Frozen Pizza is quick and easy to make and often very affordable. It’s not the only star of the frozen food section.
It turns out that frozen Pizza can be worse for you than you thought. This is due to the high amounts of saturated oil, sodium and refined carbs.
Frozen Pizza is a favorite of many.
It is no surprise that frozen Pizza and frozen food are so popular. An industry report shows that frozen and prepackaged foods are becoming more popular due to their convenience and affordability. Frozen pizza sales are expected to increase significantly between now and 2025.
The report states that cryogenic equipment has significantly improved in recent years, making it possible to freeze things like bread, Pizza, and baked goods. In other words, frozen food is here to stay. This is why it’s so important to know what to look out for when it comes to frozen Pizza.
What’s in Frozen Pizza?
The high sodium content is one of the main differences between frozen pizzas. DiGiorno Pepperoni Frozen Pizza With Rising Crust. You can consume approximately 760 mg sodium in one slice, or about 1/3 of the Pizza.
A serving of California Pizza Kitchen Sicilian Frozen Pizza contains 980 mg sodium. This is 43% more than your daily recommended intake.
Next, you’ll see the fat calories. The DiGiorgio pizza has 12 grams of fat. 5 are saturated fat. California Pizza Kitchen’s Pizza has 17 grams of fat, with 8 being saturated.
Also, frozen Pizza may contain higher amounts of refined carbs. These are usually either wheat flour or enriched white. Refined carbohydrates are those that have had their nutritional value reduced greatly, including fiber.
This is what it means for your health.
Consuming processed foods that are high-sodium, saturated oil, and refined carbs can have negative effects on your health.
Eating too much saturated fat may raise your LDL (bad cholesterol), and Eating too much sodium could lead to high blood pressure levels. These health conditions can increase your risk for stroke and heart disease.
A study by Missouri Medicine has shown that a diet high in refined carbohydrates can increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
How to enjoy frozen Pizza in an easier way
Frozen Pizza is not something pizza lovers have to give up. While you might want to avoid brands high in sodium, saturated fat and refined carbohydrates, there are still many healthier options in the frozen food section.
You can also try Amy’s Margherita Pizza which has a lower amount of saturated fat and sodium than most other pizza brands.
Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, is the author of Fueling Male Fertility and The First Mom’s Pregnancy Cookbook. She also serves as a member of our medical expert board. Recently, Lauren shared that Alex’s Awesome Sourdough was one of her favorite frozen pizzas. It is still high in saturated fat and sodium, but it is made from real sourdough bread, proven to be good for your gut health.
If you don’t want to buy the name brands, you can slice the Pizza and serve it with a hearty side dish of vegetables like a salad or chopped veggies. This increases the fiber content of your meal, making you feel fuller and preventing overeating.