A healthier pizza with Pizza Express

Ok, ok - I know what you're thinking. This girl's on a diet, constantly blogging and tweeting about about eating healthy, Instagramming green smoothies, going to the gym and here she is talking about pizza.

You caught me.

However everyone likes a bit of indulgence now and again and when Pizza Express contacted me to ask if I wanted to review their new Spring collection I could hardly turn down the offer of free pizza, could I? It's not as bad as it sounds though, with the help of the brilliant Leggera range from Pizza Express I was able to keep my calorie count under control (err, well maybe until I was handed the dessert menu... It was cheat day after all) without missing out on all the fun.

With options for starters under 300 calories, pizzas and salads for under 500 and a dessert for less than 200 Pizza Express is every dieters dream when you've got a pizza craving that you can't shift.

To start with I opted for Risotto Fresco, a creamy salmon risotto. I'm a bit of a risotto snob and this dish blew me away as it was the perfect consistency, had a lovely creamy taste with hints of pepper and a very generous helping of fresh salmon flaked through it. I would definitely pick this from the main courses if I went back.

Next up was the good old Padana (goats cheese, spinach, red & caramelised onions, garlic oil), my go-to Pizza from Pizza Express which I was happy to see available on the Leggera range for under 500 calories. Whoever thought of the idea of cutting a hole out of the middle of a pizza and filling it with salad is genius! As always the different flavours on the pizza worked incredibly well and I made sure to eat every last bit the caramelised onions that managed to slide off of the pizza because they're just that good. My boyfriend, who chose a pizza loaded with pepperoni, said my pizza tasted better than any meaty pizza he's had - and that's saying something!

I did let my sweet tooth get the better of me when it came to dessert and after my boyfriend sighing and telling me to "just order the damn thing if you want it!" I put the sensible choice of a 200 calorie sorbet to the back of my mind and ordered cheesecake. I love cheesecake but I was slightly disappointed with this one after realising it was baked as I prefer the creamier no-bake type. I found to be a bit flavourless if I'm honest, but the fresh vanilla ice cream made up for it and I'd happily eat that by the bowlful.

Overall I was really impressed with the food. The Leggera pizza was just the right size for me and it didn't stop the scales moving in the right direction this week so I'll definitely be heading back next time I fancy some pizza. I couldn't fault the service at the newly opened Glasgow Fort restaurant either; we were served by a few different members of staff and each were friendly and helpful.

Have you ate at Pizza Express lately? They've just launched their new Summer Specials menu and I'm already planning another visit!

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* Disclaimer: I was provided a three course meal for two courtesy of Pizza Express in exchange for a review on my blog. All thoughts are my own and as always, completely honest.