We analyzed dozens of frozen pizzas. Here are the healthiest options.

Washington Post

13-05-2025

In many American households, frozen pizzas are a kitchen staple.
That's because frozen pizzas are tasty, convenient and affordable. But many of them have a major downside: They're ultra-processed. They're frequently laden with salt, saturated fat, added sugars and industrial additives like artificial flavors, synthetic preservatives and emulsifiers. Some popular frozen cheese pizza brands have nearly an entire day's worth of saturated fat and 60 percent of your recommended daily sodium intake per serving.
Studies show that eating a lot of ultra-processed foods is associated with a higher risk of developing chronic diseases. Health experts say it's a good idea to limit your intake — but that you don't have to avoid them at all costs. For one, it's impractical: Ultra-processed foods make up about 70 percent of all food items sold in grocery stores. And second, you can include some processed foods in your diet and still be healthy. That's because they're not all created equal.
We analyzed dozens of frozen pizza brands and discovered that some use mostly simple ingredients like wheat flour, tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic powder and mozzarella cheese, while others contain so many preservatives, flavor enhancers, emulsifiers and artificial ingredients that their ingredients lists can sound like a high school chemistry experiment.
Here's how to make frozen pizza a more nutritious meal, red flags to watch out for — and six of the healthiest pizzas we found.
You probably shouldn't eat frozen pizza every day, nutrition experts say, but it can still be part of a healthy, occasional lunch or dinner. The key is to purchase a quality brand and to make it part of a balanced meal, said Federica Amati, a medical scientist at Imperial College London and head nutritionist at Zoe, a personalized nutrition company.
You could steam some broccoli or chop up carrots and cucumbers to eat with your pizza. Maybe make a hard-boiled egg to go along with it. And have some fresh fruit, walnuts or mixed nuts at the end of your meal, she added.
If you want pizza with toppings, choose ones that have veggies such as onion, peppers, mushrooms and spinach. Or better yet, buy a Margherita pizza and add your own veggies at home. If you have kids, put some sliced veggies, corn and olives on the counter and let them choose their own toppings. Kids are more likely to eat veggies if you give them choices and involve them in the cooking process, Amati said.
If you want meat toppings, you should add your own — ideally things like grilled chicken or tuna. If you want sausage or pepperoni, buy them separately and look for the 'uncured' versions that advertise low sodium and no added nitrates or nitrites. These two preservatives have been linked to cancer.
Do you have a question about healthy eating? Email [e-mail] and we may answer your question in a future column.