Cholesterol is one of the most advertised substances. Many tend to think that the element cholesterol is solely responsible for their health degradation. However, that may not mainly be true.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in our bodies. It's produced for maintaining healthy functions of the body. It also has healthy cells. Although, high levels of cholesterol are bad for your heart and overall health. 

One of the most seldom asked questions is, "is eating pizza bad for cholesterol?" The answer is both yes and no. Depending on how you eat your pizza can have a considerable influence in determining whether it's terrible for you. 

To help you understand all about cholesterol in pizza and help you enjoy healthy options, we've prepared this article. Without any further ado, let's start!

How Fattening Is Pizza

Pizza has been repeatedly named one of the most fattening pizzas. Especially in teenagers and young adults, the fat content in their orders of pizza is extremely high. Often, the highly fattening pizza and toppings can cause obesity, heart diseases, and more.

However, it doesn't have to be this way. The amount of fat in your pizza is determined by the kind of toppings you'll choose for yourself. You can even have pizza on a diet if you know the perfect combination.

An average pizza consisting of healthy fats and carbs comprises 12 grams, and one pizza can be anywhere from 100-300 calories. If you're health-conscious, there are many options to include a delicious pizza in your diet without overpowering the number of calories. 

Can People With High Cholesterol Eat Pizza

Yes, high cholesterol patients can eat pizza without worrying about their cholesterol levels as long as they eat healthy pizza.

Pizzas can be of different kinds. There is authentic Neapolitan pizza, which is fresh and includes healthy proteins. At Pizza Bien, you will find vegetarian alternatives for your toppings which are equally healthy and delicious.

However, if you have high cholesterol levels and still choose to go for heavily processed high-calorie pizzas, it will be extremely harmful to you. The processed pizzas have cured meats, cheeses and are full of LDL (the bad cholesterol).

For example, a slice of a deep-dish pizza can be over 330 calories, while a healthy slice of a cheese pizza can be around 150 calories. It's also essential to consider saturated and unsaturated fat content while choosing the best pizza for a cholesterol-free diet. 

Your overall fat intake is increased, and cholesterol levels can spike up overnight after eating a large proportion of an unhealthy pizza. Thus, it's essential to avoid any pizza which is over 150 calories per slice. 

You can also share your pizza with a friend or have it with a side of salad to balance the greens and proteins. 

Meanwhile, if you pick a healthy alternative to an authentic, simple, and fiber-based pizza, it's healthy for you. Not only will you feel full, but also fresh. 

If you think about it from a broad spectrum, pizza is just different toppings on a piece of bread. Hence, the customization options for making a pizza healthy are numerous. Using fresh ingredients, whole-wheat crust, and more vegetarian options as toppings will help lower the amount of cholesterol in pizza.

Role of Pizza Toppings In Cholesterol 

Pizza can be made healthy and nutritious. However, you can quickly make a delicious and healthy pizza into a disastrous bread full of LDL by adding toppings that may not be in your favor.

The pizza toppings, which can be bad for managing cholesterol, include high fat and saturated processed meats, which are harmful to pizza toppings for controlling cholesterol. 

Many people think that the high-fat content in different blends of cheese is harmful to managing cholesterol levels. However, it's not true. A cheese pizza has almost no contribution to your cholesterol level. You can have a slice of a cheese pizza and still be free of worry!

Cholesterol Friendly Pizza Options

Although it may be tough to skimp on pizza during the late dinner out with your friends, we can assure you it's for the best. However, you don't have to feel too left out with healthier alternatives. 

Not every pizza needs to be bad for cholesterol, and you don't have to search "is pizza bad for cholesterol" ever so often anymore. Whether you're eating out, ordering in, or baking the good stuff for yourself, there are always ways to stay healthy.

Hence, let's discuss a few pizza options below, which will help you stay on track without missing out on one of the best dishes ever!

Ordering Out

Crust:

Order a thin pizza crust with healthy veg toppings when you're in a gathering or just passing through a pizzeria for a quick lunch. For the crust, we recommend you go for a whole wheat thin crust that has minimum calories. 

