Low cals at an Italian Restaraunt, Is that even possible?

puggleperson
puggleperson Posts: 740 Member
edited September 27 in Food and Nutrition
I am going out for my cousins graduation.. she picked Italian. Not sure what to choose. Any suggestions? Thanks!!!

Replies

  • sprinkies
    sprinkies Posts: 309 Member
    you can get a grilled chicken salad w/ light dressing on the side almost anywhere.

    there are also some italian chicken meals without pasta that can be low cal, but you have to watch for cream sauce.

    personally, i've always stuck to salads when in doubt.
  • oceanrose78
    oceanrose78 Posts: 133 Member
    A lot of the seafood soups, or marinara sauces will be lower in cals. What will kill you is the breadsticks, and cream sauces over pasta. You can do it! Just think real Mediteranian not our 'American' Italian and you'll do fine.
  • beckey24
    beckey24 Posts: 170 Member
    Personally I love chicken piccata. It's a nice happy medium calorie wise. It is usually lightly breaded(very light) with a lemon garlic white wine sauce.
  • xsarakhx
    xsarakhx Posts: 6
    If they have a broth based soup, that's always pretty good on the low caleries. Stay away from the bread and oils and too much cheese. Or try to find a small serving of whole grain pasta and marinara sauce without added cheese and too much heavy meat. House salad with low fat italian dressing and no cheese. Italian can be just as yummy and everything else, just have to make good choices and watch the portion sizes. :happy:
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    Butternut squash ravioli is usually pretty low as well even if they use cream b/c there is much less pasta in this dish. By low I mean for an Italian dish so usually 800ish.

    If you want pasta rather than salad then eat only ½ the portion served and get a tomato sauce rather than a cream sauce.
    I personally would go for the salad and chicken. I hate buying pasta in restaurants considering you can make a virtually identical meal at home for less than 50 cents. I want to order something I cannot personally make. Of course the salad you can make but if you HAVE to go out, it’s the best choice.
  • ndswimchick22
    ndswimchick22 Posts: 58 Member
    See if they have grilled chicken over spinach.

    This one Italian Restaurant by my house has it, and it is delicious.
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    Watch the portion sizes, and stick with red sauces. Remember that what they bring will feed at least 2 maybe 3 people! I know of people who box up 1/2 of their food before they start. That might help.
  • laurabeerotten
    laurabeerotten Posts: 76
    It is possible. I know I would have to exercise restraint around the bread, but it is possible. One major Italian chain actually has a new "Garden Fare" menu (you can look it up on their website... I didn't list the name of it in case that wasn't allowed) with "lighter" food options. Most of them have a ton of sodium, though. I am not sure if that is the Italian she picked, but most Italian places I have been to offer the same basic menus for dinner and lunch. If this is a dinner, ask for a lunch portion if one is offered. It will still be a large portion! This is something I always do if I can.
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
    Say no to the bread that will likely be put out. get a salad with vinegar & oil. If you eat meat there is always a grilled chicken or fish dish and if you want pasta get it as a smaller side dish rather than a large entree and go for a marinara sauce
  • lynnmarie60
    lynnmarie60 Posts: 325
    Half of a full plate of spaghetti with marinara sauce (ask for a box right away) would be find with a salad with fat free dressing. No bread, cream sauces, meat or wine.
  • ellenangel
    ellenangel Posts: 106 Member
    My go-to is the appetizer menu. They often do starter sized portions of pasta dishes- failing that, chicken or fish in a tomato based sauce, subbing steamed vegetables or salad for the pasta is pretty low calorie.

    Real authentic Italian pizza isn't anything like what is sold outside of Italy so that can be a good option, surprisingly- ricotta cheese is lower calorie than other cheeses, but you can ask for any pizza with light or without cheese altogether and just get vegetables toppings (I have gotten without cheese then put fresh parmesan on which is great because a little goes a long way!)

    Other low calorie options that are great:
    - minestrone soup
    - parma ham w/ melon

    Just stay away from anything creamy/cheese based or breaded and don't be afraid to ask how things are prepared- ie, ask if a lemon sauce contains cream/butter and for them to sub in a tomato sauce instead.

    It probably will be higher than your normal meals, but in the grand scheme of things, one meal won't make a huge difference. And Italian food can be pretty healthy!
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