It is arguable that pizza is America's favorite food, and perhaps in other countries as well. Few of us don't love the gooey cheese, lots of toppings, all on a crust, either chewy and thick or crispy. This time I am assessing a Personal Pan& pizza and bread sticks appetizer from Pizza Hut® restaurants.
The Meal
This meal features a pepperoni Personal Pan pizza with mushrooms and black olives. In addition to the pizza we have an order of bread sticks, sauce for the bread sticks, and a medium soda. The pizza is on a six inch crust and has pizza sauce, cheese, and the toppings. This pizza, the bread sticks with marina sauce for dipping, plus a medium 14-ounce soda represents a typical meal for one person at a Pizza Hut restaurant.
Nutritional Assessment
The six-inch pizza has 650 calories with 30 grams of fat. There are about 1400 mg of sodium, over 70 grams of carbohydrates, and about 25 grams of protein. The pizza is a good source of vitamins A, and C plus the minerals calcium and iron. The bread sticks and sauce adds around 300 calories, mostly from carbohydrates and some fat. The soda has 180 calories, all from sugar.
The total calorie count comes to over 1100 calories, almost 40 grams of fat, and around 170 grams of carbohydrates, all from just one meal.
The Bottom Line
Unfortunately if you indulge in this tasty meal too often your own bottom line is going to get bigger. There are too many calories, too many poor quality carbohydrates and lots of fat. Pizza is a great treat, but this meal needs to be enjoyed only occasionally.
Alternative Selections
Pizza Hut offers Fresh Express ranch salad kit which only has 110 calories, and is a great source of vitamins A and C. The spaghetti with marinara sauce has less than 500 calories so it is a better choice than the pizza. Skip the soda and order water with a lemon. This meal comes to around 600 calories and more than half of the Daily Value for both vitamin C and vitamin A, and this meal would also be a good source for calcium and iron. The 600 calories can fit into many people's daily caloric needs. If you need to watch your weight, take half of the spaghetti home with you.
