Former President Donald Trump scrapes the toppings off pizza and tosses the crust, claiming it’s his secret weight loss strategy, but nutritionists say he might be missing the point entirely.
At a Glance
- Trump eats pizza with utensils, scraping off toppings and discarding the crust to “keep his weight down”
- The habit gained public attention during a 2011 outing with Sarah Palin
- Despite his crusty aversion, Trump starred in a 1995 Pizza Hut commercial promoting stuffed crust pizza
- Nutritionists question the health benefits of his approach, noting toppings often contain more calories than crust
- Trump has occasionally been spotted breaking his own rule, including eating pizza crust in 2023
The Presidential Pizza Protocol
While most Americans grab a slice with their hands and work their way to the crust, former President Donald Trump has developed a peculiar ritual when it comes to America’s favorite food. Trump first revealed his unconventional pizza-eating method in a 2010 Us Weekly interview, explaining his weight-conscious approach. Rather than diving into a slice like the average American, Trump methodically separates the toppings from the base using silverware – a practice that would make any New York pizzeria owner wince.
“I scrape the toppings off my pizza — I never eat the dough” – Donald Trump.
The former president’s pizza peculiarities caught widespread public attention in 2011 when he dined with Sarah Palin at a New York City pizzeria. As cameras flashed, Trump was spotted delicately maneuvering his knife and fork, painstakingly separating toppings from crust. The media had a field day, with some questioning whether a true New Yorker would ever eat pizza with utensils. But Trump remained unbothered, doubling down on his distinctive dining style as a health-conscious choice – an interesting position from a man known to enjoy well-done steaks with ketchup and fast food feasts.
The Dubious Diet Logic
Trump justifies his crust-avoiding behavior as a calorie-cutting measure, similar to his practice of eating burgers with only half a bun. “This way, you can take the top of the pizza off the crust,” Trump has explained, suggesting this method helps maintain his physique. But nutrition experts might beg to differ. The toppings Trump eagerly consumes – typically cheese, meats, and oils – generally pack more calories, fat, and sodium than the discarded crust.
It’s the nutritional equivalent of removing the lettuce from your cheeseburger to “save calories” while keeping the bacon and mayo. A typical slice of pizza without crust still delivers a hefty dose of saturated fat, sodium, and calories. For those genuinely interested in healthier pizza options, experts recommend focusing on portion control, choosing vegetable toppings, and perhaps making homemade pizza with controlled ingredients – not just surgically removing the bread portion.
The Crust-Eating Contradiction
Despite years of crust avoidance, Trump occasionally breaks his own rules. In 2023, witnesses spotted the former president happily munching on pizza crusts at a Fort Myers eatery – a shocking development for Trump crust-ology scholars. This contradiction pales compared to his 1995 Pizza Hut commercial appearance, where he and then-ex-wife Ivana promoted the chain’s stuffed crust pizza – literally a product designed to make the crust the star attraction.
“Actually, you’re only entitled to half” – Donald Trump.
In the commercial, the recently divorced couple shared a pizza, with Trump insisting on the now-infamous line, “Actually, you’re only entitled to half” – a reference to their divorce settlement that Trump reportedly demanded be included. The irony is thick as stuffed crust: here was Trump, famous crust-avoider, hawking a product specifically designed to make people eat more crust. The fact that he used a divorce joke to sell it simply adds another layer of classic Trump unpredictability.
Presidential Peculiarities
Trump’s pizza preferences join a long tradition of presidential food quirks that fascinate the American public. From George H.W. Bush’s hatred of broccoli to Barack Obama’s aversion to beets, what our leaders eat or don’t eat somehow seems to matter to voters. But only Trump could turn something as universal as pizza into yet another polarizing topic. Whether you see his utensil-based pizza surgery as prudent health consciousness or coastal elite snobbery likely depends on your political leanings.
In a political landscape where authenticity is currency, Trump’s unapologetic approach to pizza – however strange it might seem – represents the same “take me as I am” attitude that endeared him to supporters. Love him or hate him, Trump remains consistently inconsistent – even when it comes to something as simple as enjoying a slice. And in true Trump fashion, he’s managed to make even this mundane dietary choice a topic of nationwide discussion – proving once again that in the Trump universe, there’s no such thing as too much attention, even when it comes to pizza toppings.
