Updated 1/23/2022: It has been three years since I wrote this post. I can tell you that if you buy organic, low fat, and low sodium crust, sauce, and cheese, you will be saving a lot of sodium and possibly phosphorus. Organic foods also don’t have all the additives and preservatives of frozen or takeout pizza.
We are huge pizza lovers in this house. We eat pizza at least a couple of times a month. But, with CKD this is very hard. Pizza is full of sodium, phosphorus, and potassium, among other things. For me, with CKD, the three I mentioned are of the most importance. I am going to review the 3 pizzas below and share the nutrition for each. O That’s Good, Publix Greenwise Organic Pizza, and a homemade recipe found on the Davita kidney website. O That’s Good pizza with pepperoni, by Oprah Winfrey, I actually thought would be the best, because the crust is made with 1/3 of it with cauliflower. I can not find the phosphorus in that brand, but I am thinking it has to have the least due to the cauliflower in the crust. It tastes OK enough, my husband even liked it. But, for taste, I personally pick Publix Organic Pizza. For the nutrition results, the following code will be used. O is for Oprah’s pizza, P for Publix, and H for homemade. This is per serving of 1 slice.
O: Phosphorus: Unsure, but most likely the least
Potassium: Not listed on their nutrition label. Probably comparable to the others.
Protein: 14 grams
Sodium: 740mg This is actually very high compared to the other 2. I thought it was for the whole pizza, but it is per slice.
Iron: 15%
P: Phosphorus: Again, not listed on the label, but because flour is used you can assume it is comparable with the Homemade. Remember a lot of this element comes from the cheese, and if you use a whole grain crust.
Potassium: This too is disappointing because it is not listed on the label. But, again you can consider it close to homemade since you are using tomato-based products. Eliminate this by eating a white pizza, which means no sauce is used. I love them.
Sodium: 280 mg This is not horrible considering cheese is loaded with sodium. However, if you get a pizza with just mozzarella and no other type of cheese you will save some sodium.
Iron: 10%
H: Phosphorus: 230mg
Potassium: 352 mg
Sodium: 150 mg
Iron: No iron is listed for this recipe, but is probably consistent with the other 2.
As you can see making your own pizza is the healthiest option. Be sure to use white flour, not whole wheat to save on phosphorus. For me, I would rather have the healthier whole grains, and just limit the amount I eat, adding a salad to go with it. You can also use lower sodium cheese options, less cheese, no sauce, etc. Veggies, instead of cured meats, of course, are always a better option. If you want to see the homemade pizza recipe, click here.
If you would like to learn how to cook at home for your kidney disease, or any chronic illness, use the contact form to send me an email.
Living Life With CKD 