Of all the comfort foods that men may use to fill their bellies, pizza is a proverbial favorite. Crispy crust, rosy red sauce, velvety cheese and greasy meats team up to provide the perfect gustatory mix of great taste. But not everyone fancies the cost these days of take-out pies, and that is before laying down the tip. And for the most part Dominos, Pizza Hut and their ilk are delivering pies that are undeniably delicious but also a good bet to be nutritionally problematic. Even if you count the tomato sauce as a vegetable it doesn’t nearly offset all those fatty calories. Enter the world of frozen pizza.
A more budget-friendly go-to option for many households when they are jonesing for a pizza night. It is estimated that more than 200 million Americans eat frozen pizza, so it’s not surprising that the frozen food section of supermarkets is loaded with options. Frozen pizza is the ultimate quick dinner hack, but it’s not always the healthiest solution. It also need not be a total nutrition disaster if you know what to look for to keep all those calories, saturated fat and sodium under control. Listen, the stuff is never going to compete with a kale salad for nutritional supremacy, but there are ways to make a subzero pie a healthier meal choice that won’t tank your diet goals. It boils down to reading the nutrition label and ingredients list carefully.
Understand the The Nutrition Label and Facts of Frozen Pizza
Calories
Frozen pizzas run the gamut of calories, from reasonable to energy bombs. To be more friendly to your waistline, my suggestion is to look for one that contains 500 calories or less for half of a pizza.
Fat
Keep an eye on fat intake. As this creeps up so does the calorie density of your frozen pie. While they contribute valuable protein, too much cheese and processed meats can certainly send fat numbers soaring. A good rule of thumb is opting for a pizza with 20 grams or less fat in a serving, and also paying attention to those saturated fat numbers.
Saturated Fat
You certainly need not try to banish this fat from your diet, but it’s still a good idea to not go overboard on it, despite what the carnivore crowd is broadcasting. According to the American Heart Association, we should aim to have no more than 13 grams of saturated fat per day as a way to support better-lasting heart health. Like its fast food counterpart, subzero pies can also be a significant source of the stuff from ingredients like cheese and processed meats. Look out for options that deliver no more than 8 grams of saturated fat in half a ‘za.
Sodium
It should be no surprise that frozen pizza can deliver a sodium tsunami. A 2024 study in JAMA Network Open that included adults aged 49 to 79 in 12 Southeastern states linked higher than recommended sodium intake to 10% of total cardiovascular disease deaths, 13% of total coronary heart disease deaths, and 30% of heart failure deaths. So it’s important to pay attention to how much you’re getting in each serving of frozen pizza. Aim to choose options with no more than 800 grams per serving if possible. Pizza with cured meats like sausage and pepperoni will typically have higher sodium levels.
Sugar
The crust and tomato sauce can be a sneaky source of sugar in pizza. Is seems like added sugar is everywhere in the food supply. Look out for frozen pizza with less than 3 grams of added sugar per serving.
Protein
Finding frozen pizzas with higher levels of protein will help you build muscle and keep you feeling fuller. Do your best to find one with about 15 grams of protein in a serving.
Almost no reasonable serving of frozen pizza will give you the 30 grams of protein most fitness-minded guys should aim for at each meal. It’s fairly easy to boost protein numbers healthily by simply scattering on some grilled chicken, slices of lean steak, or even canned fish (smoked mussels are particularly awesome on pizza). For plant-based protein try beans or slices of cooked meaty tempeh.
Crust
The default for most pizza crust is nutritionally poor white, refined flour, but there are different brands out there making an assortment of healthier crust options. For example, you can find crusts made from whole wheat flour, chickpeas and, yes, even cauliflower, all of which will automatically up your fiber and nutrient intake and lower your intake of refined carbs. To be honest, though, finding a pizza made with a whole-grain crust is sadly not an easy pursuit.
Servings
Pay special attention to the serving size listed on the package. Some brands list their nutritionals for unrealistic serving amounts for hungry guys. Seriously, who is just eating a quarter of a frozen pie? Realistically, most of us are going to polish off at least half a frozen pizza so the nutrition numbers need to be adjusted to reflect this. (Note: for the majority of the frozen pizzas listed below the nutrition numbers are calculated for half of a whole pizza.)
Veggies
Most of us struggle to eat enough of these nutritional heroes each day. So finding a pizza with added vegetables such as peppers, spinach and mushrooms can lend an assist in getting what is needed for better health. But watch out for frozen pies that advertise their vegetable content but in reality, contain just a few flecks of these. Of course, you can take matters into your own hands by topping a prepared frozen pizza with additional veggies such as sautéing up some frozen vegetable medley and plopping this on top.
The 9 Healthiest Frozen Pizzas According to Dietitians
Pizza guy can’t come quickly enough? No longer are soggy, nutritional disaster frozen pizzas your only option when you need a pizza hit, pronto. These healthier and tasty frozen pies are just the ticket to a satisfying meal and worthy of a resounding Mangia! So go ahead and toss those delivery brochures.
If you’re shopping at Whole Foods, this is one of the better frozen pizza selections you can make. The black olives make a nice stand-in for greasy pepperoni because they lend a “meaty” texture and salty taste. It also has spinach and creamy feta cheese —a classic Greek combo that’s almost always a win. Just keep in mind that the sodium is high so go easy elsewhere in your diet.
The frozen pizza giant DiGiorno certainly has its fair share of nutritionally suspect pies loaded with saturated fat, sodium and calories (croissant crust pizza, really?). But, this thin crust option is one of their better performers without any freezer-burnt flavor.
A chickpea-based crust gives this pizza solid amounts of dietary fiber and an extra dose of protein without making pizza night taste weirdly beany. Three different cheeses up the delicious factor and a nice assortment of colorful veggies provides a much needed dose of nutrition.
Amy’s Kitchen makes a few different frozen pizzas that are made with organic ingredients, with this thin crust one having some of the better nutrition numbers. In terms of taste, it’s pretty close to the Margherita you’d expect from an Italian eatery.
While this pizza is higher in sodium than what’s ideal, it does a good job of keeping calories in check and is decorated with colorful veggies for a health boost. There is also a generous foundation of saucy tomatoes. It tastes like it could’ve come straight out of a pizzeria.
An authentic sourdough crust makes for a healthier, better-tasting base. A generous amount of mushrooms ups the umami factor and you should be impressed by the amount of protein and fiber.
Somehow, these guys have managed to transform cauliflower into a delicious crispy pizza crust. The end result is a frozen pizza with fewer calories and carbs. It’s also lower in saturated fat than most other options in the supermarket freezer chests. The hunks of buffalo sauce coated chicken won’t leave you missing the pepperoni.
Big on tomato flavor, this plant-only pie is certainly a calorie and fat-conscious choice. This is surprisingly not the case for most vegan frozen pizzas on the market. Since it’s lower in protein, consider finding ways to add more of the muscle-making macro to your meal such as scattering on hunks of smoked tofu.
With such a fresh taste and tender crisp crust, it’s hard to believe this is frozen. A next-level frozen pizza that comes courtesy of the chef behind New York City’s famed Una Pizza Napletana. The pizza is gussied up with generous pieces of broccoli rabe and buffalo mozzarella, which is the king of pizza cheese.
