California Pizza Kitchen (or CPK) is one of those places I associate with holidays to the US and I admit, when I’m in there, calories are not normally the first thing I’m thinking about – but this is also why I come back from US holidays half a stone heavier than when I left – so, this guide to all the Calfornia Pizza Kitchen calories by Becky Scholes is going to come as handy for me as it, hopefully is for you. So, here’s what you can order when calorie counting at CPK…
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How Healthy is California Pizza Kitchen?
CPK is now a global brand serving creative California cuisine in nearly 200 restaurants worldwide, 12 international cities, and eight countries and U.S. territories.
It was ‘born’ in Beverly Hills in 1985. Known as CPK they strive to push culinary boundaries with a long list of industry-firsts including gluten-free crust, cauliflower crust, and healthful Power Bowls.
CPK have a large range of meals on their menu and we discovered there is a good range of meals under our 600-calorie cut off (especially if you use a few tweaks we found) which is music to our ears!
The Absolute Lowest-Calorie Meal at CPK
The lowest calorie meal on the CPK menu is the Dakota Smashed Pea and Barley soup in a cup at 170 calories. But, you probably didn’t leave your house for that so…
While you’re not going to have a whole pizza for under 600 calories, order the Hand Tossed Wild Mushroom Pizza with a Cauliflower Crust and you could have five slices for 600.
Or, why not try the Shrimp Scamp Zucchini for 480 calories.
Don’t fancy either of those…. let’s see what else is on the CPK menu when you’re watching your calories
The Lowest Calorie Pizzas at CPK
Let’s start with the main event – the CPK pizza calories
The pizzas at CPK come in 6 slices, and, if you want to order one and sneak in under 600 calories. you’re going to use willpower and/or a doggy bag as there’s no whole pizza for under 600 calories, but depending what type of base and topping you pick, you could have as much as 5/6 of one…
As a general rule, the Hand Tossed base has the highest calories – If you order the same pizza with a Crispy Thin base then you’ll save 10 calories per slice (30 calories per half pizza) but if you choose Cauliflower Crust, it drops 40-50 calories per slice, or 150 per half a pizza. That opens up a lot more toppings for your perusal (the full list is in our At a Glance Guide below)… but to break things down quickly…
The Best Hand-Tossed Pizza Choice
The lowest calorie choice in the Hand-Tossed part of the menu would be the Wild Mushroom pizza at 170 calories per slice. You could then enjoy 3 slices, or half a pizza, for 510 calories – and take the rest for tomorrow.
However, as we said you can change the base type of the hand-tossed pizza – and, if you swapped to the Cauliflower Crust, this takes the calories per slice down to 120 – which, as we said, means you could have 5 slices of Wild Mushroom for 600 calories!!
The CPK Cauliflower Crust really is your secret weapon when cutting calories!
Check out how much difference the bases make to the other toppings in our full list of under 600 calorie options below…
The Best Crispy Thin Crust
The Tostada Crispy Thin Crust Pizza is the lowest calorie option in this section at 200 calories per slice, that means you can (just about!) have half a pizza for 600 calories.
Again though, if you swap the base to Caulflower Crust, you lose 40 calories a slice, which buys a whole extra piece for actually fewer calories!. Enjoy a four slices of Tostada for 540 calories.
The Lowest-Calorie Gluten-Free Option
All the gluten-free pizzas use the Cauliflower Crust – and there are three that stack up at 180 calories a slice – giving you half a pizza for under 600 calories. These are the GF Original BBQ Chicken, the GF Pepperoni and the GF Traditional Cheese
If you’re avoiding gluten for any reason, you might want to have a look at our guide to the healthiest gluten free options in Red Lobster.
We’ve also checked out the gluten-free menu in Olive Garden and found out what you can order, and then highlighted the lowest calorie, fat and sodium choices on offer. Find that here.
