Posted on 04/30/2020 10:35:38 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Maybe youve seen the near constant stream of corporate body shaming campaigns and internet memes deeming the COVID-19 crisis a mass fattening, rather than the pulmonary pandemic that is killing people by the hundreds and thousands each day. If you havent, I envy you.
The self-flagellation is getting old. Human beings cannot exist without calories, and some humans require more calories than others, and quarantine is the perfect time to make peace with this concept. If there is an ideal moment to enjoy the food you eat and be comforted by it, its weeks deep into these stay-at-home orders.
One food myth that has always chapped my ass is the notion that eating pizza is the enemy of health. Im an Italian American, and the tendency to classify pizza as some major, sinful indulgence just gets on my nerves, especially because pizza, when prepared almost everywhere except major chain restaurants, isnt all that horrifically unhealthy.
As immigration to the U.S. from impoverished Southern Italy soared in the early 20th century (right around the time the world was recovering from the 1918 pandemic), American pizza was born. Though once an ethnic Italian dish, it eventually became an emblem of New Yorks working-class melting pot, enjoyed by just about everyone. Now, of course, its also mass-produced by huge corporations who have entire supply chains dedicated to keeping markupsand preservative contenthigh.
Those corporate pizzas (and the corporate ad dollars that keep them top of mind) taint our overall view of this very important food group. The rich culinary history of pizza is unfairly rolled into a narrow category of super-caloric pies, flattening all its nuance. Mind you, theres a time and a place for fast food pizza, too, grease and all. But the more storied varieties, many of which I grew up eating in New York City (shoutout to Nunzios!), are downright fine foods and deserve distinction. So lets mount a defense of pizza, here and now. In these times, we need as much joy as we can grab, and if it comes by the slice, all the better.
The facts According to Healthline, the average fast food pizza weighs in at over 400 calories, almost double that of a regular slice joint. Thats partly because it also contains almost twice the amount of cheese and dough, and all that sturdy dough can support a lot more salty cured meat. One slice of Pizza Huts Pepperoni Lovers pizza, for example, has over 26 grams of fat and a whopping 900mg of sodium, which is 38% of the recommended daily intake. Again, thats for one slice.
But the salt and fat content of a more traditional-style pie isnt as bad as all that. The average slice of cheese pizza has only 260 calories, and thats not even the fancy kind. Its a pretty big leap for any health magazines or morning news programs to try scaring us off pizza using Pepperoni-Lovers-level stats as a general metric. Thats like comparing a plain McDonalds hamburger to a Double Quarter Pounder with bacon.
In Naples, a sister city to New York in many waysand where many Italian Americans are originally frompizza is something else entirely. People come from all over the world to learn Napolitano pizza techniques, like crafting a Margherita pizza: fermented dough that forms a thin, chewy crust dotted sparingly with milky cheese, a smattering of plum tomatoes, and a dash of both olive oil and basil to finish it off. If these ingredients were assembled as a caprese salad instead of atop a crust, no nutritionist would bat an eye at them. Pizza, it seems, suffers from a branding problem more than anything.
Though pizza can mean many things now, often caloric and unhealthy, the OG is unfuckwithably created to extreme standards that are regulated by an organization to protect the craftthe Associazone Vera Pizza Napoletana. Those pizzas are only about 200 calories a slice, with just four slices per pie versus the eight in a New York-style pie. That amount wont get you far in most lunchesin fact, 200 calories is only about a third of many prepared foods like a grab-and-go chicken sandwich. So why not just seek out pizza if thats what youre craving?
What the experts say Sydney Greene, a New Yorkbased nutritionist, has a nuanced opinion on pizza. She says this whole debacle starts at the crossroads of what is considered healthy food to begin with.
From a pure nutrition science perspective, no, conventional Americanized pizza is not healthy, as it is devoid of nutrients, Greene tells The Takeout. A traditional plain slice contains no fiber, a lot of simple carbohydrates, saturated fat from cheese, and little to no vitamins or minerals.
Greene explains that the healthy-vs.-unhealthy distinction isnt about what the pizza contains but rather what it lacks. So theres hope if you want to make your slice count for more.
Cook up a pie with minimally processed local grains, fresh organic milk, and loads of veggies on top, Greene notes. Then you have a nutrient-packed meal. (And then no one will be able to turn their nose up at your pizza.)
