What's the most unhealthy pizza? A deep dive into caloric extremes

December 22, 2025 •

3 min read

With some fast-food slices packing over 400 calories and close to 1,000 mg of sodium, understanding what's the most unhealthy pizza is crucial for mindful eating. This guide breaks down the most concerning ingredients and combinations found in popular pies.

Quick Summary

The unhealthiest pizza is typically a deep-dish or stuffed-crust variety, overloaded with multiple processed meats, excessive cheese, and additives. Fast-food and frozen versions are often the worst offenders due to high fat, sodium, and calories.

Key Points

Deep-Dish and Stuffed Crust: Thick crusts, especially stuffed varieties, are the primary sources of excess calories and refined carbs.
Processed Meats: Toppings like pepperoni, sausage, and bacon contribute huge amounts of sodium, saturated fat, and unhealthy preservatives.
Excessive Cheese: While delicious, piling on extra or using multiple fatty cheeses dramatically increases the overall fat and calorie count.
Fast-Food and Frozen Variations: Commercial pizzas from chains often use the unhealthiest combinations of crust, toppings, and additives, making them the worst offenders.
It's a Combination of Factors: A pizza's unhealthiness is not about one single ingredient but the cumulative effect of a thick, processed crust with multiple high-fat, high-sodium toppings.
Moderation is Key: Enjoying a healthier version with thin crust, veggies, and lean protein can be part of a balanced diet, emphasizing portion control.

The Unhealthiest Pizza: A Caloric Breakdown

The title of "most unhealthy pizza" isn't claimed by a single dish but rather a combination of factors that drastically increase a pie's calorie, fat, and sodium content. The worst offenders often come from commercial fast-food chains or frozen food aisles where the focus is on flavor and convenience, not nutrition. Some truly extreme global creations push the boundaries of gluttony, such as the Swedish 'Calskrove,' a calzone stuffed with a hamburger and fries, or the Scottish deep-fried pizza.

Crust: The Foundation of Unhealthiness

The crust is the foundation upon which unhealthiness is built. While a thin, Neapolitan-style base is relatively light, thick and dense varieties can turn a simple slice into a calorie bomb.

Deep-Dish Crust: Originating from Chicago, deep-dish pizzas contain significantly more dough per slice than thinner variants. A single piece can contain 400 to 600 or more calories, often before toppings are even considered.
Stuffed Crust: This innovation adds even more cheese—and consequently more calories and fat—into the equation. A DiGiorno Stuffed Crust Supreme, for example, is notoriously high in calories and saturated fat.

Toppings That Drive Up Risk

Toppings can either make or break a pizza's nutritional value. The unhealthiest ones are packed with saturated fat and sodium, contributing to a higher risk of heart disease when consumed regularly.

Processed Meats: Pepperoni, sausage, bacon, and cured meats are among the worst offenders. They contain high levels of sodium, nitrates, and saturated fat. A study cited by Healthline found that a daily intake of 50 grams of processed meat was linked to a 42% higher risk of heart disease.
Excessive Cheese: While cheese provides protein and calcium, piling on extra mozzarella or using multiple, fattier cheeses (like the proprietary Provel cheese on Imo's pizzas) drastically increases fat and calorie counts.
Cream-Based Sauces: While most commercial pizzas use a basic tomato sauce, some recipes use creamy alfredo or buttery sauces that add hidden calories and saturated fats.

Comparison Table: Unhealthy vs. Healthier Pizza


Feature	Most Unhealthy Pizza	Healthier Alternative
Crust Type	Deep-dish or stuffed crust	Thin crust or whole-grain
Meat Toppings	Multiple processed meats (pepperoni, sausage, bacon)	Lean protein (grilled chicken, turkey) or no meat
Cheese	Extra cheese or multiple high-fat cheeses	Light cheese or fresh mozzarella
Vegetables	Minimal or none	Loaded with vegetables (peppers, spinach, mushrooms)
Total Calories	400-600+ calories per slice	200-300 calories per slice
Sodium	Extremely high (>900mg per slice)	Reduced sodium content

Choosing a Healthier Alternative

Even with the potential for unhealthiness, pizza can be modified to be part of a balanced diet. It’s all about making smarter choices and practicing moderation.

Tips for a healthier pizza:

Opt for a thin or whole-wheat crust to reduce carbohydrates and calories.
Pile on the veggies for fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Spinach, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms are excellent choices.
Choose lean proteins like grilled chicken or turkey sausage over processed meats.
Ask for half the normal amount of cheese or use fresh mozzarella sparingly to cut down on saturated fat.
Pair your pizza with a large side salad to fill up on nutrients and help with portion control.
Make your own pizza at home to control every ingredient, from a no-sugar-added sauce to whole-food toppings. Using alternative crusts like cauliflower can also be beneficial.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the question of what's the most unhealthy pizza depends on its construction. A deep-dish or stuffed-crust pizza, piled high with multiple processed meats and extra cheese from a fast-food chain, will almost always be the worst option. While this type of pizza can be an occasional treat, regular consumption can contribute to weight gain and increase the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease due to its high levels of calories, saturated fat, and sodium. The best way to enjoy pizza while maintaining a healthy lifestyle is to make deliberate, healthier choices about your crust, toppings, and portion sizes. For more heart-healthy eating strategies, you can consult resources like the Cleveland Clinic.

Frequently Asked Questions

A pizza becomes unhealthy due to a combination of factors, including thick, refined flour crusts, excessive high-fat cheese, processed meat toppings high in sodium, and large portion sizes.

Deep-dish, stuffed-crust, and fast-food pizzas with multiple processed meat toppings (like a meat lovers) are generally considered the unhealthiest choices due to their higher calorie, fat, and sodium content.

Yes, thin-crust pizza is almost always healthier than thick-crust because it contains less dough, which means fewer calories and refined carbohydrates per slice.

Yes, extreme examples include the Swedish 'Calskrove,' a calzone filled with hamburgers and fries, and the Scottish deep-fried pizza, both of which are extremely high in calories.

Processed meats like pepperoni, sausage, and bacon are typically the unhealthiest toppings, being high in sodium, saturated fat, and nitrates.

Yes, you can make a pizza much healthier by choosing a whole-grain or vegetable-based crust, using a limited amount of fresh cheese, piling on plenty of vegetables, and opting for lean protein sources like grilled chicken.

Yes, deep-frying a pizza (a method sometimes used in Scotland) is far less healthy than baking it, as it adds significant amounts of unhealthy fat.