It’s always been a big question for diet-conscious people whether they should eat pizza or burgers. Today, let me help you by telling you which one of the two has more nutritional value. Let’s get started with a quick overview of the nutritional composition between burgers and pizza.
When comparing pizzas and burgers, 2 slices of large pan pizza contains 130 more calories, 1.8 g less fat, 10 mg less cholesterol and 52 mg less sodium than burgers. More green veggies and low-fat mozzarella should be used to make fast food healthier.
By now, you must have some idea about which one of the two you should choose to order from your favorite fast-food chain. But wait, this is just the tip of the iceberg and the complete detailed comparison between burgers and pizza from different brands below.
What Is More Healthy To Eat?
Now, let’s see a comprehensive comparison between burgers and pizza and conclude which one is more healthy to eat.
A Slice of Pizza contains 19 more calories than Burger
According to USDA, 1 slice of regular cheese pizza contains 285 calories whereas a burger with a single patty and no condiments contains 266 calories. An average person eats 3-4 slices of regular pizza and the calorie count increases to 850-900 calories.
The NHS recommends a daily calorie intake of 2000 for women and 2500 for men. So, it can be concluded that burgers have a lower calorie count than pizzas. But, this was for a light burger and not for those greasy burgers served by giant burger chains.
Now, let’s compare calories in some of the famous pizzas and burgers.
| Pizza (14’’, 1 Slice) | Calories | Burger | Calories |
| Domino’s Pepperoni Pizza | 370 | McDonald’s Big Mac | 550 |
| Pizza Hut Pepperoni Pizza | 299 | Burger King Whopper | 657 |
| Little Caesars Pepperoni Pizza | 280 | Wendy’s Baconator | 960 |
Well, now we can conclude that both aren’t very healthy as they contain an enormous amount of calories. Higher calorie intake can lead to obesity which ultimately causes heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallstones and cancer. To avoid these problems, you should always include more healthy veggies and less cheese in the burger and pizza.
Slice of Pizza contains 5.4 g more carbohydrates than Burger
According to USDA, 1 slice of regular cheese pizza contains 35.7 g carbs whereas a burger with a single patty and no condiments contains 30.3 g carbs.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend having 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates per day. Now, let’s see how much carbs some of the famous burgers and pizzas contain.
| Pizza (14’’, 1 Slice) | Carbs | Burger | Carbs |
| Domino’s Pepperoni Pizza | 36 g | McDonald’s Big Mac | 45 g |
| Pizza Hut Pepperoni Pizza | 34 g | Burger King Whopper | 49 g |
| Little Caesars Pepperoni Pizza | 32 g | Wendy’s Baconator | 36 g |
In terms of carbs, burgers win against pizza. Eating higher carbs than required can place a large metabolic load on the body, increase weight and cause heart diseases.
Slice of Pizza contains 0.3 g more fats than Burger
According to USDA, 1 slice of regular cheese pizza contains 10.4 g of fats whereas a burger with a single patty and no condiments contains 10.1 g carbs. These also include harmful saturated fats which aren’t healthy for your body.
The dietary reference intake recommends including 44 to 77 g fat per day in your diet. Now, let’s compare fats in some of the famous pizzas and burgers.
| Pizza (14’’, 1 Slice) | Total Fat | Burger | Total Fat |
| Domino’s Pepperoni Pizza | 17 g | McDonald’s Big Mac | 30 g |
| Pizza Hut Pepperoni Pizza | 13 g | Burger King Whopper | 40 g |
| Little Caesars Pepperoni Pizza | 11 g | Wendy’s Baconator | 66 g |
Fats are good for the body but it’s important to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy fats. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated are the healthy ones whereas saturated and trans are the unhealthy ones.
Fast food mostly contains unhealthy fats. They can increase bad LDL cholesterol in the blood and increase the chances of heart diseases and stroke.
Slice of Pizza contains 244 mg more sodium than Burger
According to USDA, 1 slice of regular cheese pizza contains 640 mg sodium whereas a burger with a single patty and no condiments contains 396 mg.
The American heart association recommends including 2300 mg salt per day to lead a healthy life, 1500 mg per day is a good choice. The percentage of sodium in fast food is much higher than required by the human body.
Now, let’s see sodium content in some of the most selling pizzas and burgers.
| Pizza (14’’, 1 Slice) | Sodium | Burger | Sodium |
| Domino’s Pepperoni Pizza | 890 mg | McDonald’s Big Mac | 1010 mg |
| Pizza Hut Pepperoni Pizza | 726 mg | Burger King Whopper | 983 mg |
| Little Caesars Pepperoni Pizza | 560 mg | Wendy’s Baconator | 1540 mg |
You should definitely avoid both pizzas and burgers due to the excessive amount of salt they contain. This amount of sodium can cause high blood pressure, kidney diseases, heart failure, and stroke.
Slice of Pizza contains 1.4 g less sugar than Burger
According to USDA, 1 slice of regular cheese pizza contains 3.8 g sugar whereas a burger with a single patty and no condiments contains 5.2 g. AHA suggests 24 g sugar per day for women and 36 g sugar per day for men.
Now, let’s compare sugar in some of the famous pizzas and burgers.
| Pizza (14’’, 1 Slice) | Sugar | Burger | Sugar |
| Domino’s Pepperoni Pizza | 3 g | McDonald’s Big Mac | 9 g |
| Pizza Hut Pepperoni Pizza | 3.5 g | Burger King Whopper | 11 g |
| Little Caesars Pepperoni Pizza | 3 g | Wendy’s Baconator | 7 g |
Consuming higher amounts of sugar than required can cause higher blood pressure, diabetes, fatty organs, and extra insulin in the bloodstream.
The Final Verdict
So, who wins the battle- burgers or pizzas? In my opinion, both aren’t very healthy and shouldn’t be eaten frequently. You should always choose healthy toppings, sauces and other ingredients for them. I hope this post was of value to you and if you want to add some extra points, feel free to post them in the comment section below.
