The #1 Unhealthiest Order at Every Major Fast-Food Pizza Chain
Who doesn't love to hit a fast-food pizza chain on vacation, on the road, or just any night of the week? While pizza is a quick and delicious weeknight meal, pizza is known to have loads of calories, artery-clogging saturated fat, sodium, and carbs galore. This is especially true since oftentimes you order a pie and eat two, three, or even four slices! With all these nutritional detriments, it's important to be mindful of the standout unhealthiest orders at pizza chains so you can keep your calories, saturated fat, and sodium in check the next time you order a pie. That's why we examined the menus at major fast-food pizza chains to pinpoint the worst offenders.
In each of the fast-food pizza chains below, you'll find the number one unhealthiest option on the menu. Each is loaded with the macronutrients that are linked to numerous health issues when eaten in excess. And let's also not forget the soda or beer that goes with your pizza, garlic knots, wings, or other high-calorie goodies you order alongside it. So, consider the nutrition facts below (which are based on serving size and provided nutrition info) a starting point for a meal that will rack up calories and unwanted nutrients quickly.
One thing to remember is that there are still many options on these menus, and you can certainly balance your meal out to have a healthy one. With a little planning and some expert guidance, we also provide a recommendation for what to order instead so you can fit pizza into your healthy eating plan. Read on, and for more, don't miss 6 Pizza Chains Where Chefs Actually Eat.
Domino's: The Cali Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
You would think a pizza topped with grilled chicken is healthy. Nope! This extra-large Cali Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza is topped with grilled chicken breast, ranch, bacon, diced tomatoes, provolone, and cheese made with 100% real mozzarella. One slice (and you know you need at least two!) provides 50% of the maximum recommended amount of artery-clogging saturated fat and close to the amount of carbs in 3 slices of bread.
Eat This Instead: Go for a thin-crust pizza topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and veggies. Have 1 slice and pair it with a side salad with vinaigrette.
Pizza Hut: The Chicken Parmesan Sandwich with Breadstick Dipping Sauce and Fries
If you think opting for a sandwich over a slice of pizza is healthier, think again! As a registered dietitian, this is probably one of the most over-the-top orders I have seen at any fast-food joint. The saturated fat is 100% of your daily recommended maximum and sodium is 190% of your daily recommended max. The carbs alone are equivalent to eating 11 (yes, 11!) slices of bread.
Eat This Instead: Have two or even three slices of the Veggie Lover's small Thin 'N Crispy with 100 calories per slice.
Papa John's: The Epic Stuffed Crust Pepperoni, Sausage and Six Cheese Pizza
This pizza is loaded with pepperoni, sausage, and a blend of parmesan, romano, asiago, fontina, provolone, and real cheese made from mozzarella, and is topped with a blend of Italian herb seasoning. When topped over a stuffed crust, one slice provides loads of artery-clogging saturated fat and sodium, reaching 55% and 53% of the daily recommended maximum, respectively.
Eat This Instead: Opt for a thin crust with less meat and cheese—it's okay to choose slices with meat and cheese, but you want a lot less to have it in moderation.
Little Caesar's: The Detroit-Style Deep Dish Pizza 5 Meat Feast
Do you really need to pile 5 types of meat on a thick crust? No. Even if you ate one-quarter of the pie, you're still taking in 875 calories, 17.25 grams of saturated fat, and 2,022 milligrams of sodium—all quite high for one meal not counting any appetizers, beverages, or sides.
Eat This Instead: Order the thin crust pie and have one or two slices and top with mushrooms, peppers, onions, or other veggies.
Sbarro: The Stuffed Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza
This pizza offering at Sbarro is once again meats topped on a stuffed pizza crust. Even if you ate one-quarter of the pizza, you would get 1,800 calories, 28 grams of saturated fat, and 3,930 milligrams of sodium. Carbs would be a whopping 165 grams, which is equivalent to 11 slices of bread.
Eat This Instead: Go simple with 1 regular slice of pizza and have fruit for dessert.
Papa Murphy's: The 5 Meat Stuffed Pizza
This pizza made with a stuffed crust and topped with traditional sauce, mozzarella cheese, beef, Canadian bacon, crispy bacon, Italian sausage, pepperoni, and cheese topping is just too much. The nutrition info is provided for 1/12th of the pizza—which seems a bit small compared to how much you may actually consume. If you ate even two slices, that would be a total of 960 calories, 16 grams of saturated fat, 2,480 milligrams of sodium, and 110 grams of carbs—certainly more than you should be eating in one or even two meals.
Eat This Instead: Enjoy a regular slice of pizza topped with veggies and one of their salads. Kudos to this pizza joint for offering up so many side salad options!
Jet's Pizza: The Cheese and Pepperoni Slice
Of all the specialties pizza offered at Jet's Pizza that piled high on the meat options, the good old cheese and pepperoni slice came in with the highest amount of calories. Many folks opt for two or more slices, upping those calories, sodium, and carbs through the roof.
Eat This Instead: Balance your meal with 1 slice of pizza (preferably plain or with veggies) and pair it with a side salad.
Cici's: The Stuffed Crust Buffalo Chicken Pizza
On top of the stuffed crust is chicken, mozzarella cheese, and hot buffalo sauce. If you can stop at one slice then you're ahead of the game. But eating two slices can set you back 672 calories, 7 grams of saturated fat, 1,600 milligrams of sodium, and 80 grams of carbs. It's tough to know how many slices are in the pizza as it is not mentioned in the nutrition facts section of the website.
Eat This Instead: Opt for a cheese or veggie flatbread which are on the menu at this fast-food pizza chain.
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