Make smart choices when ordering your next pizza

There’s not much better than having dinner delivered to your door after a long day.

Pizza is ideal — quick, affordable, and readily available. But it has a reputation of being junk food. That’s not always the case, though.

True, many toppings can be high in fat and sodium. But, stripped down, pizza is simply tomato sauce, bread and cheese. Each of those parts is full of nutrients. It’s how you put the parts together, what you add to them and how much you eat that determines how nutritious pizza is.

Making choices while building your meal can make the difference between a nutritional boost or bust. Adding a salad or fruit and veggie-filled side dishes will bump up your meals’ nutrient content and help you fill up. Thinner crusts can help save calories and saturated fat.

Many pizza spots offer desserts, too. A sweet treat, as long as it’s just once in a while, can be included in a healthy eating plan. Look for those low in sugar and saturated fat.

Some things to keep in mind the next time you order out for pizza:

• Skip the extras. Avoid the temptation to double up on cheeses and meats. Ask the pizza shop to go light on those ingredients. This helps cut the saturated fat and sodium and gives you a little taste of your favorite toppings.
• Think plant power. Choosing plant-based toppings will give you a pizza with more beneficial nutrients and fewer unhealthy nutrients. Not only veggies but also toppings such as olives, pineapple and herbs like basil can give your pie a nutrient boost.
• Slice it right. Most pizza restaurants list nutritional info by the slice. Knowing that will help you get an accurate understanding of what you’re consuming nutrient-wise. Even for “individual” or “personal” pizzas, nutrient info is listed per slice.

Environmental Nutrition is an award-winning independent newsletter written by nutrition experts.