Just because you’re watching what you eat doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a slice or two of delicious pizza. There are many ways to ensure you order a healthy meal that won’t derail your weight loss efforts. Review the following tips to help you stay healthy the next time you dine-in or carryout from a pizza restaurant.

How to Stay Diet-Conscious When Ordering Pizza

1. Have a Salad First

Fill up on a tossed salad before diving into the main dish. Studies show consuming salad before meals cuts caloric intake by about 12%. Ask for the dressing on the side and say no to croutons to keep the dish calorie-conscious.

2. Ask For a Double Cut

Ask the restaurant to cut the pie into 16 slices, not eight. Enjoy one small slice to start, and only grab a second if you’re still genuinely hungry. Pause between each slice to let the meal digest. Reaching for more pieces without thinking can lead to eating more than you may have planned. Take a post-meal walk to encourage digestion.

3. Request Veggie Toppings

Enjoy your pie with assorted vegetable toppings, such as green and black olives, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Consider asking for jalapeño peppers. Hot peppers contain capsaicin, the spicy compound responsible for heating up the body and subsequently burning fat and calories.

4. Avoid Pan & Deep-Dish Styles

Stick to regular or thin-crust pies since they feature less dough than pan and deep-dish versions. Depending on where you order from, you could be ingesting over 10 grams of fat and over 300 calories per slice. Consider skipping eating the crust on the edge of the slice since that’s where the bulk of the dough is.

5. Remove Oil

Place a napkin on the slice and gently pat it to soak up any excess oil. This can trim 20 to 40 calories off each slice. Oil blotting also keeps the greasy liquid from getting all over your hands and possibly staining your clothes. 

Order mouth-watering pies from Riverfront Pizza & Sports Bar in Covington, KY. This restaurant and bar offers 11 beers on tap, the SEC ESPN Network®, and easy online ordering. Whether you’re in the mood for chicken wings, pizza, or burgers, this establishment has a great menu to satisfy any craving. Save 10% on your first online order. Call (859) 261-4800 to place a carryout order or to ask about their pizza of the month.