Pardon my pizza!
I happen to be from Windsor Ontario, the pizza capital of Canada. Windsor is called The Rose City but I would like to start a petition to have it renamed the Pizza City. My husband and I have lived in several other cities and we’ve never had a better pie then what they are pumping out here.
But people love pizza, no matter where they are from and I often get asked by clients if there is room for pizza in their nutrition plan.
The short answer is yes. If you have a coach who is telling you to completely stop eating something you love - they are probably a shitty coach. That said - there needs to be a discussion about frequency and quantity/portions.
The problem with pizza is that it’s usually very calorie dense.… Mmmmmmm melted cheese. It also contains very little protein and often has a lot of sodium… hello bloat! Here’s the advice I usually give for enjoying the occasional za:
Prepare a protein. Since pizza is largely carbs/fats, balance out your meal with a side of lean protein. This hopefully will help you eat a little less of the calorie dense pizza and help you slow down to eat. If you’re eating out, you can always eat this before you leave.
Make your own! Pizza can be super fun to make with the kids. When you make your own you have far more control over the total calories and quality of ingredients. I sometimes make a Mexican Pizza with ground turkey meat and veggies as the topping. This helps me increase the protein and balance out the meal a little bit.
Eat well and balanced before your pizza party. Some people think they should restrict calories so they can have more for the pizza, but what often happens, is you go into the meal starving and eat far more then you should.
Order only what you think you will eat. Don’t get caught in the trap of ordering a bigger pizza because of a cheaper deal or price. If you truly want this to be a one-time-thing, only order what you need for that day and toss away the tempting leftovers.
Add some side veggies. Yes, I’m that mom who quickly microwaves some green beans as a side to my kid’s pizza. Whatever. It’s healthy, they like it and adds some quality micronutrients into the mix.
Don’t give into peer pressure. It’s ok to be brave and order something else just for you if you really don’t want pizza! Most pizza places offer other options. Order something else if you are focused on a goal or just want something different.
Just enjoy the pizza! If you truly only eat out every once in a while, just eat and enjoy! Let go of feelings of guilt and values that we assign to certain foods. The more we label a food as “bad” the more it can become a forbidden fruit… something we can’t stop thinking about or crave. Often just enjoying a small amount of something we love can satisfy our craving ✌️