Fast food pizza is a different beast, of course, one comprised of highly processed ingredients, which Greene says is the core issue: The combination of fat, salt, and carbohydrates lights up the areas in the brain that signal craving and the desire for more.
But that just means that pizza should be something we eat with conscious portion control, not that it should be sworn off entirely. You dont have to go for second-rate substitutes, either; even a nutritionist like Greene sees the value in occasional indulgences. If I am going to eat pizza, she says, I am going to eat the real thing. Pizza is my all-time favorite food and the cauliflower versions just dont cut it.
Advising clients on what to eat and what to avoid is tailored to each case. With some, Greene encourages flexibility around foods like pizza, especially when disordered eating is in their history. For others who may have an issue with portion control, its less about sticking to one slice and instead adding vegetables and going easy on the cheese.
Italy, what are your thoughts here? Americans love the stuff, but in pizza-packed and heavily Catholic Italy, dough, cheese, and tomatoes form a holy trinity.
We can call pizza holy! exclaims Alejandro Daniel Mazza, ambassador for Ramazzotti liqueur. Currently quarantining in Milan, Mazza provided The Takeout with a bit of prospettiva Italiana to illuminate the differences in our nations pizza cultures. In Italy pizza is very important in the culture of the entire country, from north to south, with different ingredients and techniques of preparation.
Technique is a major point of pride by region, though Mazza says its not the precise dough tossing that makes pizza so revered. More often the ingredients are the secret for creating a healthy or unhealthy pizza. Choosing the highest quality ingredients and an exceptional dough can transform pizza into a complete and healthy dish.
In fact, its one of these perfect specimens that Mazza misses most while on lockdown. To Italians, eating pizza fresh right out of the oven is the superior way to consume.
Im not really a takeaway pizza lover, because when it arrives at home it is usually made of rubber, says Mazza. I dream of being able to sit at Cocciuto again when everything is over and order a Five Cereal Pizza with ricotta, courgette flowers, gorgonzola cheese, and bacon. Could anyone see that on a plate and look down on it?
Sydney Greene summarizes the issue in a way we can all digest. Would I recommend someone eat it everyday? No. However, if someone wants to enjoy a high quality, personal-sized pie or slice once a week, go for it! Life is about living. Food does not need to be either/or.
Its time to reclaim pizzas reputation from the judgmental clutches of food-shamers and wellness hucksters. Its become an easy shorthand for junk food and poor choices and giving up, but you could argue thats all based on a bad-faith reading of the facts. With pizza, as with anything else, moderation is key. So lets all unlearn our programming and try savoring every bite.
I actually kinda’ hate pizza these days. The older I get, the less I like it.
Kids and teenager food I guess.
Pizza always sort of left me flat.
“Why Is Pizza So Damn Vilified?”
I dunno. Mafia?
Pizza is the ideal food.
Change my mind.
Pizza is the ideal food.
Change my mind.
I must admit that I didn’t know that pizza was vilified. Sure, a few idiots will vilify anything that other people enjoy. But pretty much everyone I know in the real world enjoys pizza of one sort of another now and again. In fact, I think it’s just about one of America’s most beloved foods.
I read recently that 1/3 of Americans eat pizza every day. I think teens kind of get sick of it, when they are fed it more or less constantly.
Moderation is key. For me, one nice big piece of sausage and mushroom pizza maybe once a month, with thick crust and extra cheese, with a nice glass of red wine, is heaven.
There was a post a couple weeks ago here with a good homemade pizza dough recipe and, along with it, a white sauce recipe. It sounded so good I bought a pizza stone for my Weber charcoal grill. Cant wait to try it out!
FIEND!!!! SOCIALIST!!!
TWISTED, INSANE MANIAC!!!
Sorry...got carried away :)
I loved homemade Sicilian pizza when i was 8 and mom made it and I love pizza at 51 just as much :)
Mmmmm. Sicilian pizza.
Sounds good. You could make a pizza with wild mushrooms collected from hiking.
It is. Veggies, protein and carbs in a handy hand-size slice.
All we are saying, is ‘Give Pizza a Chance!’
The key is finding more than one brand you like and rotating. also being able to make your own is useful
Piuza is a food that optimizes taste over everything else.
The ingredients are prsented to taste on it’s surface, which is non-nutritious.
Economically it’s a ‘bad’ choice, practically though...
Oh it was SO GOOD!
And home made Cavatelli.
Cavatelli can be great or terrible and mushy if made wrong.
But homemade right?
Both were great.
..sigh..
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