In many houses, have a pizza In the fridge or freezer it has become a kind of wild card. It is fast, everyone likes and hardly requires effort to have dinner resolved in minutes, so it is already customary to have one or more of one saved, by the time we feel like it. But not everything that is easy to prepare is necessarily good, and that is just what the Organization of consumers and users (OCU) with their latest study: they have analyzed more than 150 pizzas precooked and the result leaves much to be desired.
Although these pizzas are a sales success, especially among those who do not have time or desire to cook, most do not pass the cut in nutritional terms. The analysis includes both refrigerated and frozen pizzas and covers the most common flavors, From ham and cheese to barbecue, through vegetables. And the most striking is that Only two of all the analyzed have obtained a really good assessment. The rest, according to the OCU, should be consumed with great moderation. The background concern is clear: it is not only the calories, but of everything that these processed products drag. Saturated fats in excess, crazy salt amounts, unnecessary additives and an unbalanced nutritional contribution make three out of four analyzed pizzas suspend on the healthy scale of the OCU. Even so, there is hope: If you choose well, you can still enjoy an acceptable supermarket pizza.
Why suspend most supermarket pizzas?
The OCU has been sharp in its diagnosis. The vast majority of precooked pizzas available in supermarkets They do not meet the minimum standards of healthy eating. One of the main problems is huge amount of salt they contain: Only half pizza (a usual ration) can contribute 50% of all the daily salt recommended by WHO. And that, without having other foods that are taken during the day.
To this is added a high content of saturated fatsespecially in varieties with cheese as the main ingredient. Many of these fats come from low quality cheeses and poorly recommended oils, which nutritionally increase the product without providing real benefits. And as if that were not enough, precooked pizzas usually incorporate a long list of additives that, for the most part, they are not necessary and can compromise health if consumed frequently.
In addition, these products are far from satiating. A standard ration of precooked pizza can be around 500 calories, And yet, many people end up eating the entire pizza without feeling really full. This, together with its poor nutritional profile, makes them not suitable for habitual consumption, as the OCU points out.
Vegetable pizzas, the only ones saved according to the OCU
Within the bleak panorama that has thrown the analysis of the OCU, there is a small ray of light: vegetable pizzas. Of the 25 varieties of this type that were analyzed, 17 obtained an acceptable score and two of them were at the top, even receiving the label of hello good. These are the only ones that the OCU approves with a note and recommends as a more balanced option within what can be found in a supermarket.
One of the winners is the Garden Gourmet Longgie Lovers Pizza, which stands out for its high vegetable content, absence of additives and low level of saturated fat. Its composition fits much better to what an occasional meal should be within a balanced diet. Of course, its price is also higher: Round the 6.89 euros per unitwhich places it among the most expensive in the study.
LTo the second recommendation of the OCU is the vegetable pizza of Forno di Pietra de Buitoni, that has a correct nutritional profile, without additives, and a more affordable price: 3.65 euros. Of course, it contains a somewhat smaller amount of vegetables compared to that of Garden Gourmet, but remains within the acceptable parameters that allow it to recommend it.
Eating pizza in a healthy way: is it possible?
The conclusion of the OCU is clear: the supermarket pizzas are not for every day. Even those that obtain a good score in the study should not be part of the usual diet. Even so, experts propose an alternative that can be equally comfortable and much healthier: Prepare homemade pizzas With refrigerated bases and add fresh ingredients, such as vegetables, tomatoes, natural tuna or low fat cheese.
This option is not only healthier, It allows greater control over the amount of salt and fats that are added. In addition, it fits better to the principles of the Mediterranean diet, much richer in vegetables and fresh products.
Confusing labeling: Another big problem of the sector
One of the points that the OCU has also wanted to highlight in its report is The difficulty that many consumers have to understand what they are really buying. Pizzas labels are usually printed with tiny letters, on little legible or curved funds in difficult reading containers. This complicates access to nutritional information and can lead to wrong decisions at the time of purchase.
That’s why, The organization has asked the European authorities to reinforce regulations on packaging of packaged foods. The objective is that all consumers can access the ingredients, nutritional values and additives containing these products in a simple and clear way. Until that happens, it is best to check the label well, prioritize vegetable pizzas without additives and, when possible, choose to prepare a good pizza at home.
