Five Healthier Options when it Comes to Pizza Chains

Pizza is the ultimate comfort food that just about everyone loves, but it's not very diet friendly. High fat cheese, non-nutritious carbohydrates, and toppings like pepperoni can increase cholesterol levels. But if you think you have to avoid your favorite food completely, think again. According to the book Eat This Not That by David Zinczenko, it is possible to eat pizza and not consume an entire day's worth of calories. Listed below are pizza options from five national pizza chains that will allow you to have your pizza and eat it too.

Domino's

Domino's is convenient when you have little time to cook and just want to order pizza that is delivered right to your front door. It is estimated that 400 million pizza pies come from Domino's each year - that's a lot of pizza. The trick to ordering a pizza at Domino's - and not feeling guilty - is to order your pizza with cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella. You'll save 1/3 of the calories and still have a cheesy consistency.

Opt for thin crusted pizza which means you'll consume fewer calories and carbohydrates. Don't have more than two slices and look for healthy toppings like pineapple - which is good at absorbing fat - and mushrooms. According to Eat This Not That, two slices of Domino's Crunchy Thin Crust Pizza has just 300 calories.

Little Caesars

The name came from Marian Ilitch, the pizza chain's founder. Apparently that was the nickname she used for her husband - hmm, not the most endearing nickname for a man.

Avoid the fatty toppings like sausage and pepperoni and opt for a vegetarian pizza with onions, garlic, and spinach. Zinczenko states that one slice of Little Caesars Veggie Pizza contains 365 calories - which is more than double a slice of Domino's Thin Crust Veggie pizza, but it's still better than the Little Caesar's Meatsa pizza which has 670 calories per slice.

Papa John's

Eat This Not That informs readers that Papa John's was one of the first major pizza chains to include a dipping sauce with each delivery - which doesn't exactly help when you're trying to reduce calories.

Two slices of Original Crust Spinach Alfredo pizza have 400 calories. Another option is to have two slices of plain cheese with thin crust which contain 480 calories. Stay away from the pan crust pizza as the extra thickness can add nearly 300 calories.

Pizza Hut

For 360 calories you can order two slices of Thin 'N Crispy Pizza with ham and pineapples. For just 300 calories, you can eat two slices of the Fit n' Delicious pizza - which has green peppers, red onions, and diced tomatoes. Are you sensing a vegetable theme? They're better for you and contain less calories.

Cici's Pizza

Cici's isn't all that bad when it comes to pizza because their slices are thin and small. Two slices of cheese pizza contain 446 calories, but an even better option is to opt for two slices of ham and pineapple which only contain 282 calories. The good news about Cici's according to Eat This Not That is that Cici's menu is 100% trans fat-free.

So the next time you're craving pizza but don't want to consume 1,000 calories, have no more than two slices and think like a vegetarian. That way you'll get to satisfy your pizza craving but you won't feel guilty afterwards.

*Source: Eat This Not That by David Zinczenko