Pizza!

Pizza is a staple in our American diet. There’s a pizza joint on nearly every corner. In fact, according to Your Guide to Pizza, pizzerias comprise almost eight percent of all U.S. restaurants. Yes, 8%. Wow.

That makes pizza really easy to get, and really tempting to eat often. After all, it’s fast, convenient, and it smells SO good!  In fact, in the U.S., there are about 350 slices of pizza eaten each second and over 3 billion pizzas sold every year.

But, oh the guilt. There are actually plenty of options when you order pizza to make it more healthy. For example, vegetarian pizzas are better for you than a meat-lover’s pizza, although women are twice as likely as men to order vegetarian.

Here are a few other ways to have your pizza and keep your health in mind:

• Order it with less cheese, or better yet, no cheese at all. You’ll be surprised at how good it tastes.
• Moderation. Eat 1 or 2 slices instead of 3 or 4. Savor it.  
• Limit the fat. Be mindful with the toppings you order. Limit the meat, fried toppings, and oily toppings like olives, added cheese, eggplant (usually soaked or fried in oil).
• Make it a treat. Eating pizza less often helps you appreciate it more.

But on May 18th, let’s celebrate this great American tradition! Buon appetito!