Marco's Pizza Has Low FODMAP Options
About Marco's Pizza
As a fast-growing pizza franchise, Marco's has expanded to 33 states in the U.S. as well as the Bahamas and Puerto Rico. As of 2019, they've opened almost 1,000 stores. There's at least ten locations in or around the Triangle area of NC alone.
Their claim of being "America's Most Lived Pizza" comes as one of many accolades for what seems like just another pizza place. One thing is certain, they don't disappoint. I've tried modifying pizzas from popular competitors and ended up throwing out at least half because of reactions. After some trial and error, I landed on a modified Low FODMAP pizza from Marco's.
The Usual
I've been eating the same pizza from Marco's just about every weekend for the last year. There's nothing like a cool, Fall evening in front of our backyard fire pit with a good pizza to round out a long work week.
My recommendation is to do a little trial and error of your own with their pizzas. I'll tell you what works for me... A medium with gluten friendly crust, light pizza sauce, and light cheese to start. I'm not sure what's in their sauce or what kind of cheese they use, but they're likely high in FODMAPs. Whenever I've had too much cheese or sauce (whether it's not applied lightly or I eat more than four slices) I do have a reaction. However, limited intake causes me absolutely no issues. And half a medium pizza is hardly limited in my book!
It's also worth noting that if you have a gluten allergy, Marco's doesn't have a dedicated, gluten-free oven, so cross-contamination is an issue. I've not been able to consume gluten, but the trace amounts from other pizza dough doesn't create any concerns for me.
As for topping choices... It's about the same as any pizza place. In an attempt to prevent a reaction and throwing out an entire pizza, I've not experimented much here. Mostly, I stick to bacon, pineapple, and spinach.
Other Ingredient Options
If you're not big into my go-to ingredients of bacon, pineapple, and spinach, there are a few other potential options for you:
Meats such as ground beef, steak, and anchovies are a good place to start, but be wary of potential hidden FODMAPS
Green peppers (no more than 1/2 a cup)
Banana peppers
Black or green olives (no more than 1/2 a cup)
Tomatoes
Like I said, I've been eating Marco's Pizza for over a year now and I only have one picture of an already eaten pizza after all that time. That's because it's so good, I just dig in without thinking about it! I've had this blog entry on my agenda the entire year, but hoped to have more than one decent picture to post. As I type this, I'm realizing I ate Marco's last night and still forgot to take a picture. So, you'll just have to grab one yourself!
My Review
While they do have some options for crafting seemingly Low FODMAP pizzas, that's about all they have to offer in the way of safe foods for IBS. That's not stopping me from ordering their pizza each weekend. I'll just find my salads, wings, and desserts elsewhere. Truly, I'm just happy to indulge in something not-so-healthy every once in a while without the consequences of IBS symptoms.