Lowest-Calorie Lunch-Size Pizza
If you’re eating a CPK at lunchtime, they offer a special Lunch-Size Pizza in a smaller serving.
It’s still not tiny – it’s a 7-inch pizza and the calories given are for the whole thing.
The lowest calorie option is the Cauliflower Crust Pepperoni Pizza at 550 calories.
If you don’t fancy pizza though, there’s a lot more to the CPK menu so let’s go through the other sections and pinpoint the lowest-calorie choices…
The Lowest Calorie Pasta at CPK
US pasta portions are pretty large so it’s rare to actually find a pasta dish that fits under 600 calories in a restaurant but the Shrimp Scampi Zucchini does this.
At first you might think it’s because shrimp is super low-fat, but it’s not just that. They also mix normal fettucine ribbons with zucchini slices which create volume without maxing out the calories – good one CPK.
Lunch-sized Pasta
Again, CPK offer slightly smaller pasta portion sizes at lunchtime – both the Tomato Basil Spaghetti and the Spaghetti Bolognaise come it at 480 calories at lunch
Pasta lovers might also want to check out our guide to the lowest calorie options in Carrabbas once you’ve read this post.
Or, we’ve also found the lowest calorie choices in Olive Garden too.
Lowest CPK Calories for Main Plate Dishes
The main plates at CPK are pretty high in calorie but there is one option that comes close to our 600-calorie cut off. The Cedar Pink Salmon is 650 calories per meal.
Yes, it’s over, but that’s because salmon is packed with healthy fats so if you fancy this as your main meal, don’t beat yourself up about it – just enjoy it.
The Lowest-Calorie Power Bowls at California Pizza Kitchen
There are two power bowls on the menu at CPK, and, if you have them as they are served on the menu, the lowest calorie option is the Banh Mi Bowl at 540 calories.
However, that’s if you have the bowl with the suggest Chilli Lime Vinaigrette (which does sound pretty good!). However, if you swap that to the Fat Free Vinaigrette you can the calories to 480 – pick it with no dressing at all and you’ll cut it to 370 calories.
The same trick will also open up the Santa Fe bowl – without dressing this comes in at 550 calories – not the 670 that it contains if it’s served as suggested.
The Lowest-Calorie Salads at CPK
It’s always nice to see Salads feature so heavily on a menu – and,on the face of it there are six salads on the menu that come in under our 600 calories cut off – if you order half size portions (but this is the US, they’re probably full size everywhere else!).
With this as an option, the lowest-calorie salad at CPK is the ever-popular Caesar Salad in a half portion with Caesar Dressing. It’s a really low-calorie option at 340 calories which could easily have a small plate or soup to go with it and not go over 600 calories.
However, the salad part of the CPK menu is where tweaking your order really does open up your options – particularly if you alter the dressing…
Love your salads? Then have a look at our guide to the 33 lowest calorie choices in Just Salad here.
Choose Your Dressing Carefully
The dressings very immensely as to how many calories they add to a meal – the highest, the Mustard Herb Vinaigrette at 260 calories to a half portion of salad, and 520 calories to a full – that’s the same as three slices of pizza!
The lowest calorie dressing option is the Poblano Ranch (half salad) at 120 calories on a half size portion.
If anyone else is unsure what Poblano Ranch dressing is, then here’s your answer! It’s made with roasted poblano peppers and sour cream. Yum!
The Oil and Vinegar is a close second at 130 calories – but this one is serve yourself so, watch how you pour!
