Domino's Pizza Nutrition Facts for Dieters and Other Health-Conscious Customers
Why Domino’s Pizza?
When it comes to pizza, Domino’s is king. Its name is synonymous with pizza delivery, the company can get a pizza to almost anyone, and online ordering has made ordering more convenient than ever before. Like other foods that can be delivered to your doorstep, Domino’s pizza is often the first choice for those throwing a party who don’t want to be chained to a stove.
Pizza is also often the choice of busy families, those too tired to cook, or those who simply want to relax at the end of a hard week. There’s only one tiny drawback: the health consequences.
Health Hazards Caused by Domino’s (or any other) Delivery Pizza
The problem with Domino’s (or any other) delivery pizza is that it’s a convenience food. While convenience can be good, providing a much-needed break from the daily grind, this convenience food can cause problems for those counting calories (or simply interested in eating healthy). Though Domino’s Pizza nutrition information is available on the main company website (which can be viewed here), the information can only be accessed through a confusing and slow “Cal-O-Meter” application. Finding nutritional information this way takes more time than most customers want to spend (especially those who are surrounded by hungry children, friends, or party guests).
Another problem is that the nature of pizza itself makes it easy for you to over-indulge. Pizza is a “fun” food, associated with football games, parties, and other enjoyable occasions. Even if pizza is ordered when nothing special is going on, it tempts dieters to use the “but it’s a party” excuse to cheat. Also, pizza is a “multi-tasking” food, almost demanding that it be consumed while watching a movie or sporting event.
When pizza is put on the kitchen table, everyone grabs slices at random and heads for another area. This can make almost impossible to keep track of how many slices you’ve had. Fortunately, armed with a little information, you can enjoy Domino’s Pizza without sacrificing your goals or subjecting your dinner companions to “diet food”. Here’s what you need to know.
Domino’s Pizza Menu Items to Steer Clear Of
A quick look at the Dominos nutrition information reveals a few items you might not want to order if you’re calorie-conscious. One is deep-dish anything. Deep dish pizzas have more dough, cheese, toppings, and other calorie-dense ingredients. For example, the large deep dish Bacon Cheeseburger Feast clocks in at 410 calories and 22 grams of fat per slice. If you were to eat a mere two slices of this pizza, you’d have consumed 44 grams of fat, the entire amount the Mayo Clinic recommends in one day.
Deep dish BBQ Feast pizzas contain 380 calories and 12 grams of fat per slice. Sides and desserts aren’t much better. A mere two pieces of Cheesy Bread contain 240 calories and 17 grams of fat, while the scale-tipping Chocolate Lava Cake clocks in 350 calories and 17 grams of fat. Even some “healthy-sounding” pizzas aren’t good choices. For example, a single large slice of Pacific Veggie, with hand-tossed (not deep-dish) crust contains 320 calories and 14 grams of fat.
Domino’s Pizza Menu Items to Consider
It might seem like you can’t order anything at Domino’s, but that isn’t true. Domino’s has caught on to the fact that there’s money to be made from health-conscious customers. There’s a “lighter menu” full of tasty choices, such as Philly Steak Pizza, Ham and Pineapple Pizza, and Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Pizza.
A quick check of the Domino’s Pizza nutrition information shows that most options has have fewer than 200 calories and no more than 6 grams of fat per slice. Or, you can build your own pizza. When doing this, choose light cheese, thin crust, and pile on the flavor-rich vegetables.
If, for example, you order a large thin-crust pizza with light cheese, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and double tomatoes, you’ll get a tasty pizza with only 155 calories and 2.5 grams of fat per slice.
Can’t live without meat? Try a large thin crust pizza with light cheese, Philly meat, and meaty-tasting mushrooms. This pizza clocks in at a mere 120 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. Pair two slices of these pizzas with a fresh garden salad (70 calories and 3.5 grams of fat) for a complete and satisfying meal with no more than 500 calories and 6 total grams of fat.
Dealing with the Social Dynamic
You now have the information you need to order a tasty and healthy meal from the Domino’s Pizza menu. However, all the nutrition information in the world may not convince your dining companions that ordering healthy is a great idea. Some people are dead set on a deep dish pizza with triple cheese and extra bacon, with a side of Cinna Stix and extra icing. Should you find yourself at odds with one of these people, there are some things you can do.
First, you can order two medium pizzas instead of one large. Then you can have your healthy pizza, and your companions can have what they want.
Second, most dieters have some plan-appropriate sweets around (such as weight watchers ice cream bars and dark chocolate squares). You can eat those, getting your dose of sweetness without diving into the Domino’s desserts. You can also ask your guests or family members to remove the leftover pizza by taking it home (or to the office) with them. If none of these options works, you may need to put your foot down.
Children shouldn’t be allowed to rule the roost, spouses should be open to compromise, and guests can be informed that you don’t succumb to bullying. After all, you paid for the pizza, and if they don’t like it, they can buy their own.
References
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2009, 13 February). Healthy diet: End the guesswork with these nutrition guidelines. Retrived 15 March, 2010 from https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-diet/NU00200
Domino’s Pizza. Nutrition Information: Cal-O-Meter. (2010). Retrived 15 March, 2010 from https://www.dominos.com/home/menu/calometer.jsp
