Pizza Slice - Diet & Nutrition Message Board

girlygirl11 · 06-17-2004, 02:22 PM

Hello all, I have a question regarding the calories of pizza. I watch my calories carefully and look them up when I don't know them. However there is a pizza place that I like that has delicious pizza- but they're a family-owned small business- so they don't have nutritiona; information for their pizza. I was wondering if anyone could shed some light:

The pizza is about 16" in diameter, so the slices are like a typical large pizza (triangular slices). They're about 4-5" at the top (where the crust is). As for toppings- there is a light tomato sauce, but not much. I would guess there is probably 1/2 cup to a cup of veggies on it- spinach, a few sundried tomatoes, roasted eggplant & zucchini, red roasted peppers (mainly the spinach, much less of everything else). Then the cheese- there is no cheese sprinkled over top, just a few balls of bocconcini are melted on it (on average, 1-2 melted balls- about half an inch to maybe an inch in diameter) per slice.

Thats about it. How many calories would that be? I've been guessing 250, based on veggie slices with lots of cheese from chain stores, but I don't know if this pizza would be drizzled with oil or anything (given that its an Italian place). It doesnt taste oily at ALL, so probably not.

Any advice would be great, thanks!

modert · 06-17-2004, 02:52 PM

This is really just a guess - there are so many variables.

If the crust is thin and there are 2 bocconcini balls, and the pizza does not seem oily/greasy then I estimate the following:
crust - 125 calories
sauce - 50 calories
bocconcini - 170 calories (85 calories per 1 oz ball!)
veggies - 50 calories

Total: 395 calories This is just an estimate and does not account for any oil that they may brush over the top before baking.

If the pizza seems overly greasy, like you could blot off the grease and saturate a napkin, add at least 100 calories.

If the slice has only 1 bocconcini ball subtract 85 calories

If the crust is a thicker crust add 75-150 calories (depending on thickness- true siscillian slices are at least twice as thick if not thicker).

girlygirl11 · 06-17-2004, 03:16 PM

Your logic makes sense, but I would probably guess much less for the and sauce and cheese. A half cup of sauce (ie/ pasta sauce) that mostly just plain tomato, as this one seems to be, is 50 cals-and there definately isnt a half cup of sauce on the pizza- Id say 2-3 tablespoons max.

Cheese- Its definately less than the amount on a regular amount of pizza with cheese and veggies, and that's mozzarella cheese too (ie/ from pizza hut, pizza pizza, etc). A veggie slice with a reg. amount of mozz. cheese and veggies is about 220- this is why i guessed this pizza was 250..

modert · 06-17-2004, 05:05 PM

You're probably right about the sauce, although I looked up pizza sauces (which are a bit more dense) and they all were about 50 calories per 3 oz. So maybe there is only half of that, but that only subtracts 25 calories.

Regarding the cheese.... most full-fat cheeses are 85-100 calories per oz. The bocconcini balls are listed at 85 calories per oz. 1 oz of cheese is really not very much in volume. But assuming the bocconcini balls are only 1/2 oz each or there is only 1 oz total cheese on each slice, then you would subtract the 85. Still, it seems you are close to 300, and being more conservative (regarding the cheese and possible additional oil used in the prep), probably closer to 350.

I realize this may not be important to you specifically, but the other thing to point out is that the protein/carb ratio is not great. At best guess, a 300 calorie slice of this pizza (with just the 1 oz of cheese) has approximately 8 protein grams (10%), 50 carb grams (66%), and about 8 grams of fat (24%).

zip2play · 06-18-2004, 07:01 AM

Here's what I'd do girly-girl.
Find whatever frozen pizza you like best (I know- a Hobson's choice). No need to buy it, just get the calories per serving (or boxful) and divide by the weight of the same.
Now you have calories/gram (or ounce.)

On you handy-dandy foodscale (we all have one don't we?- I sure need mine) weigh that typical slice, assume it's the same rough composition as the frozen and VOILA, you'll be pretty close!

My guess is that the 250 calorie estimate is a bit low!

edit: OK, I did it for you wityh TONY's Thin Crust (the only one in my deep freeze):
310 calories/130 gram serving or 2.4 calories per gram!