Herb Ranch is 170 calories a serve while a Classic Caesar is 140 calories a serving
The best option though is to order the meal without any dressing. If you do this you can upgrade some of the options to a full salad – and add extra protein and still come in under 600 calories! (se these in our At a Glance Guide below)
Here’s the difference between the calories in California Pizza Kitchen salads with and without their recommended dressing
Half Portion Original BBQ Chicken Salad (with dressing) – 600 calories
Half Portion Original BBQ Chicken Salad (no dressing) – 480 calories
Half Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (with dressing) – 360 calories
Half Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (no dressing) – 180 calories
Half Waldorf Chicken Salad (with dressing) – 660 calories
Half Waldorf Chicken Salad (no dressing) – 480 calories
Half Thai Crunch Salad (with dressing) – 590 calories
Half Thai Crunch Salad (no dressing) – 380 calories
Half California Cobb Salad (with dressing) – 510 calories
Half California Cobb Salad (no dressing) – 340 calories
Half Italian Chopped Salad (with dressing) – 500 calories
Half Italian Chopped Salad (no dressing) – 240 calories
Lunch-Sized Salads
The three lunch size Salads are all under 310 calories, even with their dressing, which opens things up. The lowest option as they are served, is the Classic Caesar Salad – with dressing – for 180 calories.
Add a cup of soup (180 calories for the Dakota Smashed Pea and Barley Soup) or sourdough baguette (2 slices come in at 130 calories) to that and you’d have a healthy, yet filling, lunch for well under 600 calories.
Other Options
Pizza, Pasta and and Salads make up the biggest section of the CPK menu, but they aren’t all that’s on offer. So, if you’re wondering about the other California Pizza Kitchen menu calories, keep reading…
Lunchtime Sandwich Options
Again, you can pick these if you’re looking for something lighter around midday. If you want to come in under 600 calories, you will need to look at a half portion though.
The lowest calorie option is the half-grilled veggie sandwich at 310 calories which you can easily combine with a salad or cup of soup for under 600 calories.
The Lowest Calorie Soup at CPK
As mentioned already the Dakota smashed Pea and Barley Soup in a cup is the lowest calorie soup option at 170 calories. You could with that and any of the half salads and have a good sized meal.
If you upgrade to a bowl, that’s 340 calories.
The Lowest Calorie Small Plates at CPK
The lowest calorie Small plate is the 2 slices of Sourdough baguette at 130 calories – add the oil dip and it’ll come to 240 calories.
The good thing about that though is that people who start their meal with bread dipped in oil, get full very fast so you might find you can cut back later in the meal if you do feel like starting with a snack
The Lowest Calorie Appetizer at CPK
The lowest calorie Appetizer at CPK is the delicious sounding Szechwan Chicken Dumplings at 340 calories. You could easily pair this with a small plate or soup without going over the 600-calorie cut off.
The Lowest Calorie Desserts at California Pizza Kitchen
It’s probably unsurprising that none of the Dessert options are even vaguely low in calorie! But the lowest calorie option is the Salted Caramel pudding at 530 calories per portion. There is also a side option of Vanilla Haagen-Dazs Ice cream at 280 calories. Which is a far better option!
California Pizza Kitchen Calories at a Glance
If your favourite isn’t listed above, you might want to check the CPK nutritional information – or, if you don’t trust your willpower, we combed the California Pizza Kitchen nutrition advice for you – and found all the meals you can order in California Pizza Kitchen for under 600 calories.
Original Hand Tossed, and other types of large Pizzas are calculated as three slices per meal which is half a pizza. The lunch size pizza calories are for the whole pizza.
As before, salads with dressing are the calorie counts for the salad with the suggested dressing. You can change things up by swapping to a lower calorie dressing.
