Pizza is an easy and convenient family meal, but it’s not usually thought of as a nutritious option. The grease, cheese, thick dough, and layers of fatty meat associated with traditional pizzas make them unhealthy. Fortunately, there are several ways to make sure you order a pizza that’s good for your entire family.

Crust

Look for pizza with a thin crust or a low-carb version made from soy flour to keep the number of carbs down, since eating too many carbs can lead to weight gain. Also consider the type of grain used to make the pizza crust. Most pizza places use white flour to make crust, which lacks vitamins and minerals. Whole grains are the healthiest type of grain, so look for a place that offers a whole wheat crust instead.

Sauce

Tomato sauces can be high in sodium and sugar. Look around for places that make their sauce from fresh tomatoes with little or no added sugar. You might have to call and ask how the sauce is made if the nutrition information isn’t available on the restaurant’s website. Another option is to order a white pizza. This type of pizza doesn’t have any sauce on it. If you do go with this option, watch the cheese and toppings that are on it. You won’t have to worry about the sodium and sugar from tomato sauce, but you will need to watch the fat content in the cheeses and meat toppings that are used.

Cheese

Pizza wouldn’t be complete without cheese, but the type normally used is full of saturated fat. This isn’t healthy for your family, as saturated fats can increase the risk of heart disease. For a better option, look for pizzas that have low-fat cheeses. Some places offer low-fat versions of cheeses, such as mozzarella and cheddar. If you can’t find these in your area, then you should at least skip the extra cheese option and avoid pizzas that also fill the crust with cheese. Certain types of pizzas, such as Sicilian, also tend to have more cheese than traditional ones.

Meat

The most obvious way to make your family’s pizza healthier is by ordering a plain cheese pizza without any sort of meat topping. Most of these toppings consist of meats that are high in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol, including sausage and pepperoni. If your family likes having some kind of meat topping on their pizza, then look for a place that offers lean versions of traditional toppings or more nutritious options, such as grilled chicken. Alternatively, you can order a pizza with vegetable toppings instead of meat ones. Some tasty choices to have on your pizza include green or red peppers, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes.

Ordering a healthy pizza doesn’t mean sacrificing quality or taste. You can find plenty of delicious choices for your whole family as long as they are willing to give up the notion that pizzas should be dripping with grease and full of unhealthy ingredients.

Charlotte Goodman writes about healthy food options for families. If you are looking for a healthy pizza, try using www.pizzadelivery.org's database of pizza delivery services to find something that your family will like.