A slice of the action: Top 8 shop-bought pizzas to help boost your protein intake

It’s worth considering which pizza can deliver the most. Picture: iStock

A hot open sandwich, pizza is more a snack than a meal when it comes to nutrition and satisfaction. As a meal, it needs to have a decent amount of protein. Some of our samples had 5g of protein in half a pizza, even up to 10g, but others had a lot less. Compare this to 15g of protein in a fillet of fish, which amounts to 30% of an adult’s daily requirement. We need protein for bone, muscle development and repair. It’s worth considering which pizza can deliver the most.

Meaty toppings add more protein, so use our Top 8 pizzas as a base and add leftovers, finishing with a little finely grated cheese. Salt in pizzas (some in the cheese) could amount to 3g per half pizza, which is enough for a day in adults, so avoid more salt afterwards. Adding cheddar cheese to mozzarella goes against the Italian grain, but if it tastes good, we might forgive it.

It greatly helps the crispness of the base if you heat a baking tray/roasting dish in the oven as it comes up to temperature. Slide the pizza onto it and cook for the required time. Some brands suggest cooking on the oven shelf/rack. Salad on the side is an ideal accompaniment.

Pádraigín’s Gourmet 400g €4.99

With one of the shortest list of ingredients of the selection, there is tons of flavour here from mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, richly flavoured wild mushrooms and meatiness from ham. Tomato sauce is flavoured with basil, oregano, garlic, black pepper, red wine. The base has flour, water, yeast and olive oil, with buttermilk as an extra. It crisped up nicely. Protein at 12% – 24g per half pizza is satisfyingly high. Salt is good at 1g per half. Made in Bandon, Co Cork.

Score: 9.5

Saturday Pizzas Margherita 400g €4.99

A short list of ingredients includes traditional mozzarella cheese 29%, tomato sauce made from tomato, water, salt, sugar, pepper, with basil and olive oil. Protein is a good 11.05% – 5.5g per half pizza. It’s the lightest, thinnest of the selection. Pre-baked, it takes five minutes in the oven. Nice fresh tastes from the sauce and cheese and a flavoursome base makes this a top choice for tasters. Salt at 2.5g per half pizza is medium. Another good Cork product.

Score: 9.25

Dunnes Stores Simply Better Italian Piccante 475g €4.49

All Italian ingredients include piccante (spicy) salami and ‘njuda (a mix of pork and chilli). Interesting, traditional Italian cheeses include 11.5% mozzarella, 7.7% smoked provola, a curd cheese that becomes creamy when heated. A generous 19% tomato sauce sits on the base which crisped up quite well. Salt at 3.6g per half pizza is high. Delivers plenty of fiery taste with a genuine Italian feel.

Score: 8.75

Chicago Town Tiger Crust 320g €3.99

This double pepperoni has 8% sliced and 5% mini pepperoni. Vegetable oils include rapeseed and coconut oils, but also palm oil which is disappointing and there is no mention of sustainable sources. Protein is a decent 13% – 20g and salt is 2.3g per half pizza. Tasters liked the rich sauce, crisp base and plentiful topping including 20% mozzarella.

Score: 8.5

SuperValu Stonebaked mozzarella 383g €1.99

Mozzarella at 26% is supplemented with 2% unspecified grated hard cheese on 18% tomato sauce which has fried onion and garlic powders. Halved cherry tomatoes sit decoratively on top of the cheese alongside blobs of a mixture of lively basil pesto, spinach and mild chilli. It all works well and the children particularly liked it. Protein 12% (22g per half pizza) is high. Salt is 2.4g per half.

Score: 8

Goodfella’s Stonebaked Thin 400g €3.29

This chargrilled vegetable and pesto variety did well with tasters. Vegetables – courgettes, red onions, red and yellow peppers had a little bite and kept their shape, providing juiciness to the topping that others in the range lacked. The tomato sauce was gently flavoured with marjoram, oregano, and thyme. The base crisped up nicely and had quite good flavour. Protein is 7.3% – a good 15g per half pizza, and salt is 2.4g per half. Includes palm oil.

Score: 7.75

Tesco Hearty Food Co Thin & Crispy Four Cheese 331g €1

Plenty of cheese – mature cheddar (7%), red cheddar (5%) and Monterey Jack (1%) with traditional mozzarella (15%) deliver a cheesy experience which the children loved. The base crisped up nicely and the tomato sauce was uncomplicated with gentle basil, garlic and pepper.  Protein is a decent 13% - 20.5g and salt reasonable at 1.4g per half pizza. Good value.

Score: 7.5

Aldi Carlos Takeaway Pepperoni 511g €1.99

19% tomato sauce, 18% mozzarella, 10% pepperoni, pork fat, chilli, brings protein to a good 12.3% (29.3g per half pizza) with salt high at 3.04g per half pizza. Tomato sauce is good. The base didn’t crisp up, even when we heated the baking tray. Palm oil in the base with no mention of sustainability. There is also rapeseed and olive oils with maize flour.

Score: 7.25