Pizza is one of the most revered food delicacies all over the World. If you are like us, you might enjoy an occasional pizza once in a while, right? So, you are relishing an amazing slice of pizza, it’s hitting all the right tones but deep down you are battling an internal turmoil. Is this pizza unhealthy? How many carbs are in here? What is the calorie count of this? Should I be eating this at all? 

If all of these questions are bombarded within yourself, don’t worry, we got all the answers for you. Keep reading this article and you are definitely going to understand how many carbs are in a slice of pizza and even in different types of slices. Keep on reading to find out how many carbs are in a slice of a pizza.

With its amazing taste, multiple variations, different sauces, and toppings, there is no surprise that pizza is one of the most favorite foods globally. Made with dough, sauce, and cheese, pizza could very easily be a balanced meal with some tweaks for sure. It’s no surprise that the right calorific content of pizza could not be ascertained. It totally depends on the way pizza is cooked, the toppings, cheese, and everything else. But we sure can understand roughly how nutritious pizza is and all the different groups of nutrients that it contains. Let’s delve into the nutrition facts of pizza in detail then.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, one slice of pizza that is roughly 107g has around 285 calories. 35.6g of carbs, 10.4g of fat, 12.2g of protein, and around 640 mg of sodium. This could all look a little scary and quite confusing right? Let us understand all the different nutrients that pizza has.

- Carbohydrates or carbs

This is one of the major energy-providing nutrients needed by our body. It maintained that for an average person, 1800 calories are the balanced number of calories to consume. 800 to over 900 calories of this is ascertained to carbs as such. So that becomes roughly around 225 grams daily. 

- Fats

Up next, is fats. In pizza, the major source of fat is cheese. So, if you are using mozzarella or cheddar, these are powerhouses of saturated fat and salt. Less than 10% of your total calorie intake daily has to come from fats. It is also healthy to focus on getting this fat from unsaturated sources like omega-3, flax seeds, etc.

- Protein

Your average slice of pizza has around 12 grams of protein in total. When it comes to the recommended daily intake of protein, gender, height, and activity are some factors to consider. There are so many tools available for free on the internet nowadays that can help with finding out the right amount of protein that you need to consume daily.

- Vitamins and minerals

Pizza also contains some trace elements and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc.

Now that we understand the basic nutrients that make up our body and how much we need them in daily life, let’s delve deep into how many carbs are in a slice of pizza.

Carbs in Pizza

So one slice of pizza usually contains around 20 grams of carbs. Amongst it, it includes some fiber and sugar too. So, if you are on a low-carb diet, you might have to look into the quantity of pizza you consume. If you are someone who is not worried about carbs in general, go ahead and enjoy the pizza, but in moderation.

Even though this is the carb breakdown in a slice of pizza, you should keep in mind that pizza is pretty high in calories. Cheese pizza your typical kind has around 250 calories and if it’s pepperoni, around 300 calories. So, if you are on a weight loss journey, we recommend you reduce the intake of pizza or incorporate healthier versions like thin crust pizza.

Impact of pizza on health

When you look at it, people usually consider pizza as a bad food, an unhealthy one. But that isn’t the case. You can actually make it a healthier option with some minor tweaks. Since it has calcium and protein, all you need to add in are some assorted veggies for extra fiber, some good sources of protein, and less cheese overall. Pizza is low in sugar when you compare it to junk foods like chocolates, cake, and cold drinks. So, an occasional indulgence in pizza is a good thing for all my health junkies. Pizza is also a good powerhouse of complex carbs which is paramount for energy production and brain health. Since complex carbs are slowly digested, there is a lesser spike in blood sugar levels because of pizza.

It is also important to consider that pizzas have very high calories and hence can increase the risk for heart conditions if not moderately consumed.

Here we list down some carb breakdowns for different types of pizza:

- Single slice of cheese pizza contains around 20 grams of carbs with almost 3 grams of fiber and 15 grams of sugar.

- Single slice of pepperoni pizza contains around 20 grams of carbs with almost 15 grams of sugar

- Single slice of thin-crust pizza on the other hand contains 15 grams of carbs and 10 grams of sugar overall with 2 grams of fiber.

So the type of crust you use to make the pizza is very important and has a big impact on the number of carbs. So, if you are trying to lose some weight, our suggestion is to go for thin-crust pizza.

Conclusion

In our discussion of how many carbs are in a large slice of pizza and pizza in general, we have come to the conclusion that pizza has the potential to become a healthy food. It is higher in carbs, but complex carbs. Just like any other food, consuming pizza in moderation is the key here. Choose the crust of the pizza wisely and add in lesser calorie-dense ingredients, toppings, sauces, and cheese. You can very much make your pizza healthy by switching some elements to healthier options.