CPK Pizza Calories
Pizzas Under 400 Calories
Wild Mushroom Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 360 calories
Plant-Based BBQ Chicken Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 390 calories
Hawaiian Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 390 calories
Pizzas Under 500 Calories
5 Cheeses Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 420 calories
Shrimp Scampi Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 420 calories
Pepperoni Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 420 calories
Pepperoni Pizza (3 slices) – Crispy Crust – 420 calories
BBQ Chicken Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 420 calories
California Veggie Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 420 calories
Mushroom Pepperoni Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 450 calories
Roast Garlic Chicken Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 450 calories
Santa Fe Chicken Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 450 calories
The Works Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 480 calories
Thai Chicken Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 480 calories
Carne Asada Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 480 calories
Wild Mushroom Pizza (3 slices) – Crispy Thin Crust – 480 calories
Pizzas Under 600 Calories
Plant-Based BBQ Chicken Pizza (3 slices) – Crispy Thin Crust – 510 calories
Hawaiian Pizza (3 slices) – Crispy Thin Crust – 510 calories
Original Hand-Tossed Pizza Wild mushroom (3 slices) – 510 calories
Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 510 calories
Lunch-Size Pizza 7” California Vegetable Pizza on Cauliflower Crust – 520 calories
California Veggie Pizza (3 slices) – Crispy Thin – 540 calories
Sicilian Cauliflower Crust (3 slices) – 540 calories
Gluten Free Original BBQ Chicken (3 slices) – 540 calories
Gluten-Free Pepperoni (3 slices) – 540 calories
Gluten-free Traditional Cheese (3 slices) – 540 calories
Shrimp Scampi Pizza (3 slices) – Crispy Thin Crust – 540 calories
5 Cheeses Pizza (3 slices) – Crispy Thin – 540 calories
BBQ Chicken Pizza, Crispy Thin Crust – 540 calories
Original Hand-Tossed Pizza Plant Based BBQ Chicken (3 slices) – 540 calories
Original Hand-Tossed Pizza Hawaiian (3 slices) – 540 calories
Lunch-Size Pizza 7” Pepperoni Pizza on Cauliflower Crust – 550 calories
Lunch-Size Pasta Tomato Basil Spaghetti and Goats Cheese – 550 calories
Lunch-Size Pizza 7” Original BBQ Chicken Pizza on Cauliflower Crust – 560 calories
Original Hand-Tossed Pizza The Original BBQ Chicken (3 slices) – 570 calories
California Club Pizza (3 slices) – Cauliflower Crust – 570 calories
Santa Fe Chicken Pizza on Cauliflower Crust – 570 calories
Original Hand-Tossed Pizza Shrimp Scampi (3 slices) – 570 calories
Original Hand-Tossed Pizza Pepperoni (3 slices) – 570 calories
Original Hand-Tossed Pizza Five Cheese and Fresh Tomato (3 slices) – 570 calories
Original Hand-Tossed Pizza California Vegetable (3 slices) – 570 calories
Mushroom Pepperoni Pizza (3 slices) – Crispy Thin Crust – 570 calories
Roast Garlic Chicken Pizza (3 slices) – Crispy Thin Crust – 570 calories
Jamaican Jerk Cauliflower Crust (3 slices) – 600 calories
Spicy Milano Cauliflower Crust (3 slices) – 600 calories
Gluten-free Mushroom and Pepperoni (3 slices) – 600 calories
Thai Chicken Pizza (3 slices) – Crispy Thin – 600 calories
The Works Pizza (3 slices) – Crispy Thi Crust – 600 calories
CPK Salad Calories
Salads Under 400 calories
Lunch-Size Salad Classic Caesar – 180 calories
Half Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (no dressing) with extra plant-based chicken- 220 calories
Lunch-Size Salad, The Mediterranean – 230 calories
Half Italian Chopped Salad (no dressing) – 240 calories
Full Portion Caesar Salad (no dressing) – 250 calories
Half Italian Chopped Salad (no dressing) – with plant-based chicken – 280 calories
Full Portion Caesar Salad (no dressing) with extra plant-based chicken – 290 calories
Half Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (no dressing) with extra shrimp – 300 calories
Lunch-Size Salad Super Spinach and Quinoa – 310 calories
Half California Cobb Salad (no dressing) – 340 calories
