New federal nutrition guidelines from the Trump administration call for prioritizing protein in Americans’ diets. Coincidentally or not, Papa Johns already has a pizza in the works that RFK Jr. should love: the Protein Crust Pizza.
The No. 4 pizza chain will test the pie, described as a “perfectly portioned pizza with protein-infused dough,” in a one-day-only release on Wednesday, January 21.
It will be available exclusively to Papa Rewards members at one select Papa Johns restaurant in Atlanta.
“People are thinking differently about how their favorite foods fit into their wellness-driven lifestyles,” said Shivram Vaideeswaran, SVP of brand marketing at Papa Johns. “The demand for meals that are satisfying and protein-packed has never been higher.”
The Protein Crust Pizza is a personal 8” pizza packed with up to 55 grams of protein. It will be available in two options:
- The Meats (55g protein): Sausage and pepperoni with a six-cheese blend (mozzarella, provolone, fontina, asiago, Parmesan and Romano.
- The Veggie (49g protein): Mushrooms, green peppers and onions paired with the same six-cheese blend.
Mark Gabrovic, Papa Johns’ VP of culinary, said the specialty pizza’s dough alone delivers 23 grams of protein.
The Trump administration’s Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments have called for “prioritizing high-quality, nutrient-dense protein foods in every meal,” focused on eggs, poultry, seafood and red meat as well as plant-sourced proteins like beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy.
The guidelines also advise Americans to avoid highly processed foods, added sugars and refined carbohydrates. And it calls for “receiving the bulk of fat from whole food sources, such as meats, poultry, eggs, omega 3-rich seafood, nuts, seeds, full-fat dairy, olives and avocados.
Papa Johns almost certainly began developing the recipe for its Protein Crust Pizza long before the new federal guidelines were issued last week. But the timing could be fortuitous, depending on customer reaction in Atlanta.
“This drop gives our most loyal fans a first taste of what we’ve been working on, and if they love it, they might see it on the menu soon,” Vaideeswaran said.
