Healthier Pizza Tips

It happens to the best of us - you've had a hard day, you're tired and you have zero motivation to cook.  You don't feel like leaving the house, so what do you do?

Pizza Guy to the rescue!

Check out these healthy tips courtesy of Hungry Girl before you pick up that phone.

HG's TOP Tips for Pizza Ordering

1. Thin crust or Neapolitan is almost always a better choice than Sicilian or pan pizza.
2. Repeat after us: "Easy on the cheese."
3. Load up on veggies. Just make sure they're not breaded and fried!
4. Beware of fatty meats! Sausage? Skip it. Bacon? Buh-bye. Pepperoni? Please. To feed these cravings, turn to HG's slimmed-down recipes (like this one)!
5. There's no shame in pizza blotting. Blot the oil off your pizza. Do it.
6. Don't JUST eat pizza -- have a small salad too (dressing on the side; dip, don't pour)! Then you can enjoy a slice or two without feeling deprived and still hungry.
7. Options to avoid: deep dish, stuffed crust, and specials with the word "Supreme," "Ultimate," "Works," or "Lovers" in the title... unless accompanied by the word "Veggie." Also avoid doughy side dishes. (What is the point of eating cheesy breadsticks dunked in marinara sauce WITH pizza? It's just more of the same!)
8. Options to indulge in: whole-wheat or whole-grain crust (especially thin-style), fresh veggies, red pepper flakes, sliced olives, grated Parm (just a few sprinkles!), garlic powder, extra tomato sauce, jalapeño slices, and hot sauce. (Sensing a theme? Spicy foods slow down your eating and bring big flavor without big calorie counts!)

From time to time, The Healthy Hoff will indulge in a delivered pizza as well.  To minimize the damage, I go for a thin crust (whole-wheat when I can get it), veggie lovers, extra sauce, hold the cheese, please!

The pizza sauce and dough at Chuck E. Cheese, Little Caesars, and Papa John's are vegan, while Pizza Hut uses vegan sauce, and its Thin 'n Crispy and dessert crusts are vegan, its other crusts are not.

Don't Forget to Tip!

The Hoff