You Should Never Have Soda And Pizza At The Same Time. Here's Why
Pizza and soda go together like peanut butter and jelly or cookies and milk. It's a great combo. All that cheesy and doughy goodness paired with the fizzy, bubbly sweetness of a can of pop makes for a sweet, carbo rich meal that is fast and convenient. College kids order it late at night; moms order it when they are on the go and need a quick dinner for the family. In fact, in the United States, pizza is a booming business. According to 2011 stats cited by The Washington Post, Americans eat what amounts to 100 acres of pizza each day and buy 350 slices per second. And on average, Americans are drinking about 45 gallons of soda pop every year (via Madsen Medical). Bottom line, we like our pizza and soda.
And while no one wants to be a Debbie Downer, here it comes: the combo of pizza and soda can be really bad for you. We know, this one is tough to hear, but you probably shouldn't have them together. Does it have you asking, for the love of all things good and holy, why? We get it, but unfortunately, eating pizza and soda together can cause problems for your blood sugar and your waistline, and here's why.
Soda and pizza can cause false hunger pangs
According to health coach and physician, Dr. Colin Zhu, "Soda and pizza, or anything with high fructose corn syrup, and refined carbs increases false hunger pangs and decreases satiety." Consuming pizza and soda may be gratifying, but this duo is high in calories, individually and together. Calories in pizza depend on things like size and toppings, but on average, a slice of pizza can have 285 calories to 700 calories a slice in a Costco pizza (via Very Well Fit). According to the US National Library of Medicine, a pediatric study revealed on days young people eat pizza, they also eat more food loaded with saturated fats and sodium. Apparently, eating saturated fats makes us crave more saturated fats, which causes us to overeat (via Eat this! Not that). Add in a soda, and things get bad.
On average, a can of soda contains 150 calories, and a 20-ounce bottle has 250 calories (via Livestrong). Liquid calories quickly add up and account for 22 percent of our daily calorie intake, or more than 350 calories. Additionally, experts say that the high salt, fructose corn syrup, and caffeine found in soda can contribute to developing diabetes and high blood pressure (via Diabetes in Control). Ultimately, drinking too much soda causes significant weight gain and places your health at risk. Skip the soda, cut your drink calories in half, and you could lose more than 18 pounds in a year (Eat this! Not that).