Somewhere between the brick ovens of Italy and the delivery cars of America something went horribly wrong. The traditional pizza, made with just bread, cheese and tomatoes, is now tricked out with inflated crusts, four-cheese toppings, and a surplus of pepperoni, all of which contribute to its quadrupled caloric count. And man, do we love it. With 69,000 pizza joints scattered across the U.S., it's no wonder that each man, woman and child devours an average of 46 slices a year. That's the equivalent of 23 pounds of pie!
Any way you slice it, we're taking in a lot more fat than our slimmer friends in Italy, where only 9 percent of the population is obese compared to our 34 percent . Their secret: Thin crust, half the formaggio, and extra vegetables. That's why we've included Best and Worst pizzas in our new book: Eat This, Not That! The Best (& Worst!) Foods in America! The following 7 problematic pies are pulled straight from the book: Avoid them at all costs, and see how, with the help of the Eat This, Not That! series, you can lose 10 pounds or more of belly fat--while still eating all of your favorite foods!
7. WORST SEAFOOD PIZZA
Red Lobster Lobster Pizza
720 calories
30 g fat (13 g saturated)
1,390 mg sodium
69 g carbs
It's a cool concept (certainly more appetizing than your grandfather's old anchovies habit), but it makes for a heavy meal that's stuffed with more sodium than you should eat in one sitting. Fare from the sea is one of the best ways to go, but sprinkled over a bed of starchy dough and fatty cheese and you've got a different story altogether. Billed as a starter, this Lobster Pizza is the only pizza on Red Lobster's menu. Luckily it shares space with one of the world's greatest appetizers--shrimp cocktail--and the chain restaurant is among the healthiest chain restaurants in the land, so you'll have no problem finding better options.
Eat This Instead!
Chilled Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail
120 calories
1 g fat (0 g saturated)
590 mg sodium
9 g carbs
Note: This one simple Eat This, Not That! swap will save you 600 calories. Try this once a day with your other favorite foods and you'll lose more than a pound a week--without dieting!
6. WORST VEGGIE PIZZA
Papa John's Pan Crust Garden Fresh Pizza (2 slices)
740 calories
38 g fat (12 g saturated)
1,320 mg sodium
78 g carbs
Just because it's topped with veggies doesn't make it healthy. The real problem here isn't the toppings, though; it's the excessively thick, greasy pan crust that sinks this veggie-strewn ship. Two slices of this garden fresh pie will set you back the caloric equivalent of 7 ½ Rice Krispies Treats, and it'll stuff your belly with as much salt as you'll find in nearly 4 large orders of McDonald's French Fries. Save over 300 calories by switching to a larger pie (14") with a thinner crust. Just another example of why crust is king when trying to find a healthy pie. (See other nutrition landmines masquerading as "healthy" meals on our SLIDESHOW: The 30 Worst Foods in America.)
Eat This Instead!
Thin Crust Garden Fresh Pizza (2 slices)
420 calories
22 g fat (5 g saturated)
940 mg sodium
46 g carbs
Sbarro's individual pizza slices are oversized to begin with, but throw in the stuffed factor and you're looking at this single worst slice of pizza in America--the equivalent of almost 4 pepperoni slices from Pizza Hut. A rule of thumb for ordering pizza in general (and it's especially applicable at Sbarro) is to always choose the thinnest crust possible, and to always avoid any "stuffed" options, which indicate at least double the toppings. Downsize this massive wedge for a Fresh Tomato Pizza--and be sure to limit yourself to just one.
Eat This Instead!
Fresh Tomato Pizza
450 calories
4. WORST PIZZA LUNCH COMBO
Romano's Macaroni Grill Sicilian Mio Pizza and Insalata Blu
1,010 calories
58 g fat (22 g saturated)
2,755 mg sodium
71 g carbs
Consuming over half your daily calories at lunch is asking for energy trouble in the afternoon (not to mention difficulties with your belt buckle). Macaroni Grill boasts about their perfect sized lunch combos as if super-sized individual pizzas and high-calorie "side" salads are a good thing. Even more disturbing is the fact that recent research found that people tend to underestimate portion sizes when their meals have more variety in them, so you're bound to eat more when you have more pieces to your meal. All the more reason to skip the Mac Grill combo meals and choose a simpler lunch, instead. (But beware: Healthy doesn't come easy at this restaurant, especially with pasta. Canneloni or Pasta Pomodoro are the only two bowls with less than 1,000 calories.)
(Beware the sodium overload on our list of The 20 Saltiest Foods in America 2009.)
Eat This Instead!
