* What’s new: Papa John’s 100 percent Whole Wheat Crust Pizza.

* The blueprint: A large Papa John’s 14-inch pizza made with a whole-wheat crust.

* What it’ll set you back: Total calories: 240 per slice of a large cheese pizza. Fat grams: 12. Carbs: 38 grams. Dietary fiber: 5 grams. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $13.99. But just grab a coupon and knock a few bucks off that.

* The verdict: Papa John’s whole-wheat crust is the real deal. It’s not just partially whole wheat, or whole-wheat-style. It’s 100 percent whole wheat, with the Whole Grains Council’s seal of approval. That means that Papa John’s uses all three parts of the grain: germ, bran and endosperm.

Whole-wheat crust has fewer calories, five times the fiber, less sodium and more vitamins and minerals than Papa John’s regular crust. A diet with lots of whole grains can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, according to the Whole Grains Council.

Now, the big question: How does whole-wheat pizza taste? It tastes different. Whole wheat tastes a whole lot different. Jarringly different, in fact. I’m not sure it’s something that will catch on with regular people who look at pizza as a vacation from their diet.

I must admit, the taste of whole-wheat pizza threw me. It didn’t seem natural. That’s not what a pizza is supposed to taste like. I tossed a little pizza party for kids in the neighborhood, and most of them wrinkled their nose at whole wheat.

Whole-wheat pizza is on the permanent menu, and there’s no extra charge for ordering the whole-wheat crust, but it will be a niche menu item. It’s for that person who takes healthy eating to the next level, when a pizza doesn’t qualify as a naughty reward for being good.

— Ken Hoffman, The Drive-Thru Gourmet

c. King Features Syndicate

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