What's the healthy to eat at Olive Garden...

OkieTink

Herb-Grilled Salmon has 7g carbs and under 400mg of sodium

dsjohndrow

Venetian Apricot chicken. Skip the soup and breadsticks, and go easy on the salad.

etoiles_argentees

Haven't eaten there in years, but I do like this soup -
http://restaurant.food.com/recipe/olive-garden-copycat-zuppa-toscana-38298

NikiChicken

I like their new Lasagna Primavera of the light menu. I also like the Venetian Apricot Chicken. Both are *very* reasonable for fat and calories. the chicken is obviously lower carb than the lasagna. The biggest challenge at O.G. is staying away from the breadsticks!

StrongerJess

Their napkins! :flowerforyou:

MyOwnSunshine

the water...?

Yep. The salad at Olive Garden isn't even healthy -- soup is actually a better choice than salad. When I eat there, I go with the intention of using it as a cheat meal, and I don't go there very often.

summery79

I skip the bread sticks and salad (I do lots of salad at home, my salad is better) and do the Venetian apricot chicken, or the Seafood Brodetto. They have other lowish cal options as well. I get a bowl of minestrone soup (100 cal) to eat while my family snarfs the bread sticks.

They also have these little tiny delicious desserts, the dolcini I believe they are called for 210-300 cals. Not healthy of course, but I like the small portions.

I have always had really low blood pressure, so I don't worry about the sodium. If you are worried about the sodium, eating out is hard!

run_way

I their minestrone soup! ~160 calories per bowl and it is delicious (and bottomless, so you don't have to worry about going hungry). You can try to low-carb it and don't have any breadsticks, otherwise try to limit to one. Yum!

ETA: low carb is not Italian food friendly - you can get some chicken but it will be smothered in sodium, fat, and cheese

OkieTink

Venetian Apricot chicken. Skip the soup and breadsticks, and go easy on the salad.

Has over 1000mg of sodium

dynamitegalxo

Why would you go to an Italian pasta restaurant if you're trying to eat low carb? Why torture yourself?

Jsnuggles

Just a word of warning: Be wary of the kid menu. It has a ton of sugar added so it will be more palatable for them.

chrisvinci

The only healthy item on the menu is wine.

jennb44

I eat salads with full fat dressing and eggplant parm on a low-carb eating plan. Just stay away from anything with pasta and bread and of course no dessert either.

LauraDotts

Low carb at Olive Garden is difficult. They have an allergy menu that you can ask for that is helpful. http://www.olivegarden.com/Menu/Gluten-Allergen/ You can also ask for any of the Alfredo dishes to be served over steamed broccoli instead of pasta.

hollyk57

water

KimberlyDCZ

6 stuffed mushrooms have 280 calories, 19 g fat, 14 g protein, 15 carbs, 720 mg soduim, 3 g fiber

1 breadstick has 140 calories 2 g fat, 26 g carbs...

I get this: Lasagna Primavera with Grilled Chicken-
530 calories, 20 g fat, 51 g carbs, 37 protein, 3 g fiber.... but a lot of sodium at 2030.

Add the salad for 150 calories.

If I order the mushrooms and the lasagna, save half to take home, have only one breadstick and one bowl of salad it comes to 695 calories :happy:

KimberlyDCZ

oh good grief! this thread was posted over a month ago! *D'oh!*:ohwell:

jonnythan

Uh there are a number of delicious items on their menu for under 600 calories. My favorites are the Venetian Apricot Chicken and Herb-crusted Salmon. Get each with broccoli or another veggie.

You could also do what I do and save up calories on a very active day and go there and order whatever you want. I did that on 4/16 if you want to look at my diary.

dmpizza

When my teenage son was a baby, we went there many times because it was a very baby friendly place.

When we started going, we really enjoyed it, but then they were bought by a large conglomerate and the quality plummeted.

Assuming it hasn't changed, I would trust nothing there.

JennaM222

dont

jonnythan

The sad thing about this thread is the OP stopped logging 4 days after posting.

mynameiscarrie

I get soup salad and breadsticks and get minestrone soup. 100 calories per bowl, so if you can keep yourself in moderation with the breadsticks you can have a meal for under 500 calories.

angelaanhela

There is a 575 calorie section on their menu. I enjoyed the vegetable lasagna! Oh, yummy!!!

Their Lasagna Primavera with grilled Chicken is on the under 575 menu and to die for! Soo good and it fills you up. I get that and the salad with their light dressing. No breadsticks, not worth the calories.

ViviLane

I trying to do low carb. I don't want to go overboard and just eat what I want. I do usually have a cheat meal every week, but I still want to make a healthy choice.

I just had this exact same dilemma on Sunday! I went to Olive Garden for an early lunch, and got a bit worried because I intended to do the $6.95 endless soup, salad, and breadstick lunch option. I panicked a bit inside because I thought that they would not honor it on a Sunday. To my surprise, they do!

So I got a bowl of the Zuppa Toscana (approx. 170 cals per bowl), 1 breadtsick (approx. 140 cals each), one serving of salad (approx. 150-170), and drank lemon water. It was super filling! I felt the worst about the breadstick, but went to an Art Walk in the city afterwards and burned off some of that lunch.

They also have a "under 500 calorie" portion on their menu. There is a really yummy looking new seafood soup choice. Looks great, if you want to spend upwards of $20 on it! Happy grubbing!

linalovekitty

I always have issues with sodium levels being too high in chain/fast food places even if I am at/under my calories.

However, One of my go to foods when in doubt at an Italian restaurant is plain pasta (I ask for multigrain if they have offer it), grilled chicken (or shrimp if they have fresh seafood), a veggie in it (maybe kale or spinach which most places do have) and I ask for extra veggie, then whatever their lightest sauce is ie marinara, arrabiata- I ask for whichever has the least amount of added sugar or butter/oil and I ask for light oil/butter if any in the cooking process

sailawaykate

Sub out the pasta in a dish for a veggie - they'll do it no problem, and it usually tastes better & is more satisfying anyway!

The garlic chicken (I think that's what it's called) is pretty good with broccoli, but probably ask for less sauce than normal or it will drown the plate without pasta there to soak it up, lol.

phurst00

I love Olive Garden, so this post makes me sad. Maybe I'll go there someday as a cheat meal and workout crazy the next day.

In other news, I found that Ruby Tuesdays' has some surprisingly healthy and yummy options!

ps - I always recommend asking how veggies are prepared when you're eating out. I know of a restaurant nearby that makes their green beans with bacon, and serves their broccoli with butter and salt... >_<

Timshel_

All of it is healthy in moderation.

paintlisapurple

Well, you could always order something that you enjoy, and save half for tomorrow's lunch. Get the salad w/ dressing on the side. Its Italian food though, so there will definitely be carbs galore. Sorry.