Science just confirmed this long-held pizza theory
Have you ever took a napkin to your pizza slices before eating them to try and blot off some of the oil, hoping it would make a difference? I admit I have, especially when it’s overly greasy to the point of not adding much to the flavor anymore – and maybe more often when my pants are getting a little tight. Granted it’s usually nowhere near as delicious without that extra little layer of fat, but it’s nice to tell myself I’m saving a few calories even if, up until now, I wasn’t sure how true that was.
Well good news, people in the same boat: It is true that blotting your pizza saves you calories. Ryan Turner, dietitian for Top Balance Nutrition, put it simply and confirmed our assumptions by stating that “If you’re removing grease or oil from any product or any dish, it’s going to reduce the calories.” But by a lot.
A study conducted by The Georgia-Pacific Health Smart Institute concluded that blotting your pizza with an absorbent paper towel can potentially remove up to 14 percent of total fat and 17 percent of saturated fat. That’s a pretty big chunk of calories.
And that study isn’t the only claim to back up the effects of pizza blotting. According to a 2013 Facebook post by the Ted Allen-hosted former Food Network show Food Detectives, blotting reduces the damage done by each slice of pizza by an average of 3.5 grams of oil, or 35 calories.
Scott Weiner, founder and owner of Scott’s Pizza Tours, confirmed to Mic that blotting does save calories but noted it can remove a ton of flavor, which kinda puts a damper on the pizza experience.
“When you’re blotting you’re going to be able to take off more oil, but you will run the risk of removing spices and sauce. When sauce is on top of cheese you’re really doing more harm than good. It’s an invasive maneuver.” As an alternative, Weiner suggests using the “drip” method to remove excess pizza oil to make it a bit less calorie-laden while keeping flavor intact. Seems like a good middle ground to us!
So now that we know the science behind our blotting habits, the question we need to ask ourselves is…is it worth it? Personally, I see the benefits when pizza is overly greasy, but otherwise I think a little extra grease is kind of what pizza is all about. Fat means flavor, and life is boring without flavor.
And now I want pizza. Blotted or not — I’m not picky as long as there’s lots of it.
(Images via iStock and Facebook)
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