SHAPE UP
More vegetables, less cheese restore healthiness to pizzas

By Charles Stuart Platkin

Pizza's calorically humble beginning was as a garnished flatbread sold by street vendors in old Naples. But it wasn't until 1905 that the pizza craze really began — when the first American pizza parlor opened its doors in New York City. Today, we eat close to 3 billion pizza pies per year — which is certainly not helping our country's weight problem.

But pizza is not the problem; it's the way we consume it.

"With all the different toppings available, and the 'don't stop 'till you're stuffed' approach to eating it, pizza can really hinder a weight-loss program," says New York City nutritionist Carey Clifford. "In fact, the average person eats two or more slices, or roughly 9 ounces of pizza, in one sitting. That's about 540 calories and eight grams of fat — and that's before the toppings," which adds 50 to 150 calories and five to 15 grams of fat.

Wondering how to keep your pizza healthy without adding to your waistline?

Go Cheeseless. One of the easiest ways to save on calories and fat is simply to go cheeseless (or maybe half the cheese — you can hardly taste the difference). Also, you can order a pizza with healthy toppings such as grilled chicken or vegetables, and you can sprinkle your cheeseless pizza with parmesan for extra flavor.

Don't stuff it. If you can't imagine a pizza without cheese, at least steer yourself away from extra-cheese, deep-dish, and stuffed-crust pizzas — all of which pack on calories and fat. For example, two slices of Pizza Hut's Stuffed Crust Pizza Supreme contain 820 calories and a whopping 40 grams of fat — that's approximately two-thirds of the daily fat allowance!

Veg out. Ask for plenty of veggies on top — broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, or even artichoke hearts. All these are low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients — which means you feel fuller with less calories. Make sure the vegetables aren't drenched in oil or butter.

Don't be a meathead. Choose grilled chicken (not breaded or fried) instead of meatballs, pepperoni, or sausage, all of which are loaded with fat. Shrimp is an excellent, low-fat pizza topping.

Watch your sides. It's not only the pizza that you have to look out for. Most pizzerias serve garlic bread, bread sticks, buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks and more.

It's gross, but it cuts the grease. This might be seen as a bit unsanitary or poor manners, but you can use a paper napkin to blot extra oil from your slice of pizza.