Which is healthier, pizza or a hamburger?

Weigh them the same and the burger edges it. Per 100g a plain hamburger is 231 calories against 266 for cheese pizza, with 13.3g of protein per 100g against 11.4g and 487mg of sodium per 100g against 598mg. Fat is level, 10.2g of fat per 100g against 9.7g. Neither is a health food, and what arrives alongside them decides far more than the choice does.

Which has more calories, a slice of pizza or a hamburger?

The slice, just barely. A 107g slice of 14-inch cheese pizza is 285 calories and a plain 110g hamburger is 254. Put cheese on the burger and it passes the slice at 313. What really decides the meal is the count, because three slices is 855 calories and almost nobody orders three burgers.

Which has more protein, pizza or a hamburger?

The burger, at 13.3g of protein per 100g against 11.4g for pizza. Portions bring them closer than that sounds, since a slice and a burger weigh about the same: roughly 14.6g of protein in a 110g plain burger against 12.2g in a 107g slice. Both are mostly refined flour by weight, so neither counts as a protein-forward meal.

Which is saltier, pizza or a burger?

Pizza, and both are high. USDA data puts pizza at 598mg of sodium per 100g against 487mg for a hamburger, which comes to about 640mg in one slice and 536mg in a plain burger. Two slices clear 1,280mg before any dipping sauce, more than half the 2,300mg daily ceiling most guidance uses. Pepperoni and other cured toppings push it further.

Is pizza or a burger better for weight loss?

Structure matters more than the macros here. A burger arrives as one object at 254 calories, and when it is finished the meal is over. Pizza arrives as eight, each 107g slice costing 285, so the meal ends wherever you decide it does. If you want pizza inside a deficit, thin crust is the cheapest change on the menu: 195 calories for a 75g slice against 285 for the standard one.

Which has more saturated fat, pizza or a hamburger?

The cheese puts pizza ahead: 4.5g of saturated fat per 100g against 3.6g for a hamburger. In portions that is about 4.8g in a slice and 4g in a plain burger, so two slices land near the 13g the American Heart Association suggests as a daily cap on a 2,000-calorie diet. Extra cheese and pepperoni take a single slice past a whole burger.

Which has more carbs, pizza or a hamburger?

Pizza, though both are built on bread. Pizza has 33.4g of carbs per 100g against 29.6g for a hamburger, and 31g of net carbs per 100g against 27.8g. Per portion that is roughly 35.7g of carbs in a slice and 32.6g in a plain 110g burger. Neither fits keto, and only a bunless patty or a cauliflower crust gets either one close.

Pizza

Hamburger

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Pizza vs Hamburger

Hamburger

Wins in 4 of 6 categories

Compare pizza and hamburger calories, protein, carbs, sodium and saturated fat per 100g and per portion. See which one really fits your calorie budget.

Verdict (USDA data)

Per 100g (USDA data), Pizza has 266 calories vs Hamburger's 231. Hamburger has more protein (13.3g vs 11.4g). Pick Hamburger for more protein.

Sources: Pizza (FDC 173292) · Hamburger (FDC 170694)

Nutrition Comparison (per 100g)

Nutrient	Pizza		Hamburger
Calories	266	vs	231
Protein	11.4g	vs	13.3g
Carbs	33.4g	vs	29.6g
Fat	9.7g	vs	10.2g
Fiber	2.3g	vs	1.8g
Sodium	598mg	vs	487mg

Winner determined by: fewer calories, more protein, fewer carbs, less fat, more fiber, less sodium

Source: USDA FoodData Central. Pizza: FDC 173292 · Hamburger: FDC 170694.

When to Choose Each

Choose Pizza when:

You're ordering thin crust (195 calories for a 75g slice vs 285)
You want a meatless option (cheese pizza is vegetarian)
You're loading vegetable toppings (mushrooms and peppers add almost nothing)
You can genuinely stop at one slice (285 calories, 12.2g protein)

See full Pizza nutrition

Choose Hamburger when:

You want more protein per 100g (13.3g vs 11.4g)
You're counting sodium (487mg vs 598mg per 100g)
You're watching saturated fat (3.6g vs 4.5g per 100g)
You want the meal to end with the plate (one 110g burger, 254 calories)

See full Hamburger nutrition

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Last updated: 2026-08-18

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