How many slices of pizza should I eat on a diet?

I am so fond of pizza but I thought I am getting fat in fact after eating just only pizza for a month now and some research I realized that being on diet and maintaining the number of slices is possible.

Pizza is an Italian delightful dish. It doesn’t at all harm your diet by maintaining the number of slices, the toppings, and your crust. A regular pizza contains approx. 300 calories. Generally, a man, woman, and child can consume 6-7 slices,7-8 slices,8 slices respectively according to the USDA food requirements. 

To know more about how many and which type of pizza one can consume on a diet, Keep Reading!

How many slices of pizza should I eat on a diet and why?

On average a regular veggie pizza contains approx 300 calories and it varies on your crust and the toppings. So, with the help of the book The Pizza Diet I was able to break down the formula of how many slices of pizza one can have on a diet?

It starts with how one can think of pizza differently. Pizza contains many types of nutrients that make it a nutritious meal. It’s a fattening food if we make it using cheap and low-quality ingredients, the way most pizza is dished out at most of the restaurants.

Most of the dough used outside is deficient in nutrients and it is loaded with lots of preservatives and hydrogenated fat. The cheese is greasy and the topping is often frozen, if that kind of pizza is the one you are eating, you are going to suffer.

So, if you want to have a healthy pizza you should always order thin crust because a regular crust is made of refined white flour which will spike your insulin level and your cravings will increase. Many types of pizza are high in sodium, fat, and calories but those made with fresh and whole ingredients can be a good choice.

The Pizzas which are made up of these limited ingredients can be quite healthy. While making homemade pizza, the nutrient content can be boosted by adding vegetables or healthy protein sources like grilled chicken as toppings which are very nutrient-dense in nature.

Most of the pizza restaurants offer whole-wheat and gluten-free crusts which are very thin for a healthy pizza, as well as healthy topping choices, such as fresh vegetables or herbs. So, to summarize, if we have a homemade pizza or at a pizzeria, it’s healthier than a local restaurant. Coming down to the question, how many slices of pizza can a person have on a diet?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends the following daily calorie intake to stay fit and healthy considering a diet.

So on a diet if we have pizza we should be very cautious about the recipe and the ingredients, I would like to tell you about the different steps to prepare a healthy safe and sound pizza which you can prepare on a diet or give an order at the pizzeria nearby: –

• Step 1 – Healthy pizza toppings
  • The toppings you choose to cater have a huge impact on your healthy diet. For healthy pizza, it is very important to stay light on cheese and bread. Always make sure to keep your and the toppings full of proteins and vegetables and for non-vegetarians, a whole wheat chicken pizza is good for the diet.

• Step 2 – Use lighter cheese
  • Always use fewer calorie cheese by using a combination of part-skim mozzarella and naturally lower fat parmesan.

• Step 3 – Mind your portions
  • Pizza is one of those foods that older people shove us for it. So, it’s worth paying attention to the portions i.e. do you really need the 4-5 slice at one sitting.
  • A fact about being pizza considered as ‘unhealthy’ is because of the food and drinks paired with it. First, we used to have cheesy breadsticks and then cheesy dis, sodas, etc. It is only healthy when you leave the food and drinks taken with pizza and just focus on slices of pizza, not the whole pie.

So, is pizza really healthy?

Yes, two or three slices of pizza for dinner won’t hurt your diet at all considering the above steps. And if you are invited to a pizza party just remember to remove the grease off of the top with a paper handkerchief/napkin. After all, you don’t know what’s in it for you.

“Several variations of the pizza diet exist, where people eat only pizza for all meals over a short time frame. Experts warn that any diet which focuses on just one food is not sustainable or nutritious. Pizza can fit in a healthy diet, but you should include a variety of other foods, too.” —Chrissy Carroll, RD, MPH

According to the given food requirements of USDA and bifurcation of the calories in pizza a man, woman and child can consume 6-7 slices,7-8 slices,8 slices considering not having anything else.

Source – [1], [2]  

Which type of pizza one should consume on a diet?

Here are a few recipes that can help you to control your calories on a diet and enjoying pizza as well! 

1) Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza-

INGREDIENTS: –

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsps. olive oil

SAUCE:

• 14-1/2 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

TOPPINGS:

•  1 teaspoon olive oil
•  1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• Half cup Red or green pepper finely chopped.
• /4 cup chopped onion
• 1-1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

How to make:

• In a big bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients and 1 cup all-purpose flour. Take a small saucepan, boil water, and oil to 125°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed 4 minutes. Stir it enough so that the flour becomes a soft dough.
• Turn onto a flour sprinkled surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Place it in a butter or oil greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let it rest in a warm place until its size gets doubled, about 30 minutes.
• In a small pan boil all the sauce ingredients. bring the heat to a low flame i.e. simmer, don’t keep it covered, until it is slightly thickened. Boil it for 15-18 minutes, stirring it again and again, and then turn off your gas.
• Preheat the oven to 400°till that time Punch down the dough and then on a lightly floured surface, make the dough into two equal pieces and then roll it around 12 inches in a circle. Place on 2 greased 12inch pizza pans; poke the dough with a fork. Bake the dough till it is lightly browned and see some bubbles on the dough which will take around 8-10 minutes.
• Till that time take a pan of heat oil over medium-high heat, sauté vegetables until they get crispy. Spread the crust with sauce, put some toppings, vegetables, and cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted for about 12-15 minutes.

Nutrition Facts:

• 1 slice: 195 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated fat), 7mg cholesterol, 233mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 4g fiber), 9g protein. For Diabetic Patients: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 fat. (This fact is based on the above recipe.)

2) Diet chicken pizza-

INGREDIENTS:

• Chicken 250 gm
• Whole egg 3-4
• Psyllium Husk: 1 tbsp
• Herbs and pieces as per choice
• Salt: as per taste
• Oil: 10 gm
• Tomato 50 gm
• Capsicum 30 gm
• Mushroom: 30 gm
• Cauliflower: 30 gm
• Spinach: 60 gm
• Boiled Egg white: 2

How to make:

• For the lower base 1) Take 200 grams of chopped chicken shards. 2) Masalas and herbs of your choice. 3) 1 Tbsp of Psyllium Husk and salt 4) Blend all of the ingredients together and make a rounded base, smaller than the size of your non-stick pan. 5) Close the lid and let it be there for 10-15 mins.
• For the crust 1) Take a separate bowl, beat 3-4 whole eggs, and set aside.
• Take a non-stick pan and grease it with some oil or butter on it. Put the base and let it cook both sides on a low flame.
• Once cooked, keep the base in the center of the pan, put the beaten eggs on the remaining edges, and cover the pan till the eggs cook (don’t turn your pizza at that time).
• Once you are done with it, take your toppings and pour it on your crust.
• For the Pizza Sauce: 1) Take one tomato, some dry chilies, herbs, and onion. 2) Grind them in a mixer, sauté them in a pan with some oil and keep aside.
• For the toppings: 1) Finely chop some capsicum and onions and let them steep in the vinegar for some time. (Best if you keep it a whole night). 2)Dry roasted mushrooms and grinded cauliflower (for the crispiness). 3)You can also grind blanched spinach and use it as a sauce.
• For the Cheese or Mayo: 1) take 2 Boiled eggs. Remove the egg yolk and grind the egg whites with some vinegar, water, sugar-free, black pepper, and garlic for better taste.2) Transfer your pizza into a plate and cover it with the sauces, vegetable toppings, and finally the cheese.
• Sprinkle with some pizza seasoning like oregano and for the extra delightful taste, you can put roasted paneer as toppings.

3) Sunny-Side Up Egg Pizza-

INGREDIENTS-

• 2 Tablespoon virgin olive oil and you will need more for greasing the pan.
• 1 Tablespoon cornmeal
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Flour
• 1-lb package refrigerated pizza dough
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 small leek, cut in half lengthwise and then thinly sliced, green light and white parts only (The layers of leek can contain small particles of stone and sand. To clean, hold the half under cool running water and fan the layers. Shake off to excess water, and pat dry with paper towels before chopping.)
• 2 slices prosciutto, cut it into small pieces
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper.

How to make:

• Preheat the oven to 480°F. Slightly grease the 12-inch round pizza pan with oil or butter. Sprinkle some cornmeal on the pan.
• Combine the 2-tablespoon olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowl. On a lightly floured surface, roll and press dough into a 12-inch circle, building up a rim around the edges. Carefully transfer to the prepared pan. Brush dough with garlic-olive oil mixture.
• Top with the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, leeks, and prosciutto.
• Crack one egg into a small dish. Gently transfer to one-quarter of the pizza. Repeat with additional eggs. Sprinkle eggs with salt. Sprinkle the entire pizza with cracked pepper.
• Bake the rotating pizza halfway through the baking time, until the bottom of the crust is crisp and top is blistered and egg whites are set (yolks should still be runny) for about 8 minutes.
• Cut into quarters and serve it hot to enjoy.

Nutrition Facts:

• 683 calories, 27 g fat (12 g saturated), 1,245mg sodium, 2 g sugar, 36 g protein, 3 g fiber.

Kind request

I want to request you to have an open mind and give my program a try. I am not charging any fees for it. I genuinely want you to achieve your goal. At any point, if you face any problem in understanding the program please feel free to email me. I promise I’ll help you in every way to achieve your goal. Wish you the best. Happy Eating!