Eating healthier is a common goal for many people, but it can be challenging to achieve. Convenience often trumps nutrition, especially when time is limited. While fast food and chain restaurant meals save time, they usually aren’t the healthiest choices.
Pizza Hut serves as a prime example of a global restaurant brand that offers convenience when you’re pressed for time. According to the Pizza Hut website, it was founded in 1958 by two brothers in Wichita, Kansas, and quickly gained popularity. By 1971, it became the world’s top-selling pizza restaurant, and today it boasts over 18,000 locations worldwide (per Statista).
Though Pizza Hut may not be the healthiest choice, there are better options on their menu that can align with a healthier diet. If you’re planning to order from Pizza Hut or have limited options, consider these menu items to maintain your health goals.
Veggie Lover’s Thin ‘n Crispy pizza
To maximize nutrition from your pizza, load it with vegetables. According to Pizza Hut, the Veggie Lover’s pizza comes with mushrooms, onions, green bell peppers, Roma tomatoes, and black olives, making each slice nutrient-dense.
For instance, green bell peppers are rich in lutein, which supports eye health (via Nourish by WebMD). They also offer vitamins C, B6, K, E, and A, iron, and potassium. Black olives provide vitamin E, iron, copper, and calcium (per Healthline).
Opting for the Thin ‘n Crispy crust reduces calories and refined carbohydrates. As Healthline explains, refined carbs, like those in pizza crust, lack the fiber and nutrients of whole grains and can spike blood sugar, increasing risks of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity (via Harvard School of Public Health).
Naked wings
For more protein and fewer carbs from Pizza Hut, consider ordering their “naked” chicken wings. These traditional bone-in wings come without heavy sauces, reducing sugar and sodium. According to Nutritionix, three naked wings provide 27 grams of protein without carbohydrates or sugar, and contain 240 calories, 13.5 grams of fat, and 3 grams of saturated fat.
Protein is crucial for health, aiding in the development of bones, muscles, skin, and hair, as well as supporting bodily functions like immunity and energy levels (via Nourish by WebMD).
Recommended protein intake varies by age and activity level. Generally, men over 19 need 56 grams daily, while women 14 and older should aim for 46 grams.
Buffalo Chicken Thin ‘n Crispy pizza
Consider the Buffalo Chicken pizza when seeking healthier options at Pizza Hut. This pizza features buffalo sauce, chicken, onions, and banana peppers (per the Pizza Hut website), offering protein and vegetables. Choosing the Thin ‘n Crispy crust helps reduce carb intake compared to other crusts.
With onions and banana peppers, the Buffalo Chicken pizza offers flavor and nutrition. Banana peppers are a low-calorie source of fiber and vitamin C (via Nourish by WebMD). Onions provide vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, and potassium (per Healthline).
As noted by Fast Food Nutrition, one medium slice of the Thin ‘n Crispy Buffalo Chicken pizza contains 190 calories and 9 grams of protein. The buffalo sauce adds some sugar, with 24 grams (or 8% of your carb intake) per slice. Limit yourself to a couple of slices to manage carbs.
Pizza made with Udi’s gluten-free crust
Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains, and while not harmful, it can cause discomfort for some people, as Johns Hopkins Medicine explains. An estimated 6% of Americans have a gluten sensitivity, according to an article in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.
For those with gluten sensitivity, Pizza Hut offers gluten-free crust options, including Veggie Lover’s and Supreme pizzas. One slice of Veggie Lover’s pizza on Udi’s crust contains 110 calories, 4 grams of protein, and 4% of your daily fiber intake (via Nutritionix).
Udi’s gluten-free crusts are made with tapioca starch and brown rice flour. However, Pizza Hut warns that their kitchens are not gluten-free environments (per the Pizza Hut website), so be cautious if you have celiac disease or a severe gluten allergy.
Tuscani Meaty Marinara pasta
If you’re craving pasta, the Tuscani Meaty Marinara offers some nutritional benefits. One serving provides 22 grams of protein, or 44% of your daily intake (via Fast Food Nutrition). It also contains 5 grams of dietary fiber, or 20% of your daily value.
Protein is essential for strong tissue, muscles, and bones, hormone signaling, fluid balance, and immune health, as explained by Healthline. Fiber aids digestion, maintains weight, and controls blood sugar (per The Mayo Clinic).
However, be mindful of portions, as the Tuscani Meaty Marinara contains high levels of saturated fat and sodium, which can be detrimental to health if consumed excessively (via the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute).
Classic Caesar salad
Pizza Hut’s Classic Caesar salad, without croutons and with easy or no dressing, is a healthier option than many menu items high in fat, sugar, and sodium. Adding chicken to your salad boosts protein without adding carbs. According to CalorieKing, the entree-sized Chicken Caesar salad has 33 grams of protein and 2 grams of dietary fiber in 440 calories.
Romaine lettuce in the Caesar salad offers benefits as well. Healthline notes that raw romaine lettuce is low in calories and high in vitamin C, folate, beta carotene, and vitamin K, with some calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium.
Request dressing on the side for more control over your salad’s content. Saturated fat and sodium primarily come from the dressing (via Nutritionix), so use it sparingly.
