Welcome to “Is It Price It?”, a MyFitnessPal sequence that breaks down the professionals and cons of store-bought versus home made meals. The aim of the sequence is to provide the information it is advisable to make vitamin selections that align together with your life-style, funds, values, and well being targets.
Pizza, is by far, my favourite meals. In actual fact, I served it for dinner at my wedding ceremony reception. However when it’s pizza night time, many are at a crossroads: do you have to maintain it handy with a store-bought pie or throw on an apron and make it from scratch?
For the health-conscious and budget-savvy, this choice isn’t nearly style. It’s about the fee, environmental impression, well being advantages, and the funding of effort and time.
So, let’s weigh the professionals and cons to reply the query: is home made pizza actually price it?
Well being Advantages of Do-it-yourself vs. Retailer-Bough Pizza
- Do-it-yourself Pizza: Getting ready pizza at dwelling lets you management precisely what goes into your physique. You’ll be able to go for entire grain flours, contemporary greens, and home made sauces with out added sugars or preservatives. It’s a possibility to spice up your consumption of more healthy substances whereas decreasing fats, sodium, and total calorie rely.
- Retailer Purchased Pizza: Dietary content material can fluctuate broadly amongst store-bought pizzas. Whereas there are more healthy choices accessible, many frozen pizzas are excessive in sodium, preservatives, and synthetic components. And pizzeria pizzas, whereas contemporary, are sometimes loaded with extra cheese and fatty meats than you would possibly put by yourself home made pizza. The quantity of oil used to arrange the pizzas could also be larger than what you would possibly use at dwelling, too, rising energy and fats content material.
MyFitnessPal makes it simple to log meals or substances forward of time. That means, you may make an knowledgeable choice on whether or not home made or store-bought is finest on your subsequent pizza night time.
Value Comparability of Do-it-yourself vs. Retailer-Bough Pizza
- Do-it-yourself Pizza: Whenever you decide to make pizza at dwelling, the preliminary setup of substances may appear expensive, however these provides could make a number of pizzas over time. Flour, yeast, and staple toppings like cheese and tomato sauce are typically cheap, particularly when bought in bulk.
- Retailer Purchased Pizza: Retailer-bought choices can vary from reasonably priced frozen varieties to dearer gourmand or natural alternatives. Whereas ordering from a neighborhood pizzeria is handy, the fee per pie can shortly add up, particularly when you’re feeding a crowd or choosing supply with additional charges.
As an instance the serving measurement comparability, contemplate making a big 14-inch pizza at dwelling versus ordering the same measurement from a neighborhood pizzeria:
- A home made pizza can simply serve 4 to 6 individuals, relying on the way it’s sliced. With the price of substances for a primary cheese pizza being comparatively low, the value per particular person could possibly be as little as $2 to $3.
- Alternatively, a 14-inch pizza from a neighborhood pizzeria sometimes prices round $18 to $25, making the value per particular person (assuming the pizza serves the identical 4 to 6 individuals) roughly $4.50 to $6.25.
This comparability not solely highlights a value benefit but in addition demonstrates how home made pizza will be equally satisfying in serving measurement, with probably larger financial savings and personalization of toppings based mostly on particular person preferences.
- Do-it-yourself Pizza: Whereas making pizza at dwelling can cut back some packaging waste in comparison with store-bought choices, it’s necessary to notice that many substances like cheese, meats, and dough usually are available in their very own packaging. Nonetheless, you possibly can nonetheless decrease your carbon footprint by selecting native produce and in search of out substances with much less packaging when doable.
- Retailer Purchased Pizza: Frozen pizzas are available in cardboard packing containers, usually with plastic wrapping, which contributes to landfill waste if not recycled correctly. Freshly made pizzas from a retailer or restaurant additionally sometimes are available in cardboard packing containers, posing comparable environmental concerns.
If minimizing environmental impression is a precedence, home made pizza presents alternatives for extra eco-friendly choices, given that you just spend the time required to pick substances with minimal packaging and assist native produce suppliers. Which brings us to…
Time & Effort of Do-it-yourself vs. Retailer-Bough Pizza
- Do-it-yourself Pizza: Making pizza from scratch requires effort and time. It’s important to supply substances, kneading the dough and let it rise, put together the toppings, after which assemble and bake. For those who love cooking, this could be a rewarding expertise. And choosing pre-made pizza doughs or meats can save time. However, regardless of the way you slice it (pun supposed), home made pizza will possible at all times take longer than heating up a store-bought selection or selecting up out of your native pizzeria.
- Retailer Purchased Pizza: Comfort is king with store-bought pizzas. Frozen pizzas will be popped within the oven with minimal effort, and contemporary pizzas are solely a cellphone name or a web-based order away. If time is tight otherwise you’re not within the temper to prepare dinner, store-bought provides a fast and simple various.
The Verdict
Ultimately, the selection is dependent upon your priorities—and your well being targets. Is controlling dietary content material necessary to you? Or does the simplicity of a fast, ready-made meal align higher together with your plans? No matter you select, each paths result in deliciousness, as a result of, truthfully, when is pizza not price it?