You must track and calculate the number of calories you're ingesting if you want to stay on a proper diet. 

As for the sides of the crust, we recommend not using cheese or sausage stuffed ones. They're harmful to your cholesterol levels as they're heavily processed and packed with LDL. 

Cheese:

Although we have previously mentioned that regular cheese doesn't affect your cholesterol levels, extra cheese, and processed ones can cause harm to your health. It's essential to keep your cheese intake options to the minimum. 

Many fast-food chains have the option to provide you with a lighter cheese version. You can always try that out when eating out, so you don't have to worry about going overboard with the cheese intake. 

Sure, we're all habituated with extra cheese. But that can be drastically bad for your health. Besides, going less on the cheese doesn't mean you have to dislike it. On the contrary, you can like the lighter combination even more!

Meat:

While most pizzas are packed with healthy meat options, others are just full of fat and bad cholesterol. However, when you're picking the meat toppings for your pizza, use learner meats.

Leaner meats are the best for every cholesterol managing diet. It provides you with sufficient protein and better strength.

Pepperoni, sausage, Canadian ham, ground beef, turkey salami, and shrimp are healthier meats. Avoid red meat chunks as they're worse for your heart and your health. 

Vegetables:

When ordering out, it's essential to balance the protein and carbs with a handsome amount of greens. You should ensure your pizza has veg toppings.

You can include different types of fruit as toppings as well. Tomato has been proven to help fight against cholesterol by several research teams. 

Instead of ordering an entire pizza, order a slice and a salad bowl on the side. Not will your palette be satisfied, but also your hunger!

Broccoli, spinach, pineapple, figs, mushrooms, artichokes, asparagus, olives, capsicum, onion, and many more options are considerable for a healthy, cholesterol-friendly pizza. You may fall in love with the combinations once you try them!

Making Your Own Cholesterol Friendly Pizza

No one knows your body more than you do. When you decide to eat out, you'll have to compromise on many ingredients that can't be tampered with. But the case isn't the same when you make your healthy pizza.

When ordering into your doorstep, consider Pizza Bien's healthy vegetarian-friendly pizza options. They're budget-friendly, healthy, and on top of all - incredibly delicious!

You may amaze yourself at baking a tasty yet healthy pizza right at the comfort of your own home. Let's see some recipes for different cholesterol friendly pizza options:

Crust:

To make the best pizza, use all-purpose whole-wheat pizza dough. You may also use a combination of whole wheat and white flour. The white dough is a wonderful option for people who like a more classic pizza crust, and you may add heart-healthy toppings to transform it into a far healthier alternative to a typical pizza.

Cheese:

Using part-skim mozzarella enhances the flavor of this dish even more (or part-skim shredded mozzarella combined with a few discs of whole milk mozzarella). It's possible you won't even notice a difference in taste. Instead of using a strong hand with the shredded mozzarella, use a small amount of whole-milk mozzarella sparingly and cut into discs.

Part-skim ricotta cheese, coupled with freshly grated parmesan cheese, may be used instead of mozzarella as an alternative cheese. Alternatively, you may omit all cheese except for a few shaved parmesan cheese bits.

Toppings:

Depending on who will be eating the pizza, you may want to try a variety of toppings or stick with the tried-and-true for everyone else. Use lean and fresh meat and heaps of veggies. Go creative with it! You can find different cholesterol friendly pizza ideas over the internet, on Pinterest, and a lot more places. 

Conclusion

Don't worry; pizza doesn't have to be so bad! When you eat pizza regularly, you're getting your daily dose of lycopene, an antioxidant that may help preserve healthy cells from free radical damage. Lycopene may also help against different cardiovascular diseases. Hence, make sure you eat healthy to stay healthy and manage your cholesterol levels. Till the next time, happy feasting!

Disclaimer: The content on this blog post and website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with a qualified and licensed physician or other medical care provider, and follow their advice without delay regardless of anything read on this website.

Always follow your doctor's advice and health care instructions!

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