You can say this of just about any food made in most restaurants. Pizza can be good for you, hamburgers can be good for you, lasagna can be good for you, etc. But restaurants load these foods with saturated fat, sodium, and unnatural ingredients. If you don’t plan your meals at most restaurants—checking the nutrition values online and the like—you are taking your life in your hands. And even if you do check, there’s still no guarantee they actually end up making it the way they claim. Many restaurants vary drastically from one location to another.

So, pizza ain’t alone: most foods get a bad rap because of restaurants. And the thing is? They usually taste better if you make them yourself, and make them healthy, too.

*contemplates yet again starting a website about food, healthy recipes and nutrition….*

Oh, and a caprese salad and bread? That can be a far from healthy choice, too. Again, it depends on the composition of both the salad and the bread. How much fat is in the salad, and how much of that is saturated? You’d be surprised how high the numbers can get. At many restaurants, the hamburger is actually a better option than the salad….And bread? Well, is it made from whole grains or is it white bread—and thus quite likely filled with sugar and very little that is of use to your body?

Why pizza has a bad reputation:

http://calorielab.com/news/wp-images/post-images/cheesecake-factory-nutrition-facts-calories-02.gif

Note that the fat listed is saturated fat only. That’s not all the fat: that’s just the saturated fat. And most options have more sodium than you are suppose dto consume in an entire day.

Sure, they say these serve 2 to 4. But even shared between two people (four is stretching it, even for Te Cheesecake Factory), it’s outrageous.

My elementary school lunch lady would take issue with the statement “no matter where you get a carrot, it will probably be good for you.”

We make pizza at home a lot for the reasons you detail, Joe. Also, I love horrible food, so this makes a good compromise.

If you’re lazy (and I usually am), picking up some pre-made pizza crust, and then adding your own lower fat cheese, turkey pepperoni and veggies of choice makes for a great meal, and it’s just 10 minutes in the oven. I spend more time on sandwiches.

My favorite addition: Mix in some Cholula hot sauce with the marinara and add jalapeños. Mmmmmm.

I would agree that people generally don’t realize you can eat a healthy pizza. But in my experience, people often either 1) don’t have any idea how bad the food they eat is, or 2) don’t realize they could have all the foods they like if they prepared them in a healthy way. No, there’s a third category: people who believe you can make your favorite foods healthy, but that they would cease to taste good.

I haven’t found these categories to be specific to pizza. I know people who don’t believe hamburgers can be good for you, or that healthy hamburgers can taste good. And I know plenty of people who find the idea of baked sweet potato fries instead of traditional french fries to be beyond comprehension. Etc., etc.

Josh, you can also make pizza with store-bought, whole-grain/whole-wheat flat bread. I do this. That makes even the crust good for you.

As for the avatars, well, there is one Amber but there are many voices in her head.

Whole wheat pita bread works, too. But even if you use regular pizza crust, it’s easy to make homemade pizza good for you.

I love pizza and don’t mind the occasional premade pizza. I wouldn’t eat it everyday but in moderation it is ok.

Anything in moderation is fine. I just happen to think food you make yourself generally tastes much better, and fresher, too. I do enjoy going out, though, and some days you just don’t feel like cooking.