Environmental Nutrition

It has been a long day and you want to relax over dinner. Popping a frozen pizza into the oven might be perfect. But will that heat-and-eat pizza satisfy your appetite and your nutritional needs? They aren't exactly the epitome of healthy eating, but that doesn't mean you have to scratch these delicious, convenient items off your shopping list.

Traditional pizza toppings typically include high-sodium and high-saturated fat cheese and meats, such as pepperoni and sausage. However, these days you have many more healthful options, such as whole grain crusts and nutrient-filled toppings like arugula and grilled chicken. And if you live dairy- or gluten-free, you can now enjoy store-bought pizza as well. But use caution with so-called "healthier" options, which can still provide excessive amounts of sodium and saturated fat.

Consider these tips when your dinner plans include a frozen pizza:

Add a salad

To boost your fiber and vitamin intake and provide longer lasting satisfaction from your meal, pair your pizza with a vegetable-filled salad. This addition will also help you stay within the pizza's serving size guidelines.

Top it right

Another way to increase your nutrient quota is to add more vegetables, such as broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, spinach, and onions, to the pizza before heating it.

How you slice it

The suggested serving size for pizza varies greatly, ranging from one-half to one-sixth of the pie. If you double up on servings, you could be feasting on more than 800 calories and almost a day's worth of saturated fat and sodium in one meal.

(Environmental Nutrition is the award-winning independent newsletter written by nutrition experts dedicated to providing readers up-to-date, accurate information about health and nutrition in clear, concise English. For more information, visit www.environmentalnutrition.com.)