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Wade Anderson | Special to The Roanoke Times

Papa John's pizza with whole-wheat crust

With whole grains being the health-food mantra du jour, even pizza proprietors, not typically known for serving healthy fare, are getting in on the act. The Papa John's pizza chain now offers a 100 percent whole-grain crust as an option for any of its pizzas ($11.99 for a large with up to three toppings).

To see if the whole-grain crust kept our pizza delicious while a little healthier, my wife and I tried it with two pizzas -- a spinach Alfredo chicken tomato (spinach blended with garlic Parmesan Alfredo sauce topped with grilled chicken and Roma tomatoes) and a classic pepperoni.

The whole-wheat crust is darker and definitely tastes healthier and heartier than the restaurant's traditional crust. It has an earthy, whole-grain taste that was certainly edible but slightly unpleasant. The whole-wheat crust also seemed thicker and heavier, and after the first slice, I longed for Papa John's lighter, traditional dough.

So what kind of health benefits did I receive by going for the whole grains? A slice from a 14-inch pepperoni pizza with traditional crust offers 300 calories, 13 grams of fat and 2 grams of dietary fiber. And the whole-wheat crust? The same pizza on whole wheat still has 300 calories and 13 grams of fat, but 6 grams of fiber. In my humble opinion, adding 4 grams of fiber per slice is far too little consolation for the difference in taste.