This Is the Healthiest Order at Domino's, According to Dietitians
Pizza orders have been booming during the pandemic, especially for popular national chain restaurants. With so much hype around the classic meal, we wanted to make sure that you're ordering the healthiest pizza options for you and your family—which is why we called on the health experts to weigh in.
Below, you'll see three dietitians' and a nutrition professor's, top pick from Domino's as well as their top pick at four other beloved national pizza chains ranked from the best to the absolute very best option. Then, be sure to check out 19 Best Healthy Frozen Pizza Pies (And 11 to Never Buy).
Domino's Pacific Veggie
Niti Patel, MS, RD, and founder of Nutrition Is Today's Intelligence recommends getting the Pacific Veggie pizza from Domino's.
"Vegetables are so important to include in every meal and having them on top of a comforting slice of pizza can satisfy a pizza craving without overindulging," she says. "One pizza slice with vegetables is more filling than a plain cheese slice and will hopefully deter you from overeating." (Related: 3 Surprising Warning Signs You're Eating Too Much)
However, if you don't want to order something off of the specialty menu, Kelli McGrane, RD for the free food tracking app Lose It!, has a favorite custom order.
"My go-to order is a medium-thin crust pizza with tomato sauce, light amount of cheese, premium chicken, roasted red peppers, and pineapple. I'll also order a classic garden salad on the side for extra vegetables and fiber," she says.
McGrane opts for a light amount of cheese to cut the amount of saturated fat per slice in half as well as shave off 30 calories.
"To make the pizza more balanced, I always make sure to have at least one vegetable and try to include a source of protein. I opt for premium chicken as I try to avoid processed red meats, like sausage and pepperoni, when possible," she adds.
Marco's Garden Pizza
Deb Murray, professor of instruction at Ohio University's College of Health Sciences and Professions, says that the best choice at Marco's is the Garden Pizza, which is stacked with mushrooms, black olives, onions, sliced tomatoes, three of Marco's signature cheeses as well as feta.
"No surprise, but I would encourage ordering small or medium size pizzas with vegetable-based toppings," she says. "The saturated fat and sodium content is markedly better than the carnivorous counterparts."
Papa Murphy's Garden Veggie
Patel says to opt for the Garden Veggie crustless option, however, Murray says the thin family size pizza is also a good choice. The crustless pizza is Papa Murphy's keto-friendly option, which gives you all of your favorite toppings from your favorite pizza order without the crust and served in a personal tray. For comparison, one serving of the crustless Garden Veggie only costs you 110 calories and 4 grams of carbs.
Papa John's Chicken and Veggie Pizza
Both McGrane and Amanda Blechman, RD, CDN, love Papa John's Chicken and Veggie Pizza.
"Papa John's was a go-to for me while I was in college getting my nutrition degree because it was nearby, quick and affordable on a full-time student's budget," says Blechman. "The Chicken and Veggie Pizza is a solid choice because by including a protein source in addition to the veggies, you're adding even more nutrition and balance on top of the yummy crust, sauce, and cheese." Related: (The Best and Worst Menu Items at Papa John's Pizza)
Pizza Hut Hand-Tossed Veggie Lover's Pizza
And finally, one of the healthiest pizza slices you can get from a national pizza chain is Pizza Hut's very own Veggie Lover's Pizza with hand-tossed crust.
"The winner of this bunch is Pizza Hut," says Patel. The comparison took me by surprise. I would have never guessed Pizza Hut. Its veggie slice is low in calories as well as saturated fat…the sodium is much lower compared [with] the others."
McGrane also appreciates that while the pizza doesn't offer any meat, it still offers a substantial amount of protein per small slice.
"In addition to being packed with vegetables, I like that it's free of processed meats yet still provides 5 grams of protein per slice," she says.
Now that you know which pizza options are the best, check out The Unhealthiest Pizzas in America—Ranked!
