When I ask for a burger with a side salad, what I’m really after is a nice slice of pizza. Hey, it’s a vegetable, right, Congress? U.S. Rep. Jared Polis has had it with this whole “pizza is totally a vegetable because it has tomatoes in it” thing, and has announced new legislation that would allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement nutrition standards for pizza.

According to CBS 4 in Denver, Polis says Congress “has actually declared pizza to be a vegetable,” which is just silly.

“Pizza may be fine to eat from time to time, but it ain’t a vegetable,” he said, adding that he’s not anti-pizza in general, if it’s served with something healthy.

After all, should an eighth of a cup of tomato paste equal a nice plate of greens, a side of carrots or broccoli? Nope, says Polis, which means it shouldn’t count for the vegetable in federally subsidized school lunches. To be clear — Congress has never said, “Yes, pizza is a vegetable.” It does count tomato paste a serving of vegetables, however.

Polis has introduced the “Slice Act” to improve lunch at schools and do away with the pizza loophole and effectively nix any future arguments from kids yowing, “But it IS a vegetable! Give me pizza!”

Rep. Polis Doesn’t Want Pizza Classified As A Vegetable Anymore [CBS4 Denver]

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