Chicken Cannelloni Lunch
590 calories
29 g fat (17 g saturated)
1,710 mg sodium
41 g carbs
3. WORST CALZONE
Pizza Hut Meaty P'Zone Pizza
1,480 calories
66 g fat (30 g saturated, 2 g trans)
3,680 mg sodium
152 g carbs
The word "calzone" alone should spell trouble, but this Pizza Hut Meaty P'Zone takes bad pizza pockets to a completely different level. The worst part is that Pizza Hut brags about their massive P'Zone like it's something to be proud of: The website reads "Over 1 LB of pizza goodness." Why is it over a pound? Because it's a regular-sized 12" pizza folded over onto itself and stuffed with meat and cheese. There's nothing impressive about eating an entire pizza by yourself.
Eat This Instead!
Meat Lover's 12" Pan Pizza (1 slice)
330 calories
18 g fat (7 g saturated, 0 g trans)
820 mg sodium
27 g carbs
2. WORST PIZZA APPETIZER
Uno Chicago Grill Pizza Skins
2,400 calories
155 g fat (45 g saturated)
3,600 mg sodium
195 g carbs
How are pizza skins different from an actual pizza? Well, they're not--they just come topped with crumbly processed bacon bits and a big fat dollop of sour cream. The only reason this monstrous dish didn't make it to our number one worst pizza spot is because it's supposed to be an appetizer, which means that some of the damage is mitigated by the fact that multiple people are digging in (or should be, at least). But even if you're traveling with a party of 5, it makes no sense to order what's essentially a family-sized pizza before your meal. To put it in perspective, a medium 12" pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut only racks up 1,840 calories. That's nearly 600 fewer calories than you'll find in this one appetizer! Disgusting. (Related: Appetizers and drinks are both easy ways to ruin a meal. Avoid any item on our SLIDESHOW: The 20 Worst Drinks in America.)
Eat This Instead!
Crispy Cheese Dippers
840 calories
48 g fat (18 g saturated)
2,490 mg sodium
1. WORST PIZZA IN AMERICA
Uno Chicago Grill Chicago Classic Deep Dish Individual Pizza
2,310 calories
165 g fat (54 g saturated)
4,920 mg sodium
120 g carbs
This individual pizza has been named Worst Pizza in America three years in a row now, but Uno Chicago Grill doesn't seem to care--all they've done to minimize the epic impact of this monstrous meal is to change the nutrition labels on their website to reflect the calories "per serving," instead of the total calories per dish as a whole. What's revealing about that slight of hand is that it shows that Uno knowingly sells an individual pizza that actually has three servings' worth of calories, fat, sodium, and carbs. This one individual pizza has more calories than you should eat in a day and more than two days' worth of sodium. (That's as much salt as you'll find in 27 small bags of Frito Lays Potato Chips!) The only way to go at Uno is to steer away from the infamous deep dish Chicago-style pizzas and opt for a flatbread pie instead.
Eat This Instead!
Cheese and Tomato Flatbread Pizza (1/2 pizza)
405 calories
16.5 g fat (7.5 g saturated)
1,065 mg sodium
46 g carbs
HALL OF FAME
THE BEST PIZZAS IN AMERICA
Next time you're hankering for a pie, grab a slice from one of these premium pizzas.
BEST VEGGIE PIZZA
Pizza Hut 12" Fit and Delicious Diced Red Tomato, Mushroom and Jalapeno (2 slices)
300 calories
16 g fat (7 g saturated)
1,220 mg sodium
46 g carbs
BEST HAWAIIAN PIZZA
Domino's Thin Crust Ham and Pineapple Pizza (2 slices)
294 calories
14 g fat (5 g saturated)
790 mg sodium
30 g carbs
BEST INDIVIDUAL PIZZA
Chuck E. Cheese Individual Cheese
540 calories
19 g fat (8 g saturated)
1,255 mg sodium
69 g carbs
BEST MEAT-LOVER'S PIZZA
Pizza Hut Meat Lover's 12" Pan Pizza (1 slice)
330 calories
18 g fat (7 g saturated, 0 g trans)
820 mg sodium
27 g carbs
you know, chuck e cheese pizza isn't 1/2 bad anymore. I remember it was pretty bad a few years back - but my nephew had his party there, and it was like "oh wow, this isn't half bad" - not great, but not bad.
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The only Uno that I actually like is the one in downtown Chicago. The rest are terrible! It is all about the small Ma & Pa joints, Giordanos, Ginos East, Lou Malnottis, etc.
The only Uno that I actually like is the one in downtown Chicago. The rest are terrible! It is all about the small Ma & Pa joints, Giordanos, Ginos East, Lou Malnottis, etc.
Most people wouldn't know a good pizza if it smacked them in the grill. Anyone that mentions a "chain" pizza as being the "best they ever had", really never had pizza before.
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Agreed. Uno's blows ass... I can't believe they're still in business. I know of dozens of small local companies that make outstanding pizza. Those are your best bet for great pizza when you go to chicago.
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Most people wouldn't know a good pizza if it smacked them in the grill. Anyone that mentions a "chain" pizza as being the "best they ever had", really never had pizza before.
