Calories in a Slice of Pizza: By Type

A standard slice (1/8 of a 14-inch pie) of plain cheese pizza contains approximately 285 calories, according to USDA FoodData Central (FDC ID 2132889) — though the real number swings hard based on crust thickness, cheese amount, and toppings.

Why Slice Calories Vary So Much

Pizza is one of the hardest foods to eyeball because three independent variables stack on each other:

• Crust thickness — thin, regular, and deep-dish differ by 80-150 calories per slice from dough alone.
• Pie diameter — a slice of a 16-inch pizza is roughly 30% larger by area than a slice of a 12-inch pizza cut into the same number of pieces.
• Toppings and cheese — a loaded meat-lovers slice can double the calories of a plain margarita.

Understanding where your slice lands starts with knowing the style.

Calories and Macros by Pizza Type

The table below uses 1/8-slice portions from a standard large pizza (14 inches) unless noted. Values are drawn from USDA FoodData Central and standard restaurant nutrition disclosures.

Pizza Type	Slice (approx. g)	Calories	Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)
Plain cheese, thin crust	70 g	200	7	25	10
Plain cheese, regular crust	107 g	285	10	36	12
Pepperoni, regular crust	113 g	313	12	36	14
Sausage, regular crust	119 g	325	13	36	15
Meat-lovers, regular crust	130 g	370	16	36	18
Veggie, regular crust	110 g	270	9	36	11
Cheese, deep-dish (pan)	125 g	340	14	39	14
Cauliflower crust, cheese	90 g	210	10	21	9

Breaking Down the Macros

Pizza is primarily a carbohydrate-and-fat food. The crust alone on a regular-crust slice delivers about 25-30 g of refined carbohydrate. The cheese layer adds the bulk of the fat — mostly saturated — alongside some protein. Meat toppings shift the ratio toward protein and fat while adding minimal carbs.

A typical cheese slice breaks down to roughly 40% calories from carbs, 35% from fat, and 25% from protein. That macro split makes pizza calorically dense but not particularly protein-forward. If you’re hitting protein targets, tracking your actual intake against a goal is worth doing — the macro calculator will show you exactly where a slice fits in your daily breakdown.

Does It Fit Your Goals?

For weight loss: One or two slices of a regular-crust cheese pizza (285-570 calories) can absolutely fit a calorie deficit — the math is what matters, not the food. The problem is that pizza is easy to undercount. A “large slice” at many restaurants runs 350-420 calories, not 285. Photographing your plate before eating is the fastest way to get an honest estimate rather than guessing after the fact.

For blood sugar: Pizza has a moderate glycemic load but a delayed effect. The high fat content slows gastric emptying, so blood glucose often rises 2-4 hours after eating rather than immediately. People managing type 2 diabetes or prediabetes generally do better with thin-crust versions, which reduce total carbs per slice by 20-30%. Use the glycemic load calculator to compare the carb impact across different crust choices.

For a deeper look at how individual foods like pizza fit into daily intake, see our guide on counting calories to lose weight.

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