Papa John’s is one of the most popular pizza chains in the United States. Their pizza is known for its fresh ingredients and delicious flavor combinations. One of the most frequently asked questions about Papa John’s pizza is how many calories are in a slice, especially a large slice which can be quite substantial in size.
In this comprehensive article, we will break down the calorie count in a large slice of Papa John’s pizza to help consumers make informed decisions about their food choices. We will examine the different types of Papa John’s pizzas and ingredients that impact the calorie count. Factors like crust type, sauce, cheese, and toppings all contribute to the total calorie amount.
By the end of this article, readers will have a clear understanding of the calorie range for a large slice of Papa John’s pizza. This information can help guide your pizza choices and allow you to still enjoy this popular food while managing your daily calorie intake.
The Basics of Pizza Nutrition
Before diving into the specifics on Papa John’s, let’s review some basic nutritional information about pizza in general. Pizza starts with the foundation of the crust, which is typically made from flour. Flour-based dough will add a significant amount of carbohydrates and calories to pizza.
The type of crust impacts the calorie count. A thin, regular pizza crust will have fewer calories than a thick, buttery pan crust. Stuffed crust pizzas with cheese infused in the outer edges will also pack more calories ounce for ounce than a simple thin crust.
On top of the crust, pizza is layered with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. The richer the sauce, the more calories it will contain. A white pizza made without sauce cuts down on some calories. Cheese is often the biggest source of fat and calories on pizza. More cheese means higher calorie counts.
Finally, the toppings chosen for pizza also determine its nutritional value. Meats like pepperoni and sausage add plenty of protein but also saturated fat and calories. On the lighter side, veggies on pizza- like mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and peppers- add volume with fewer calories.
Understanding these basic components provides the foundation for analyzing the nutrition facts of any pizza, including a large slice from Papa John’s.
Factors that Impact the Calories in Papa John’s Pizza
Now let’s take a closer look at some of the factors that determine the calorie count in a slice of pizza from Papa John’s specifically.
Crust Type
Papa John’s offers a few different crust options that vary in calories:
- Original crust: This thin, regular pizza crust is the lowest calorie option at Papa John’s. The original crust contains about 140 calories per slice.
- Garlic Parmesan crust: Papa John’s takes their original crust and adds garlic butter and parmesan. This ups the calorie count to 160 calories per slice.
- Pan crust: This thick, bready pan pizza crust contains about 200 calories per slice.
- Stuffed crust: Papa John’s stuffs cheese into the outer edge of the crust, amping up the calories to 260 per slice of a stuffed crust pizza.
As you can see, crust type plays a major role in determining the calorie count of Papa John’s pizza. Thin original crust is the lightest option, while stuffed crust packs the most calories.
Pizza Size
In addition to crust, the overall size of the pizza also impacts how many calories are in each slice. Papa John’s offers pizzas that range from small to extra large.
Here is an overview of how many slices come in each size and how that affects calories per slice:
- Small pizza = 6 slices at 140 calories each
- Medium pizza = 8 slices at 120 calories each
- Large pizza = 10 slices at 100 calories each
- Extra large pizza = 12 slices at 85 calories each
As you move up from small to extra large pizzas, the number of slices increases and the calories per slice decreases. More surface area means the ingredients are spread more thinly. So if you are trying to control calories, choosing larger pizzas that yield more slices can be an effective strategy.
Sauce
Papa John’s uses a classic pizza sauce made from tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings. A single tablespoon of pizza sauce contains around 10 calories.
Given a large slice of Papa John’s pizza probably has around 2-3 tablespoons of sauce, the sauce adds 20-30 calories to the total calorie count.
Compared to ingredients like cheese and crust, the sauce contributes minimal calories.
Cheese
Now we get to the ingredient that piles on the calories – cheese! Papa John’s uses a blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheese on their pizzas.
Cheese adds a significant amount of fat and calories. Just a single ounce of cheese contributes about 110 calories to the pizza.
A large slice of a Papa John’s pizza likely contains at least 2-3 ounces of cheese. Multiply that by 110 calories per ounce, and the cheese alone could add 220-330 calories to a slice.
When aiming for lower calorie options, ordering light cheese or extra sauce instead of extra cheese can make a dent.
Pepperoni
What’s pizza without pepperoni? This popular meat topping adds plenty of flavor along with calories and fat.
Three ounces of pepperoni pack about 330 calories. A large slice of pepperoni pizza may have 1-2 ounces of pepperoni layered on top.
So the pepperoni on a Papa John’s pizza could contribute 80-150 calories to the total calorie count. Other meat toppings like sausage, bacon, and ham would contribute similar calorie loads.
Veggies
On the lighter side, vegetables add nutrients and volume without too many calories. Options like mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, peppers, and spinach add lots of flavor with minimal calories.
Some examples of veggies and calories:
- Mushrooms: 5 calories per slice
- Onion: 10 calories per ounce
- Tomatoes: 5 calories per slice
- Green peppers: 10 calories per slice
- Spinach: 5 calories per cup
Loading up a pizza with extra veggies instead of extra meats and cheese is a smart way to cut some calories.
Calories in Different Papa John’s Pizza Types
Now that we’ve explored the factors that determine the calories, let’s look at some popular Papa John’s pizza varieties and their nutrition info.
All numbers below represent calories per large slice:
- Cheese Pizza: 220 calories
- Pepperoni Pizza: 250 calories
- Supreme Pizza: 260 calories
- Meat Lover’s Pizza: 270 calories
- Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Pizza: 230 calories
- Garden Fresh Pizza (veggies): 190 calories
These numbers give you an idea of how calories scale up or down based on the toppings. Plain cheese pizza clocks in at 220 calories per slice, while piling on extra meats drives up the count for Meat Lover’s to 270 calories. Choosing veggie toppings instead keeps calories lower at 190 calories per slice for Garden Fresh pizza.
Original vs Pan Crust
Note that the numbers above are based on Papa John’s Original thin crust pizza. If you order a Pan crust instead, the calorie counts jump up:
- Cheese Pizza on Pan Crust: 300 calories
- Pepperoni Pizza on Pan Crust: 330 calories
The thick doughy Pan crust adds an extra 80 or so calories per slice compared to thin Original crust.
Conclusion
So how many calories are actually in a large slice of Papa John’s pizza? The answer can range quite a bit based on the factors we’ve covered, but on average…
A large slice of Papa John’s Original crust cheese pizza contains about 220 calories.
Here is a recap of some key details:
- Thin Original crust has the fewest calories compared to Stuffed, Garlic Parmesan, or Pan crusts
- Calories range from 190-270 per slice depending on vegetable versus meat toppings
- Extra cheese and meats drive calories up compared to extra veggies
- Pan pizzas add about 80 extra calories per slice compared to Original crust
Armed with this nutrition information, you can still enjoy the delicious taste of Papa John’s pizza while making smart choices to manage your calorie intake. A thin crust veggie pizza with light cheese is your best bet for keeping calories in check.
Splitting a pizza with friends or taking leftovers home for another meal are also great ways to limit your personal calorie intake when you get a craving for this popular pizza chain.
