One dumb breadstick!!!!

uniquesoul73
uniquesoul73 Posts: 151 Member
edited September 29 in Food and Nutrition
I had Olive Garden for lunch today and found out that one of their breadsticks is 150 calories!
after finding that out, it was so easy for me not to eat that thing!!!

I remember the days of eating 3-4 of those breadsticks along with my meal!!!! YIKES!

~when you know better...DO BETTER~
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Replies

  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
    Yeppers! We love Olive Garden. But we haven't been there since our journey began on MFP. Too much at stake for those stupid bread sticks.
  • Papillon22
    Papillon22 Posts: 1,160 Member
    yikes! good job on making an informed decision!
  • ibbray04
    ibbray04 Posts: 227 Member
    YIKES! I love those too, although haven't been to Olive Garden in quite a while... Good to know for the future, though!
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
    Hope you don't like the rolls at Texas Roadhouse (227 calories). :cry:
  • Tropical_Turtle
    Tropical_Turtle Posts: 2,236 Member
    It is horribly disgusting to think that if a breadstick is 150 cals, then imagine the rest of the meal!!! I have never been to Olive Garden, and honestly dont ever intend on going. I wont risk my weight and my calories on them!
  • JennaM222
    JennaM222 Posts: 1,996 Member
    yea and I eat like 5 every time I go.
  • ACEgirl1
    ACEgirl1 Posts: 133 Member
    I love your last sentence: "When you know better, DO BETTER!".
  • pitbullmama
    pitbullmama Posts: 454 Member
    yikes, wonder how many in a Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuit. So good but so bad.
  • bunchesonothing
    bunchesonothing Posts: 1,015 Member
    The only time I go to Olive Garden are nights before marathons... carbo loading...
  • masonmst
    masonmst Posts: 84 Member
    Wow!! I love those breadsticks too! WTG on not giving in to temptation!!
    :flowerforyou:
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Yeah, it's a shame because they are so yummy! The lack of whole grain bread options, whether breadsticks, rolls or buns, in restaurants is a pet peeve of mine. I might not mind the extra calories if I knew it was whole grain. But I usually just ask servers not to even bring bread to the table.
  • FoamyRiver
    FoamyRiver Posts: 276 Member
    Personally I love Olive Garden; especially their breadsticks. I have the willpower and can limit myself to just one. It just means a little extra time during my workout. Plus the fact that I only eat there once or twice a year makes it completely worth it to me.
  • nikkidee1983
    nikkidee1983 Posts: 38
    I found out that one of my fav desserts is over 700 calories so I opted for sharing it instead of eating it alone. Saved half the calories.
  • jid314
    jid314 Posts: 71
    Same for Fazoli's - and I love Fazoli's (and would take it ANY day over Olive Garden which I hate with all of my heart).
  • mrsjohnson75
    mrsjohnson75 Posts: 182 Member
    Good for you :) Its all about choices.
  • stepha1013
    stepha1013 Posts: 38 Member
    Love the cheddar bay biscuits at Red Lobster. I have a figure friendly recipe below. My husband says they are better than Red Lobster's.


    Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

    2 tbsp butter, melted
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
    2 cups Heart Smart Bisquick
    3.5 oz shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (Cabot 50% reduced fat)
    2/3 cup fat free milk

    Preheat oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

    Melt butter in a small frying pan, add half the garlic and saute on low heat about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add parsley.

    In a large bowl, combine biscuit mix, cheddar cheese, and remaining garlic. Stir in milk and mix (do not over mix). Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls (1.5 oz each) onto prepared cookie sheet.

    Bake for 10 minutes. Brush or drizzle biscuits with melted butter. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.
  • barwwd
    barwwd Posts: 63 Member
    One really good thing Olive Garden does is those Dolcini desserts. It's like a shot of dessert so you can just eat a tiny bit. We share one and that way we get dessert without blowing our calories. Those breadsticks though... man I remember eating tons of those things WITH the alfredo dipping sauce! Ugh! Once you start paying attention, you realize how easy it is to get fat!!! WTG on your willpower!! :-D
  • Echo17121
    Echo17121 Posts: 111 Member
    One really good thing Olive Garden does is those Dolcini desserts. It's like a shot of dessert so you can just eat a tiny bit. We share one and that way we get dessert without blowing our calories. Those breadsticks though... man I remember eating tons of those things WITH the alfredo dipping sauce! Ugh! Once you start paying attention, you realize how easy it is to get fat!!! WTG on your willpower!! :-D

    Me too! Used to work there as a host and the servers would bring me out a basket and a serving of alfredo sauce. Good thing that was on nights I was power walking the restaurant as a host for a good three hours or I would have been huge!