Agreed. There are virtually no similarities between what comes out of the oven at an international chain and what you get from a small, privately owned, brick oven pizzeria.
The shit that Pizza Hut and Papa John's and Dominoes pawns off on unsuspecting lard-asses is barely worthy of being called "pizza."
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There's a place in Downtown DC called Ella's that has amazing wood fired pizza. There's also a place there(can't remember the name) that sells this spicy pizza. Smoked gouda, spicy pizza sauce, spicy pepperoni, smoked peppers, cajun powder, garlic, omfg it makes me drool
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There is a local artist that I know that fires his homemade pizzas in his ceramic kiln. Without a doubt the best pizza I've ever eaten. Homemade sauce,crust and special high end ingredients. Combine with a blazingly hot,ceramic brick oven and you have spectacularly tasty pies.
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Most people wouldn't know a good pizza if it smacked them in the grill. Anyone that mentions a "chain" pizza as being the "best they ever had", really never had pizza before.
What if it's a family owned chain from Chicago?
There's a local chain here called Barro's, which is family owned. Everything is made/cut daily and the pizza is great. About as good as a chain in Arizona could get. I've been to New York and Chicago, and while the pizza was awesome in both states, it wasn't something I felt I've been missing all my life.
The Mexican food in New York, though, was a joke.
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Originally Posted by EvilGoat...
What if it's a family owned chain from Chicago?
There's a local chain here called Barro's, which is family owned. Everything is made/cut daily and the pizza is great. About as good as a chain in Arizona could get. I've been to New York and Chicago, and while the pizza was awesome in both states, it wasn't something I felt I've been missing all my life.
The Mexican food in New York, though, was a joke.
True. Giordanos in FL still tastes as good as each one here in IL.
I thought we all discussed this in a couple of other threads and I gave my input and then based on my input we all agreed that the best pizza was Sally's Apizza in New Haven, CT. With Pepe's pizza behind it. Also in New Haven, CT.
Best pizza I ever had was made by an ex gfs mom several years back. It was a ham and pineapple but was oh so delicious. The sauce alone took an hour to make.
There is this joint on Avenue 'J' and East 15th St., where the same guy has been spinning pizzas for 40+ years. Imported cheeses, imported fresh herbs, imported tomatoes, etc.
Twenty-five dollars a pie and worth it.
There was an equally-great one on Neptune Ave in Coney Island, but that is probably long-gone.
Fox's Pizza on Cicero and any Beggars Pizza. smurfing win.
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There is this joint on Avenue 'J' and East 15th St., where the same guy has been spinning pizzas for 40+ years. Imported cheeses, imported fresh herbs, imported tomatoes, etc.
Twenty-five dollars a pie and worth it.
There was an equally-great one on Neptune Ave in Coney Island, but that is probably long-gone.
Brooklyn has everything.
I never warmed up to Brooklyn. Or Queens. Or the Bronx. I like Manhattan. I am not sure how, but even as a kid growing in my old country, I had Mahnattan-like dreams...
I never warmed up to Brooklyn. Or Queens. Or the Bronx. I like Manhattan. I am not sure how, but even as a kid growing in my old country, I had Mahnattan-like dreams...
I like Pizzaria Uno- so what if it is unhealthy? I only eat there when on vacation (none in my state) and with the amount of beer I drink there, there is no room for dicussing "health". Also, their happy hour prices on food and drink are usually excellent.
Dominos? i don't like eating fake cheese.
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I hate these stupid articles that yahoo health puts out telling you "to eat this instead" like they are your damn mother. No kidding some of these pizzas are unhealthy but any food in moderation will not kill you.
When I want a pizza, I am going to get the best tasteing one....why waste a "splurge" meal on something that taste half-assed.
There is a local artist that I know that fires his homemade pizzas in his ceramic kiln. Without a doubt the best pizza I've ever eaten. Homemade sauce,crust and special high end ingredients. Combine with a blazingly hot,ceramic brick oven and you have spectacularly tasty pies.
I used to work at a pizza place in Southern Illinois that used a ceramic brick oven. The pizza was good, but not great. Up in Chicago we have a few places like that and a couple that still use wood ovens too. But...that said. The best pizza I ever had was actually a small place in Ann Arbor Michigan called Pizza Pino. The flavor was out of this world. I had a buffalo chicken and a chicken alfredo pizza there that blew my mind. I need to go back there asap!
Finding good pie is next to impossible here in NorCal.
It is, but there are a few decent places if you look hard enough.
Zachary's is my favorite but others that come to mind are Cheeseboard in Berkeley, Little Star in SF, Pizzaio in Oakland. If you like old school greasy NY style there's Arinell in Berkeley and SF.
Heck, I think Skipolini's out here in Concord makes a decent pizza.
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