Supermarket Standoff: Frozen Pizza

Frozen Pizza Lineup

We have embarked on a taste test tour of your favorite supermarket foods. We nibble, we score, and we share the results with you to help you avoid the paralyzation that can come with Brand Choice Overload. Today's topic: frozen pizza.

Given that college students nationwide are heading back to their microwave-equipped dorm kitchens, we decided to taste test the ultimate in easy-bake junk food: frozen pizza. We knew exactly which brands to test, and after some heroic timing triumphs with Bon Appetit's ovens, we had eleven perfectly-cooked cheese pizzas (one of which was gluten-free) to judge. As we nibbled and scored, nutritionist Sandra Frank pored over the nutrition labels, breaking down which three frozen pizza brands are the best for you (not that we can really say any of them is good for you). Find both our winners for taste and Frank's picks for health.

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DiGiornio Rising Crust Four Cheese Pizza

Our Favorites for Flavor

#1 DiGiornio Rising Crust Four Cheese Pizza

Nutrition: Serving size 1/6 pizza (133 g) = 310 calories, 11g total fat, 25mg cholesterol, 850mg sodium, 40g carbs, 6g sugars, 15g protein, 8% vitamin A, 4% vitamin C, 20% calcium, 6% iron.

 

Ingredients: Wheat flour, water, shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, tomato paste, sugar, small amounts of wheat gluten, vegetable oil, white corn meal, grated parmesan, asiago, romano, salt, yeast, baking soda, sodium stearoyl lacylate, sodium aluminum phosphate, datem, spice, garlic, ascorbic acid, yellow corn meal.

Cost: $9.79 at The Food Emporium in New York, NY.

Blind Tasting Notes: "Tangy sauce, lots of cheese"; "Vibrant sauce, nice crunch on the crust"; "Nice thick crust, sauce is not too sweet"; "I appreciate the cornmeal on the bottom"; "Good amount of cheese".

California Pizza Kitchen Five Cheese & Tomato

#2 California Pizza Kitchen Five Cheese & Tomato

Nutrition: Serving size 1/3 pizza (119 g) = 320 calories, 15g total fat, 40mg cholesterol, 700mg sodium, 29g carbs, 6g sugars, 18g protein, 6% vitamin A, 0% vitamin C, 35% calcium, 6% iron.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese, water, shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, shredded fontina cheese, shredded smoked gouda cheese (it lists the ingredients in all the cheeses, but I thought I should mention that this one contains annatto, or color, and smoke flavor, whatever that is), sugar, soybean oil, small amounts of wheat gluten, shredded romano cheese, salt, yeast, dried basil, ascorbic acid.

Cost: $8.99 at D'Agostino in New York, NY.

Blind Tasting Notes: "Excellent, great herbs"; "Fresh-tasting tomato"; "Looks excellent, nice burst from fresh tomatoes".

Frontera Roasted Tomato Four Cheese & Cilantro

Tied for #3:
Frontera Roasted Tomato Four Cheese & Cilantro

Nutrition: Serving size 1/3 pizza (123 g) = 270 calories, 11g total fat, 30mg cholesterol, 840mg sodium, 28g carbs, 2g sugars, 13g protein, 15% vitamin A, 10% vitamin C, 20% calcium, 6% iron.

Ingredients: Crust (wheat flour, water, vegetable oil, yeast, salt, honey), Cheese (low moisture whole milk mozzarella, monterey jack, cheddar, asiago), Sauce (tomatoes, vegetable puree--jalapeno pepper, roasted red onion, roasted garlic, cilantro--salt), Seasoning (cilantro, pepper, Mexican oregano, chives, spices).

Cost: $6.99 at Whole Foods in New York, NY.

Blind Tasting Notes: "Very spicy in a good way"; "Kick, spicy"; "Most flavorful cheese"; "Nice zesty flavor"; "Cheese is pungent, sauce is spicy, crust thickness good (thin and crunchy)".

