What's in Your Pizza?

If you’re counting calories, the chances are unlikely you’ll count them on a regular slice of pizza. Not because there’s nothing to worry about, but because you know, deep down, there’s no point. Perhaps you don’t want to know. Just as much as you’d rather not hear the ingredients of a hot dog or bologna. 
We get it. There’s no bliss like pizza calorie ignorance.

This blog may ruin that bliss for you, but we promise to make up for it. Spoiler alert ahead: We’re going to tell you all about the “nutritional facts” in a regular pizza. That bliss is getting pulled out like a bad tooth.

We’re not going to name any names, but we picked one of the top-grossing pizza chains in America for an example. Our victim is the medium hand-tossed cheese pizza with classic marinara sauce. No other toppings. The crust is the “Fiery Red Pepper” because it had the least amount of calories from the options (trying to be fair here) and it’s also skinny crust. Just plain cheese pizza. One slice. Are you ready?

120 Calories per slice. Per medium skinny crust slice.

That might not sound too bad but consider the scenario. You’re at the restaurant with family, friends, strangers, etc. and you order a medium skinny crust cheese pizza for yourself because no one else wants that. What are the chances you’ll have only one slice?

You can probably figure what’s going on here.

The whole pizza that you’re likely to eat, (remember, considering the scenario) is 770 calories. Dip that in ranch and you may as well just join the crowd.

Now let’s take a look at the ingredients. Calories are important, but where they come from is as well.

DOUGH: ENRICHED FLOUR (BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, YEAST. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, SOYBEAN OIL, WHEAT GLUTEN, SUGAR, WHEY, ENZYMES, ASCORBIC ACID, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE. PAN OIL: SOYBEAN OIL, TBHQ ADDED TO PROTECT FRESHNESS. PAN SPRAY: SOYBEAN OIL, SOY LECITHIN, NON-CHLOROFLUOROCARBON PROPELLANT., Cheese: MOZZARELLA CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, POWDERED CELLULOSE, NATURAL FLAVORS, ASCORBIC ACID (TO PROTECT FLAVOR), SODIUM PROPIONATE (ADDED AS A PRESERVATIVE)., Classic Marinara Pizza Sauce: TOMATO PASTE, WATER, SALT, SPICES, GARLIC POWDER, TOMATO FIBER, AND CITRIC ACID.

Non-chlorofluorocarbon propellant? Sounds flammable. We don’t need to go over the rest, as we’re sure you can guess the healthy attributes that are terribly apparent in the above list. Notice how the worst of it is in the crust? The sauce doesn’t actually seem too bad. Cheese is, well, cheese. However, that cheese might have wood pulp in it (powdered cellulose).

So how about a crust made up of cauliflower, mozzarella cheese, egg white, basil, and garlic? All your own fresh ingredients on top?

You can let out your breath now.