Hand-tossed cheese pizza
For fans of hand-tossed pizza crust, a couple of slices of classic cheese pizza are not the worst choice on Pizza Hut’s menu. According to Fast Food Nutrition, one slice of medium hand-tossed cheese pizza contains 210 calories, 9 grams of protein, and 18% of your daily protein intake. While it has 26 grams of carbohydrates, you’ll get 8% of your daily fiber intake from those carbs.
Mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce on the classic cheese pizza offer important nutrients. Mozzarella is a good source of calcium, vitamin B12, protein, zinc, selenium, and phosphorus (via My Food Data). The cooked tomatoes in marinara sauce are rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that prevents cell damage and improves heart health (via Nourish by WebMD).
Garden Side Salad without croutons
Pizza Hut’s Garden Side Salad, with light dressing and no croutons, is a way to fill up and get fiber, helping you avoid overeating. As Nutritionix notes, the salad contains 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber in 110 calories. It’s also low in saturated fat and sodium compared to many menu items.
My Fitness Pal further details the Garden Side Salad’s nutrition, noting it provides 25% of the recommended vitamin A intake, 13% of vitamin C, 5% of calcium, and 2% of iron.
Skip the croutons and request dressing on the side. Croutons add refined carbs and calories without much nutritional value (via CalorieKing). Limit dressing to reduce added sugar and sodium.
Hawaiian Chicken pizza
Pizza Hut’s Hawaiian Chicken pizza is a healthier pizza option, topped with pineapple, chicken, ham, and green bell peppers. Pineapple is low-calorie and rich in vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients, including vitamin C, manganese, fiber, and B vitamins (via Cleveland Clinic).
Chicken provides lean protein, while ham adds essential amino acids, low carbs, and fat, as well as selenium, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, iron, copper, and magnesium (per Healthline).
Green peppers on the pizza contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support various bodily functions. Nourish by WebMD states that green peppers improve eye health with lutein and prevent anemia with iron and vitamin C. A medium slice on hand-tossed crust contains 210 calories, 10 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and 7 grams of fat (per Fast Food Nutrition).
Personal Pan Chicken Supreme pizza
For those who love topping-heavy pizzas, Pizza Hut’s Chicken Supreme pizza is an ideal choice. Topped with pepperoni, seasoned pork, beef, mushrooms, green bell peppers, and onions, it offers protein and nutrients. The personal pan size helps with portion control.
According to Fast Food Nutrition, a whole Chicken Supreme personal pizza has 590 calories, 31 grams of protein (62% of your daily intake), and 4 grams of fiber (16% of your daily value). The vegetable toppings offer vitamins and nutrients for health benefits.
Mushrooms provide vitamin D for healthy bones and reduced osteoporosis risk (per Healthline) and selenium, phosphorus, and folate. Onions add vitamin C, quercetin, and sulfur compounds that lower cancer and heart disease risks (via Nourish by WebMD).
Classic breadsticks
Surprisingly, Pizza Hut’s classic breadsticks are a healthier side choice compared to cheese sticks or fries. They’re baked, not fried, and lack heavy sauces or cheese, reducing saturated fat (via Nutritionix).
While an order of wedge fries has 320 calories, 18 grams of fat, and 35 grams of carbs (via Fast Food Nutrition), a classic breadstick has 140 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, and 19 grams of carbs, according to Nutritionix. Each breadstick also provides 4 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber.
Limit yourself to one or two breadsticks and pair them with lower-carb, higher-protein menu items to keep blood sugar stable (per Medical News Today). Avoid dipping sauces to skip extra sugar and sodium.
Great Beyond Thin ‘N Crispy pizza
For a vegetarian option that mimics the taste and texture of Italian sausage, try Pizza Hut’s Great Beyond pizza. This pizza includes veggies and Beyond Italian Sausage, offering vitamins, minerals, and protein without meat (per Harvard Health Publishing). Toppings include plant-based Beyond Meat protein, diced Roma tomatoes, red onions, and banana peppers.
Fast Food Nutrition notes that each slice on Thin ‘n Crispy crust has 16 grams of protein (32% of daily value) and 3 grams of fiber (12% of the recommended intake). The plant-based sausage crumble includes B vitamins like B3, B6, B1, B2, B12, and folic acid. Watch portions to limit saturated fats and sodium.
Pizza Hut was the first national chain to offer plant-based meats as pizza toppings, using Beyond Meat pea protein, garlic, fennel seeds, paprika, and other spices to mimic traditional sausage (per CNN).
Create your own pizza
To maximize nutrition, create your own pizza with healthy toppings and skip unwanted ingredients. Pizza Hut allows customization through their website.
Choose your crust—Thin ‘n Crispy is usually best for lower refined carbs. Decide on a sauce, like classic marinara, which is rich in lycopene and nutrients (via Nourish by WebMD). Opt for regular, light, or no cheese.
For toppings, load up on veggies and lean protein. Options include mushrooms, onions, olives, green peppers, banana peppers, Roma tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, spinach, and garlic. Grilled chicken is a healthy protein choice (via Healthline).
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