Uncertain about pizza...Do the calorie values listed seem too low?

I just can't believe that a slice of pepperoni pizza from a 14 inch pie could have just 280 to 320 calories. It seems way too low! I had a slice today from a Mom and Pop store (pepperoni, from a 14 inch pie) and I sat there looking at all the grease pooled up in the pepperoni and on the plate and all that cheese.... it's got to be more than that. But how much?  It looked just like the kind of slice you can get anywhere...but I'm having a hard time believing the average calories listed. Or is pizza not as evil as I thought? I feel very unsure. What do you think?

I've thought the same thing. But if they're lying about the calories, that's against the law. I guess it must be true? But I mean think about it - one slice of pizza is not that big. And many people are going to have 2, 3 or 4 slices. Now THAT is a lot of calories. I guess that's the evil of pizza.

Pizza in and of itself is a very healthy food actually. You've got grains, veggies, dairy and protein and fats. The issues with it come when people start doing absurd things to it like adding five different kinds of meat. It's also very easy to eat way more than one slice because well, most people don't find one slice to be entirely satisfying. 300-400 calories for a slice really isn't bad at all for a meal, but when you eat 3 of them in a sitting, that's where the trap is.

I'm going to disagree, pizza is not a "very healthy food". It's okay-ish. Grains? Hmm, most pizza bases are made from refined white flour - not good. Veggies? Not very many on most chain pizzas, and besides, most of the nutrients are cooked right out of them. Nevertheless, the veggie pizzas some places do have good amounts of veggies on them. Dairy. Not good, and I'm not just saying that because I don't eat it - cheese is LOADED with calories and most pizzas have LOTS of cheese on them. As for the protein, sure, I'll agree with that. But the fats?! Since when is a slice of pizza dripping with grease a good kind of fat? AND pizza sauces have ridiculous amounts of sugar in them!

It's the cheese, meat, sauce, oil and pizza base that makes the calorie content so high - and one slice is not satisfying at all, but you can really only have about two slices max. That's why pizza is a bad choice unless you make it at home on a whole wheat/whole grain tortilla with organic tomato paste, fresh organic veggies, a bit of lean meat if you want, and a sprinkling of your favourite cheese or soy cheese on top. It's so low-cal that you can even make TWO whole tortilla pizzas and eat them BOTH! Much tastier and way more filling and better for you than take-out pizza. 

I suppose I look at it differently, coming from an Italian family where we usually make it ourselves, so the kind I'm used to having is pretty wholesome. Chain resturant pizzas have kind of bastardized it though.

Pizza math....ordinary frozen thin crust cheese pizza is around 15 calories per square inch.  Maybe 10% more with pepperoni, so for a 300 calorie slice say 18 square inches.

Now on to the 14" pizza.  150 square inches area, so a 300 calorie slice would be 1/8 of the pizza.   

rebelchick1017 - Oh fair enough if you made it yourselves :) I thought you meant chain restaurant pizza! Home-made pizza can definitely be quite nutritious.

Mmm Pizza. The best one I had was in Italy. The crust was very thin, just the right amount of sauce and it had around four different cheeses! Damn it was so good.

UD

Original Post by rebelchick1017:

I suppose I look at it differently, coming from an Italian family where we usually make it ourselves, so the kind I'm used to having is pretty wholesome. Chain resturant pizzas have kind of bastardized it though.

Agreed. Real pizza (ie, Italian pizza) is healthy. Cheese is healthy in moderation, and Italian pizzas are all about moderation; thin and crispy crusts and good-quality rather than high-quantity toppings. American-style "pizza" is not really pizza at all imo.