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Pizza that doesn't pile on the pounds
Anna Davis16.03.09
FOR dieters it sounds too good to be true. Londoners are being encouraged to visit a chain of high street restaurants for slimming advice - and a pizza.
WeightWatchers has invited its members to Pizza Express to prove that no food is off-limits, even if it is covered in cheese and Italian ham.
From today scores of men and women will visit branches in Mayfair and Teddington to take part in the classes. They will be taught WeightWatchers' points scheme which gives every food a value and sets a daily consumption limit of 18, 21 or 30 points - depending on the size of the weight problem.
As staff prepare for the lunchtime rush, participants will be weighed in and given a pep talk by a slimming leader. But for the first time, each member will be encouraged to stay behind after the morning meeting for a healthy lunch of pizza and salad.
The Italian chain is baking a range of new "leggera" (light) pizzas that contain 500 calories - half the typical calorie count - and score 7.5 points. Low-fat cheese is used and the centre of the pizza is removed and filled with salad, thereby halving the amount of dough.
Antonio Romani, executive development chef at PizzaExpress, said: "I wanted to create a range which tasted great but was lower in calories and fat. They are inspired by fresella from Naples (light granary bread that is baked twice and served with fresh tomatoes and olive oil)."
The three diet pizzas will be available in 11 London restaurants from today (Balham, Holborn, King's Road, Millbank, Blackheath, Aldgate, Romford, Ealing, Bruton Place Mayfair, Teddington and Euston) and in every branch nationwide from next month. Angharad Massie, from WeightWatchers, said: "We wanted to show that what you eat doesn't mean compromising on quality and taste or avoiding your favourite foods. Pizzas are traditionally thought of as being a no-go area for dieters - this is not the case."
Maria McKinless, 51, who attended the first meeting in Mayfair on Friday, said: "It is brilliant that restaurants are giving dieters options.
"I usually go to WeightWatchers meetings in church halls, but going to a nice restaurant is a great change - and we get weighed in a side room so no one can see. It is tempting to be surrounded by food though, but at least now there is something we can eat."
Reader views (5)
Food doesn't fatten people, PEOPLE fatten people.
But then, the notion that the citizens are capable of thinking for themselves long ago lost favor..
- Trunk, US
what a load of pizza, they must be laughing all the way to the bank
- Robert Phelps, bussiere poitevine 87320 france
a low calorie pizza is about as much use as a gun loaded with blanks - looks useful but no good in a tight corner. What next - the Sports Eccles cake ? some things were just never meant to be and should be left well alone.
- Squiz, islington
Many places have offered a slice of pizza with salad for years. I have tried low fat ones in the past but found that low fat tends to equal low taste! However I shall try one before passing judgement. This country is gettinng ever more verbose - what exactly is an executive development chef?
- Michael, London
So these ‘diet pizzas’ “contain 500 calories - half the typical calorie count”. But if “the centre of the pizza is removed and filled with salad, thereby halving the amount of dough” I imagine this also halves the amount of topping. So in fact, they are halving the total amount of pizza.
Newsflash: half a pizza contains half the calories of a whole one. No really?
- Sarah, London
