Most of the evils of pizza lie in the crust. Aside from being stacked with calories, they're basically void of any nutrients. And that's because most pies are made from refined white flour which will spike your insulin levels causing you to crave more and more. The bottom line: The less crust you indulge in, the better, so opt for thin-crust over regular, deep dish, or stuffed crust.

Serving sizes for "individual" pizzas have reached a new level of caloric callousness. Though not all pies are quite this bad, you've almost always better off going with a single slice—even if it's fully loaded with toppings.

Adding protein to your pie will help fill you up which means you'll be less tempted to go back for another slice. But not any source of the muscle-building nutrient will do. Pizza classics like pepperoni, bacon, and sausage are packed with unhealthy saturated fats and tons of salt. Skip 'em and opt for grilled chicken, sliced ham, or anchovies (a potent source of healthy fats), instead.

You can still refer to it as pizza night when you're talking to the kids, but you should think of it as Mediterranean night. Instead of getting a single pie, order various veggie and protein dishes like grilled veggies, a salad topped with grilled chicken or shrimp, and an appetizer-sized order of meatballs. Then ask for just a few slices of pie to share among the group. This way everyone can pick and taste all the different flavors on the table without filling up on too many empty calories.

Ordering in? Whatever you do, eat off a plate—not out of the box! Research shows that people consume more when their food is served on a larger plate. In fact, one Georgia Institute of Technology study discovered that those eating off a 12-inch plate consumed 22% more calories than those dining on 10-inches! We can only imagine what those stats would look like is a giant pizza box was thrown into the mix. Not only does eating off a smaller plate trick your brain into thinking you've eaten more, keeping the other slices out of reach will make you think twice before going back for more.

A series of well-cited Yale University studies suggest eating a salad appetizer can reduce total calorie intake over the course of the meal by up to 20%. So when ordering at a restaurant, start the meal with a big garden salad. Top your greens with a scant tablespoon of vinaigrette. Other research suggests vinegar can aid weight loss by keeping our blood sugar steady. One study among pre-diabetics found the addition of vinegar to a high-carb meal (like pizza!) reduced the subsequent rise in blood sugar by 34%.

Ordering your pizza with "half cheese" is an easy way to cut the saturated fat on a plain- or veggie-topped pie by 50%! Even if you decide to boost the cheese factor on your slimmed-down pie with an additional tablespoon of pungent Parmesan (only 22 calories), you'll still save mega calories..

You can lower a pizza's glycemic index—a measure of how quickly blood glucose levels rise in response to a certain food—by adding fiber- and protein-rich toppings. For example, while a simple cheese pizza scores an 80 out of 100 on the index, a veggie supreme pie clocks in at 49. Raw veggies and lean meats make for the best toppers. This will help you feel fuller, longer, so you won't crave seconds or thirds.