Caesar Salad Half with Caesar Dressing – 340 calories
Full Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (no dressing) – 360 calories
Half Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (with dressing) – 360 calories
Half Italian Chopped Salad (no dressing) – with extra shrimp – 360 calories
Full Portion Caesar Salad (no dressing) with extra shrimp -370 calories
Half Portion Caesar Salad(with dressing) with extra plant-based chicken- 380 calories
Half California Cobb Salad (no dressing) with plant-based chicken – 380 calories
Half Thai Crunch Salad (no dressing) – 380 calories
Salads Under 500 Calories
Half Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (with dressing) with extra plant-based chicken – 400 calories
Full Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (no dressing) with extra plant-based chicken – 400 calories
Half Thai Crunch Salad (no dressing) with extra plant-based chicken – 420 calories
Half Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (no dressing) with extra chicken – 440 calories
Half Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (no dressing) with extra chicken – 440 calories
Half Portion Caesar Salad (with dressing) with extra shrimp – 460 calories
Half California Cobb Salad (no dressing) with extra shrimp -460 calories
Half Portion Original BBQ Chicken Salad (no dressing) – 480 calories
Half Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (with dressing) with extra shrimp – 480 calories
Full Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (no dressing) with extra shrimp – 480 calories
Half Waldorf Chicken Salad (no dressing) – 480 calories
Full Italian Chopped Salad (no dressing) – 490 calories
Salads Under 600 Calories
Half Italian Chopped Salad (with dressing) – 500 calories
Half Thai Crunch Salad (no dressing) with extra shrimp -500 calories
Half Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (no dressing) with extra salmon – 500 calories
Half Portion Roasted Veggie Salad (no dressing) with extra salmon – 500 calories
Half Italian Chopped Salad (no dressing) – with extra chicken- 500 calories
Half California Cobb Salad (with dressing) – 510 calories
Full Portion Caesar Salad (no dressing) with extra chicken – 510 calories
Full Portion Caesar Salad (with dressing) – 530 calories
Caesar Salad (Full) including Caesar Dressing – 530 calories
Full Portion Caesar Salad (no dressing) with extra salmon – 570 calories
Half Italian Chopped Salad (no dressing) – with salmon – 580 calories
Thai Crunch Salad (Half) including Lime Cilantro Dressing – 590 calories
Half Thai Crunch Salad (with dressing) – 590 calories
Half Portion Original BBQ Chicken Salad (with dressing) – 600 calories
Half California Cobb Salad (no dressing) with extra chicken – 600 calories
Other Meals
Other Meals under 400 Calories
Dakota Smashed Pea and Barley Soup (cup) – 170 calories
Sedona Tortilla Soup (cup) – 260 calories
Tomato Basil Bisque Soup (cup) – 270 calories
Baked Potato Soup (cup) – 290 calories
Grilled Vegetable Half Sandwich – 310 calories
Dakota Smashed Pea and Barley Soup (bowl) – 340 calories
California Club Turkey Half Sandwich – 350 calories
California Club Chicken Half Sandwich – 390 calories
Other Meals under 500 Calories
Oven Roasted Turkey and Brie Half Sandwich – 410 calories
Shrimp Scampi Zucchini Pasta – 480 calories
Lunch-Size Pasta Spaghetti Bolognese – 480 calories
Lunch-Size Tomato Basil Spaghetti – 480 calories
Other Meals under 600 Calories
Tomato Basil Bisque Soup (Bowl) – 540 calories
Power Bowl Banh Mi – 540 calories
Baked Potato Soup (Bowl) – 590 calories
So, there you have it, the calorie details for the menu at California Pizza Kitchen. There is a good range of menu options under 600 calories, especially if you tweak things like bases or dressings, and you can easily have nutritionally balanced meal, whilst keeping the calories low.
So what’s your favourite meal there? Let us know in the comments
Who is The Wellness Nerd?
My name is Helen Foster and I’m a health journalist and wellness author. Publications I’ve written for include Women’s Health, Reader’s Digest, Body and Soul, Good Health at the Daily Mail and more. I have also written 16 books on health and nutrition.