Amy's Cheese Pizza

Amy's Cheese Pizza

Nutrition: Serving size 1/3 pizza (123 g) = 290 calories, 12g total fat, 15mg cholesterol, 590mg sodium, 33g carbs, 4g sugars, 12g protein, 8% vitamin A, 6% vitamin C, 20% calcium, 8% iron.

Ingredients: Organic unbleached wheat flour with organic wheat germ and organic wheat bran, filtered water, part-skin mozzarella, organic tomato puree, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic honey, sea salt, organic red onions, expeller pressed high oleic safflower and/or sunflower oil, yeast, spices, organic garlic, black pepper.

Cost: $8.99 at The Food Emporium in New York, NY.

Blind Tasting Notes: "Good texture"; "So sweet but good"; "Nice ratio of sauce to cheese, nice crust crunch"; "Tomato sauce is nicest here, and nice crust"; "Crispy".

Amy's Cheese Pizza

Nutritionist Sandra Frank's Picks

#1 Amy's Cheese Pizza

Frank's Comments: "Amy's took first place. Calories were under 300 per serving and compared to the other pizzas, it has the least amount of cholesterol. Sodium is high, but it was one of the lowest evaluated."

Our Assessment: Hooray! We rated this #3 for flavor!

Frontera Roasted Tomato Four Cheese & Cilantro

#2 Frontera Roasted Tomato Four Cheese & Cilantro

Frank's Comments: "Frontera came in second with the lowest amount of calories per serving and one of the lowest in sugar. The downside is the amount of sodium and cholesterol, so watch what you eat the rest of the day."

Our Assessment: We're in luck! We rated this #3 for flavor, too!

 

American Flatbread Tomato Sauce and Three Chees

#3 American Flatbread Tomato Sauce and Three Cheese

Nutrition: Serving size 1/2 pizza (128 g) = 300 calories, 10g total fat, 30mg cholesterol, 700mg sodium, 37g carbs, 1g sugars, 15g protein, 8% vitamin A, 4% vitamin C, 25% calcium, 15% iron.

Ingredients: Crust (organically-grown wheat, water, organic corn meal, Kosher salt, yeast), Topping (mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce--made from organic tomatoes, organic onions, carrots, celery, garlic, red wine, maple syrup, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, organic parsley, herbs, black pepper, red pepper flakes--parmesan cheese, GMO-free garlic oil, organic parsley and herbs, Kosher salt.

Cost: $7.99 at Whole Foods in New York, NY.

Frank's Comments: "American Flatbread was rated number three with the lowest amount of fat, second lowest in sugar and highest in iron. The drawback is the sodium and cholesterol content. Choose foods low in cholesterol and sodium to balance out your day".

Our Assessment: Some liked this brand and some didn't. (In fact, this frozen pizza taste test has been our most diverse yet in terms of scoring.) Comments included "Not enough sauce"; "Flavorful cheese"; "Overall, looks better than it tastes"; "Nice looking"; "Straight up roller rink 1986".

 

Glutino Gluten-Free Duo Cheese Pizza

Honorable Mention:
Glutino Gluten-Free Duo Cheese Pizza

Nutrition: Serving size 1 pizza (148 g) = 350 calories, 16g total fat, 25mg cholesterol, 740mg sodium, 38g carbs, 3g sugars, 14g protein, 10% vitamin A, 20% vitamin C, 30% calcium, 15% iron.

Ingredients: Topping (tomato puree, low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, provolone, contains small amounts of seasoning blend, cheese blend, green bell peppers, flavor blend--maltodextrin, dextrose, natural spice oleoresins--spices, garlic powder, onion powder, modified food starch, corn oil, xanthan gum), Crust (wheat flour with malted barley flour, water, vegetable shortening, soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup, salt, preservatives, dough conditioner.

Cost: $4.99 at Whole Foods in New York, NY.

Frank's Comments: "This was the only pizza tested that was gluten-free; a plus for people with celiac disease and/or gluten intolerance. It has the lowest amount of sugar and was one of the pizzas with the lowest amount of sodium".

Our Assessment: Glutino came in last place for flavor; it was the one thing all participants agreed upon. So, unless you have a severe gluten allergy, we don't recommend it.

 

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