When I start working with a client, they typically believe that they can't enjoy pizza AND eat “healthy” at the same time. Their experience tells them that pizza is a “bad” food, it’s a cheat meal, and it will definitely make them gain body fat. But often, that’s a fear of food and diet culture talking. By embracing a flexible approach to eating and incorporating some macro-friendly strategies, pizza can be part of a balanced approach to nutrition. Grab a slice, and let’s dig in!

HOW TO MAKE PIZZA A “MACRO-FRIENDLY” MEAL

Here are some tips to help you enjoy pizza while staying on track with your macros:

1. Pair your pizza with protein: To balance the carbs and fats in pizza, pair your slice with a good source of protein. Add grilled chicken, lean beef, or tuna (before you gag, many Europeans and Mexicans will tell you that tuna on pizza is delicious!) in order to round out your meal and keep you feeling full and satisfied. 

2. Add veggies: Boost the nutritional value of your pizza by adding vegetables to your meal. Whether you top your pizza with spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, or opt for a veggie-loaded side salad, you'll increase your fiber and nutrient intake. Even better (and what we often do in our house): a veggie-packed chicken salad as a side for pizza checks both the protein and veggie boxes and can still be an easy part of a quick pizza dinner.

3. Eat mindfully: Try to savor each bite, put your fork or slice down between bites, and listen to your body's hunger and fullness cues, eat without distractions (turn off the phone and the TV) and if you’re out with friends try to enjoy their company. Mindful eating helps prevent overeating and ensures you enjoy every moment of your meal. It also helps us fully enjoy the foods we’re eating rather than eating rapidly, getting uncomfortably full, then feeling sick or guilty after.

MACRO-FRIENDLY PIZZA OPTIONS

Here are some ideas for enjoying pizza while keeping your macros aligned with your goals, whatever they may be:

1. Order thin crust pizza: Opt for thin crust instead of regular or deep dish. Thin-crust pizzas generally have fewer carbs and calories, making them a better option for macro-conscious eaters.

2. Choose protein-packed toppings: Choose toppings like chicken, turkey pepperoni, or lean ground beef. These add a protein boost to your pizza, making it more filling and balanced.

3. Enjoy a veggie lovers' pizza: Load your pizza with vegetables like spinach, tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers. This not only adds flavor but also increases the fiber and nutrient content of your meal.

4. Cauliflower crust pizza: Look, cauliflower crust isn’t as good as a delicious bread crust. It just can’t be. But if you are actively in a calorie deficit with fat loss goals, cauliflower crust can be a viable lower calorie option that allows you to enjoy an approximation of pizza and it adds more vegetables to your diet. This doesn’t have to be a forever option but could be one aligned with your fat loss goals for a time.

TRACKING MACROS WHEN EATING PIZZA

Accurately tracking pizza is very possible. Starting with the most accurate method, there are various options for tracking your pizza meal to the extent you can:

1. Use a food scale: If you're making pizza at home, weigh your ingredients to get precise measurements for tracking. This includes the crust, sauce, cheese, and any calorie-dense toppings.

2. Use a restaurant’s nutrition Info: Many pizza chains provide nutrition information online! Use this data to log your meal in a food-tracking app like MacrosFirst, MyFitnessPal, or Cronometer. 

3. Use the “surrogate method”: If you're dining out and can't find the restaurant’s nutrition info, use the surrogate method. Find a similar pizza from a different restaurant or a generic pizza entry in your tracking app, and use that entry to track your pizza. While it might not be exact, it will give you a ballpark figure to go off of. For example, if I get a big slice of pizza from a local pizzeria, I typically will log a slice of Costco Pizza; if I get a more “artisan” thin-crust pear and goat cheese pizza, I log an approximation from California Pizza Kitchen. The reality of pizza is that most of the base ingredients are the same, so there’s not too much of a difference between your thick local crust triple cheese pizza and Domino's thick-crust triple cheese pizza.

MINDFUL TRACKING TIPS

1. Pre-plan your pizza: If you know you’re going out for pizza later in the day, log some pizza early on. Pre-logging your food helps you stay within your macro goals for the day and allows you to make informed decisions during your other meals. You may see that you’ll be enjoying a lot of fat and carbs later with your pizza (you logged two pieces and plan to enjoy some veggies on the side) so you know to load up on some protein earlier in the day.

2. Adjust and reflect: After the fact, estimate and log your food, review your food diary, and see how the pizza you ate fits into your daily macros. Even if you don’t hit your macros perfectly, you can use a meal out as a learning opportunity that helps you make more informed choices in the future. Most likely, you’ll find that the pizza was only slightly more calorie-dense than any other dinner you were going to eat!

3. Enjoy it: The most important part of eating pizza is to enjoy the experience. Whether you go for a classic pepperoni slice or a veggie-loaded thin crust, there is no right or wrong way. Remember, flexible nutrition and tracking macros is about balance and making choices that align with your goals without sacrificing enjoyment.

Here’s to making pizza nights both delicious and macro-friendly!

For absolute simplicity when it comes to tracking your macros, make sure to grab a free copy of Everyday Macros: our macro-friendly meal prep cookbook.