you limit yourself to a slice or two and keep it fresh using wholesome ingredients, that there's nothing wrong with pizza whatsoever... in fact, a pediatric oncology nurse once told me that when one of their patients requests pizza in the middle of the night, they're more than happy to give it to them! it's the perfect food!
kristygarr at 2:30PM on 05/20/09
I think if you make it yourself and can therefore control the amount of cheese and toppings it's perfectly fine. It's all the cheese and meats that get ya.
arm1970 at 2:31PM on 05/20/09
If it is edible, it's bad for you. Heck of a dilemma, what? Actually, the thing that shortens your life the most is a lack of exercise. Having said that, if you are a diabetic, or if you are one of those unfortunate folks who suffers from high cholesterol because of their genetic make up, you need to keep a close watch on your diet.
Learn to get by on a 6 oz soda or drink iced tea sweetened with stevia and exercise everyday. Then you'll have a pretty good shot at dying in an accident, or of cancer or simple old age. You will not live forever.
Grumpy Old Man at 2:32PM on 05/20/09
Nothing you eat really bad for you. Too much of certain things is bad for you. Healthy pizza is easy, but most people (including yours truely) are oblivious gluttons.
SqueezeBottle at 2:34PM on 05/20/09
Define "bad for you."
derosa at 2:40PM on 05/20/09
100% whole wheat dough made with just whole wheat flour, water, and possibly a little olive oil (which in my experience, isn't even necessary, but it's good fat anyway)
Tomato sauce with no added sugar and only a small amount of salt and oil
Low-fat cheese, in moderation
Vegetables and low-fat meats (chicken breast maybe?) as toppings
Add some garlic/basil/oregano/whatever else for flavor
Sure, if you eat tons of it, the calories add up, but it's all good stuff for you. And even if you order a meat-lovers deep dish pizza every so often, little splurges in moderation are okay sometimes, and help fend off cravings.
cycorider at 2:53PM on 05/20/09
That's like asking if sandwiches are bad for you - pizza is such a versatile food. I think something like flatbread, whole wheat pizza with fresh veggies and cheese is GOOD for you...Papa Gino's stuffed crust meatlover's however? You might want to skip. Every food's nutritional value depends on its ingredients and preparation.
embolini9 at 2:54PM on 05/20/09
def: Bad for you:
my husband and I always argue when I make pizza - I say it's good for you cause you are getting "everything". But then he argues against it because of the cheese & meats.
I agree - everything in moderation. Overall though I think pizza is healthy if you make it that way.
mrstkach at 2:55PM on 05/20/09
No, pizza is not bad for you.
Kerosena at 2:56PM on 05/20/09
@mrstkach: Given your definition...and simply in an effort to settle the family disagreement.. I would suggest you are both incorrect.
From your end, "getting everything" does not necessarily make something healthy. If by that you mean every food group...well, maybe, if all you are eating all day, every day is pizza...and it had all the right topings, in just the right proportions, but...probably not.
From his end...I (and I guess many others) would argue that cheese and meat are good for you.
In the end, what probably matters most is how much you eat and how many miles you cycle, run or walk the next morning.
derosa at 3:08PM on 05/20/09
@derosa: you are right.
mrstkach at 3:11PM on 05/20/09
I don't care if it's bad for you or not. I love it and I'll never stop eating it.
Life is short!
caramel at 3:21PM on 05/20/09
I'm with Caramel! Yum!
sammie at 3:34PM on 05/20/09
@kristy from what i know, patients who are on chemo have side effects of terrible nausea and loss of appetite. If a kid is hungry, i think they'd try to feed him/her anything they can. granted, its probably a better request to fulfill than a double-fudge brownie sundae or deep-fried mac and cheese. :P
I agree. Pizza isnt as bad for you as many other foods. Just don't eat the whole pie.
engmcmuffin at 6:01PM on 05/20/09
pizza is great... eating anything in excess is not optimal for your health. balance is the key to life.
MadelynRodriguez at 6:22PM on 05/20/09
Adam? Oh AAADAAM? ;)
I agree with @embolini9 and the 'pizza is like sandwiches' nutritionally. A slice of pizza with a thin, whole wheat crust made with little oil, topped with broccoli and a bit of low-oil tomato sauce, olives and other veggies and a light dusting of low-fat cheese is pretty damn close to a balanced meal. A typical 'slice' has veggies in the tomato, protein and calcium in the cheese, and reasonable low-sugar carbs. Even a big slice that sets you back 500 calories isn't bad for dinner.
However, if you can't stop at just one slice, or a Chicago Deep dish is calling your name...not so much
like @Madelyn & @engmcmuffin said--it is the 'dose that makes the poison' with most foods
HeartofGlass at 6:47PM on 05/20/09
One thing I really like on pizza is turkey pepperoni. It pretty much tastes exactly like the original except it has about a million fewer calories. I think 19 slices is the serving size, which is 70 calories. Much better!
PestoGal at 7:04PM on 05/20/09
good idea on the turkey pepperoni
mrstkach at 7:26PM on 05/20/09
No.
therealchiffonade at 7:27PM on 05/20/09
if you're using good quality products, it's not that bad for you.... the trouble is a lot of the cheese used in commercial pizza.... you know that oily drip that drips down if you hold your slice up? that's the oil that's coming from the cheese. and if the sauce has thickeners in it, well that's extra calories.
pooch at 7:34PM on 05/20/09
@PestoGal and @mrstkach - Check out the sodium on the turkey pepperoni. Yikes. Not totally sure how it compares to the real mccoy; I am trying to really embrace eating "real food," just less of it. I know turkey's real and pepperoni is real, but something doesn't add up there, IMHO. There were quite a few bizarre ingredients in the last package of turkey pepperoni I bought, and I don't really feel comfortable with that.
mollykate678 at 11:29AM on 05/21/09
I'd say some pizza is better than no pizza, in most cases
Robinfood at 11:52AM on 05/21/09
@mollykate678: I've never purchased turkey pepperoni, I just ASSUMED it would be healthier - why, I don't know.
I'll try to stick to less processed meats.
mrst.
mrstkach at 3:56PM on 05/21/09
ars longa, vita brevis! EAT PIZZA!
Pavlov at 7:30AM on 05/23/09
Some foods are mental health foods. Pizza is one of them.
beth1 at 1:25AM on 05/24/09
It all depend what your topping are. We love pepperoni to reduce the fat we cook the pepperoni in the microwave for 30 seconds to most of the fat out. We prepare our own pizza sauce.
a2zpizza at 10:51PM on 05/28/09