Pizza for breakfast beats a bowl of Cocoa Puffs any day, according to nutritionist Chelsey Amer.

In an interview with The Daily Meal, Amer says a slice of pizza is a healthy choice compared to, say, a hastily poured bowl of sugar bombs drenched in milk.

“You may be surprised to find out that an average slice of pizza and a bowl of cereal with whole milk contain nearly the same amount of calories,” Amer says. “However, pizza packs a much larger protein punch, which will keep you full and boost satiety throughout the morning.”

Amer admits pizza doesn’t exactly qualify as a health food (unless you count its benefits to the soul). But many pizzas contain healthy vegetables as well as meats, and recent research suggests that cheese has some previously unknown health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties and a boost to the immune system.

“Plus,” Amer notes, “A slice of pizza contains more fat and much less sugar than most cold cereals, so you will not experience a quick sugar crash.”