    FYI: they literally paint the butter on those breadsticks with a paintbrush. That is where all the calories come from I am sure!
  • Stumbleine
    Stumbleine Posts: 55 Member
    Yeah, it's a shame because they are so yummy! The lack of whole grain bread options, whether breadsticks, rolls or buns, in restaurants is a pet peeve of mine. I might not mind the extra calories if I knew it was whole grain. But I usually just ask servers not to even bring bread to the table.

    Seriously! I don't understand the lack of whole grain in restaurants. I mean, they don't have to go completely whole grain, but where are the options?!
  • bluevwgurl
    bluevwgurl Posts: 220 Member
    well obviously, i have a long long long way to go. i am now salivating just thinking about one breadstick. i'm going to go drink some water. :-(
  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
    Love the cheddar bay biscuits at Red Lobster. I have a figure friendly recipe below. My husband says they are better than Red Lobster's.


    Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

    2 tbsp butter, melted
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
    2 cups Heart Smart Bisquick
    3.5 oz shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (Cabot 50% reduced fat)
    2/3 cup fat free milk

    Preheat oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

    Melt butter in a small frying pan, add half the garlic and saute on low heat about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add parsley.

    In a large bowl, combine biscuit mix, cheddar cheese, and remaining garlic. Stir in milk and mix (do not over mix). Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls (1.5 oz each) onto prepared cookie sheet.

    Bake for 10 minutes. Brush or drizzle biscuits with melted butter. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.

    Sounds yummy! Do you know how many calories each biscuit is? When we are really craving a cheddar biscuit we make some bisquik mix that is as good as Dixie Stampedes biscuits but not quite as good as Red Lobsters, but at least the biscuits are 150 calories a piece. Your recipe sounds amazing and we will try it!!!
  • spatticus
    spatticus Posts: 230 Member
    You can actually order your breadsticks "dry" meaning no butter and it saves a lot of cals. The minestrone soup is low cal high fiber like around 100 cals per bowl aaand you can order fat free dressing on your salad. You can eat where you want people!
  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
    You can actually order your breadsticks "dry" meaning no butter and it saves a lot of cals. The minestrone soup is low cal high fiber like around 100 cals per bowl aaand you can order fat free dressing on your salad. You can eat where you want people!

    great advice! just be picky and ask for subsitutes!:-)
  • gnat45
    gnat45 Posts: 833 Member
    One breadstick once in a while isn't going to derail you. The trick is stopping at one.
  • AJCoombs
    AJCoombs Posts: 16
    They also have 150. :(
  • Thriceshy
    Thriceshy Posts: 708 Member
    I had Olive Garden for lunch today and found out that one of their breadsticks is 150 calories!
    after finding that out, it was so easy for me not to eat that thing!!!

    I remember the days of eating 3-4 of those breadsticks along with my meal!!!! YIKES!

    ~when you know better...DO BETTER~

    Isn't it breathtaking? When my doc said "you're diabetic" and I started looking at carbs and calories in the restaurants I frequented? Wow! One meal, almost 500 carbs and over 3,000 calories!

    Good job steering clear of the breadstick!

    Kris
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    You can actually order your breadsticks "dry" meaning no butter and it saves a lot of cals. The minestrone soup is low cal high fiber like around 100 cals per bowl aaand you can order fat free dressing on your salad. You can eat where you want people!

    But the breadstick is still going to be white bread, so not only are you blowing a good number of your calories but it will spike your insulin levels. You might be better off eating the few drops of butter and skipping the breadstick.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Yeah, it's a shame because they are so yummy! The lack of whole grain bread options, whether breadsticks, rolls or buns, in restaurants is a pet peeve of mine. I might not mind the extra calories if I knew it was whole grain. But I usually just ask servers not to even bring bread to the table.

    Seriously! I don't understand the lack of whole grain in restaurants. I mean, they don't have to go completely whole grain, but where are the options?!

    I always ask if they have whole grain options (they rarely do) and if the receipt has one of those survey links on it I always take it and in the comments section say that they need to offer whole grain options. Apparently my one little voice isn't doing much good because none of the restaurants in my little town, which are nearly all chains, offer it yet. But I will keep trying. :ohwell:
  • tabi26
    tabi26 Posts: 535 Member
    well obviously, i have a long long long way to go. i am now salivating just thinking about one breadstick. i'm going to go drink some water. :-(

    I too want breadsticks now lol. Thankfully I live in the middle of nowhere and don't have anything even remotely resembling a breadstick in my house (not even bread! lol)
  • cvstokke
    cvstokke Posts: 249 Member
    ugh this makes me so sad - i RARELY eat olive garden but i like to go there nights before races (5Ks, 10Ks) - thoughts on how to carb load without being TOO bad?
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