Pizza is certainly the nation’s favorite dish, but most people are unaware of its nutritional content. They are a great source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals and frequently have few calories. But how many calories per cheese pizza is there? After all, cheese pizza is more than just a tasty snack, it’s a meal most people enjoy daily.
A slice of cheese pizza has about 240 calories, but most cheese pizzas have nearly the same number of calories as white bread. That’s how a slice of cheese pizza weighing four ounces (119 g) and measuring 12 inches (30.5 cm) long has nearly this many calories. Other pizzas have fewer or more calories, depending on toppings and crust type.
Let’s look at the approximate nutrition and calorie content of pizza and how healthy it actually is for you.
How Many Calories Per Cheese Pizza Is There
Depending on the pizza type and style chosen, an ordinary pizza in the US has a range of calorie counts. A typical cheese pizza slice weighs 107 g, according to the US Department of Agriculture, and is available at most fast-food pizza chains.
Some cheese pizzas have almost as many calories as regular bread. As an illustration, a slice of cheese pizza measuring 12 inches (30.5 cm) and four ounces (119 g) provides about 240 calories.
Contrarily, a slice of pizza with a high-calorie Italian sausage topping has 280 calories, while a slice of pizza with a supreme topping has even 400 calories.
How Many Calories Are in a Regular Pizza?
You may expect between 200 and 300 calories per slice (approximately 260 on average) – it all depends on the place where you dine and the size of the pizza slice. Here’s the content of nutrients for 100 grams of serving:
- Calories 230,
- Carbohydrates, total 2.7 g,
- Calcium, Ca 9 mg,
- Total fat (lipids) 11.3 g,
- Protein 7.9 g,
- Sugar, total 0.0 g,
- Ash 1.0 g,
- Cholesterol 30 mg.
Pizza Nutrition and Calories Facts
Pizza nutrition information should be understood in light of the daily recommended intakes for each nutrient. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans state that women should consume between 1,600 and 2,000 calories per day, while their male counterparts should consume between 2,000 and 3,000. About 45-65% of those calories should come from carbohydrates, followed by 20-35% from fats and 10-35% from proteins.
Despite how much you may enjoy pizza, frequently consuming only plain cheese slices might be detrimental to your health. However, try to reserve this flavorful dish for some special occasions and search for ways to make it at home with fresher, healthier ingredients.
Check how many calories are there in a 12 inches pizza slice in the table below.
| Nutrients | Value |
| Calories | 285 |
| Fat | 10.4 g |
| Protein | 12.2 g |
| Sugars | 3.8 g |
| Carbs | 35.7 g |
| Fiber | 2.5 g |
| Sodium | 640 mg |
How Many Calories Are There in Toppings?
Remember that the calorie content of pizza can vary greatly depending on the style, additional toppings, and available portion size. You can even skip the crust if you want to reduce the calories you consume.
| Calories | Fats | Proteins | Carbs | |
| Cheese | 208 | 9 g | 9 g | 22 g |
| Cheese and vegetables | 202 | 8 g | 8.5 g | 24 g |
| Vegetable and bean | 222 | 8.5 g | 9 g | 28 g |
| Meat and fruit | 210 | 8 g | 10 g | 24.5 g |
| Meat and vegetable | 239 | 12 g | 10 g | 23 g |
| Meat | 223 | 11 g | 10 g | 20.5 g |
| Seafood | 252 | 10 g | 12.5 g | 27 g |
Check Cheese Pizza Slice Calories at Some Famous Pizza Chains
Now that you have a bigger picture of the nutrient values of the cheese and other pizza types, why not check what these values are for some of the most famous pizza chains, like Domino’s and Pizza Hut?
Starting with Domino’s – their hand-tossed pizza has eight pieces. One slice contains 200 calories, 25 grams of carbs,3.5 grams of saturated fat, eight grams of fat, nine grams of protein, and 20 mg of cholesterol. A quarter of a pie with a thin crust contains 290 calories, 25 grams of carbs, 15 grams of fat,12 grams of protein, seven grams of saturated fat, and 35 milligrams of cholesterol.
Pizza Hut’s one medium hand-tossed cheese pie slice, or one-eighth of the pie, has 220 calories, 26 grams of carbs, four grams of saturated fat, eight grams of fat, 10 grams of protein, and 25 milligrams of cholesterol, according to their nutritional statistics. If you choose a Thin ‘N Crispy crust, one-eighth of the pie contains 190 calories, 8 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbohydrates, nine grams of protein, four grams of saturated fat, and 25 milligrams of cholesterol.
How to Make Pizza With Fewer Calories?
Despite the fact that some pizza varieties have a lot of calories, there are some useful strategies to reduce their caloric content. For instance, cutting the cheese topping in half will reduce the number of saturated fat and calories in the pizza. Another choice is to use part-skim cheese instead of whole-fat cheese.
Additionally, you can reduce the caloric content of your pizza by selecting a great vegan cheese-free alternative and lightly dusting it with grated parmesan. You could also choose a cauliflower crust or sprinkle the following ingredients on your slice for additional low-calorie options:
- Red pepper flakes,
- Grilled or roasted chicken,
- Ground turkey breast,
- Extra-lean ground beef.
Amazingly, removing the oil from your slice with a paper towel or absorbent paper napkin will reduce the number of calories in a slice of sausage or pepperoni pizza by at least 15 to 40 calories.
Additional Tips on Reducing Calories
Luckily, there are numerous helpful suggestions to eat fewer calories and healthier homemade pizzas or even those from a restaurant:
- Choose a thin-crust pizza,
- Choose whole-wheat flour instead of standard crust,
- Choose flavorful chorizo, spicy Mexican smoked sausage, or mouthwatering Canadian bacon instead of unhealthy toppings like sausage and pepperoni,
- Choose pizza without ordering dipping sauces,
- Choose low-calorie tomato sauce as a topping on your pizza,
- Avoid the breadsticks.
You’ll Eat Your Pizza More Carefully Knowing Its Nutrient Value
Taking care of your health has always been an extremely important topic. However, it seems that nowadays, it is more common than ever since we have endless fast-food options. Let’s face it, pizza surely is fast-food, but luckily it doesn’t have to be completely unhealthy, especially when you know how many calories are there in a single slice, right?