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Dining out / Pizza Place

Keto at a Pizza Place

Easy for keto4 to order2 to ask about2 to skip

A pizzeria is tough, because the crust is the meal. Your best options are on the other half of the menu: wings, salads and the toppings themselves. Cauliflower crust is often less helpful than it sounds.

Order this

Traditional wings, an antipasto or Caesar salad without croutons, and crustless pizza bowls where offered.

Skip this

Crust (thin or thick), garlic knots, breadsticks, calzones, pasta and dessert pizzas.

Say this

“Do you make a crustless pizza bowl?”

The menu, dish by dish

Traditional wings (not boneless)OrderBuffalo or plain; boneless wings are breaded.
Antipasto saladOrderSalami, cheese, olives and greens.
Caesar salad, no croutonsOrderAdd grilled chicken.
Crustless pizza bowlOrderToppings and cheese baked in a dish, where offered.
Cauliflower crustAsk firstMany contain rice flour or starch; ask or check the nutrition guide.
Thin-crust pizzaSkipStill a flour crust; eat the toppings if you must.
Garlic knots and breadsticksSkipPure dough.
MeatballsAsk firstUsually made with breadcrumbs; a few carbs each.

Where the carbs hide

  • Rice flour, cornstarch or potato starch in many cauliflower crusts
  • Sugar in pizza sauce (a small amount per slice)
  • Breadcrumbs in meatballs
  • Croutons and sweet balsamic on house salads
At the bar

What to drink

A light beer or a glass of dry red.

Carbs in every drink

Five rules that work almost anywhere

  1. Protein first.
  2. Swap the starch for vegetables or a salad.
  3. Sauces on the side.
  4. Send the bread basket away.
  5. Drink dry.

Menus and recipes vary by restaurant, so ask when you are unsure. Not medical advice; see our health disclaimer.

Quick answers

Is pizza place food keto-friendly?

Yes, it is one of the easier cuisines. A pizzeria is tough, because the crust is the meal. Your best options are on the other half of the menu: wings, salads and the toppings themselves. Cauliflower crust is often less helpful than it sounds.

What can I order at a pizza place restaurant on keto?

Traditional wings, an antipasto or Caesar salad without croutons, and crustless pizza bowls where offered.

What should I avoid?

Crust (thin or thick), garlic knots, breadsticks, calzones, pasta and dessert pizzas. Hidden carbs to watch for: rice flour, cornstarch or potato starch in many cauliflower crusts; sugar in pizza sauce (a small amount per slice); breadcrumbs in meatballs; croutons and sweet balsamic on house salads.

What should I ask my server?

Try: “Do you make a crustless pizza bowl?” Keep requests short and friendly; kitchens handle substitutions all the time.

What should I drink?

A light beer or a glass of dry red.

Take it with you

The pocket guide for eating out

The free Keto Dress Code: restaurant strategy, wedding and holiday plans, and a drink carb chart.

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