Slicing Up Gourmet Pizza

Pizza isn't just pepperoni and cheese anymore. Many restaurants offer gourmet pizzas with unusual toppings such as Thai or mesquite chicken, and grilled or barbecued shrimp.

To keep your pizza low in calories and fat, choose vegetable, chicken or seafood toppings instead of red meat. And request only one kind of cheese, not two or more.

Round out your meal with a fruit salad, green salad and low-fat dressing or a bowl of bean soup, broth or vegetable soup.

Split a dessert with a dining companion or order frozen yogurt or sherbet, if available.

Best bets

Grilled vegetable pizza

Thai chicken pizza

Basil and fresh tomato pizza

Barbecue chicken pizza

Grilled shrimp pizza

Southwestern chicken pizza

Worst bets

Italian sausage and pepperoni pizza

Three cheese pizza

Double-cooked pork pizza

Brisket pizza

Cream of spinach soup

Fried mozzarella sticks

Healthy Meal Suggestions

Meal A

Green salad

Low-fat Italian dressing

Grilled vegetable pizza, 2 slices

Iced tea

Total calories: 659

Total fat (gm.): 20

Calories from fat: 27%

Total sodium (mg.): 1,022

Meal B

Field greens salad

Oil and vinegar dressing

Thai chicken pizza, 2 slices

Sherbet

Total calories: 701

Total fat (gm.): 23

Calories from fat: 30%

Total sodium (mg.): 1,294

Meal C

Southwestern bean soup

Bread sticks

Basil and fresh tomato pizza, 2 slices

Coffee

Total calories: 876

Total fat (gm.): 16

Calories from fat: 16%

Total sodium (mg.): 1,410

Primary source: "The Healthy Eater's Guide to Family and Chain Restaurants" by Hope S. Warshaw, M.M.Sc., R.D., Chronimed, 1993, $9.95.