Ultimate in junk food: Pop-up pizza you put in the toaster

By Nichola Jones and Larisa Brown for the Daily Mail
Updated: 00:12 GMT, 6 February 2012

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There was a time when stuffing cheese and meat into a toaster would have earned you – at best – a distinctly quizzical look. That time is gone.

Marks & Spencer is launching the high street’s first pop-up pizza – a time-saving snack which is ready in just four minutes.

The £2 pizzas, which have a pre-baked base, come in a special non-stick ‘pocket’ designed to prevent a melted mess when they are slotted into a standard toaster.

Pizza Toast: The new snack is available from Marks & Spencer for just £2

And they are available in two flavours – tomato and mozzarella and spicy pepperoni.

M&S says the pizza is ‘less indulgent than a typical pizza and well balanced in terms of fat’.

But last night critics warned there was a danger the snack would encourage over-indulging.

Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: ‘There is nothing that says that pizza can’t be healthy, and the ingredients look intriguing. The feature I like most about the idea is the portion size.

‘There’s a limit to what can be fitted into a toaster and that should be the limit for a snack for anyone.

‘But there is a danger that people will be tempted to have a second one and they shouldn’t. One is almost definitely enough.’

A typical slice has 190 to 250 calories – more than double that of a slice of toast.

But M&S insists the pop-up pizza is a healthier snack alternative to some sandwiches.

Spokesman Claire Hodgson said: ‘Ready in less than four minutes, it doesn’t get much faster – and heating in a toaster means no soggy bases from the microwave.

‘It’s a great option for people who want a slice of pizza at home or in the office, but not the temptation of a whole pizza.’