olive garden

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rure13
rure13 Posts: 86
in Food and Nutrition
So i'm gonna eat at olive garden for lunch and was wondering what the healthiest thing to order is? Thanks
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  • briabner
    briabner Posts: 427 Member
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    The minestrone or the pasta fagioli soup are both good options and salad....try not to eat that many breadsticks. Also they have all their nutritional information on their website so you could check that out too
  • collmullshulaw
    collmullshulaw Posts: 6
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    the soup and salad- ask them to put the dressing and croutons on the side and have minestrone soup- they're not too bad for you!
  • thisismynewmindset
    thisismynewmindset Posts: 273 Member
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    I went there last week and had the Venetian Apricot Chicken - only 290 calories!! (I did my research online ahead of time and this is the lowest calorie plate - and VERY healthy!)
  • TNAJackson
    TNAJackson Posts: 686 Member
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    Stick with the salad and try to stay away from the breadsticks... I was shocked at how bad for you those actually are, especially since they are addicting. I can never eat just one! Soups are good idea, but try to stay away from the cream soups... they seem to be worse than the others calorie wise.
  • godroxmysox
    godroxmysox Posts: 1,491 Member
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    i usually have half the cheese ravioli with marinara and a bowl of the chicken gnochi soup....just be careful; the sodium is through the roof!
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Shrimp Primevera has 510 calories for the lunch portion.
    The Venetian Apricot Chicken is 290 but I have no idea what it is.
    Spaghetti with meat sauce is 550 but so is cheese ravoli and yeah, lunch portions on everything.

    The breast sticks have 150 for just one.
  • myomes
    myomes Posts: 1
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    You can have speghetti, just make sure you ask for the whole wheat pasta. It's not on the menu, but they have it.
  • godroxmysox
    godroxmysox Posts: 1,491 Member
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    Stick with the salad and try to stay away from the breadsticks... I was shocked at how bad for you those actually are, especially since they are addicting. I can never eat just one! Soups are good idea, but try to stay away from the cream soups... they seem to be worse than the others calorie wise.

    the salad is actually worse calorie-wise than most of the soups =\
  • sm_wilson
    sm_wilson Posts: 7 Member
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    I love the zuppa toscana soup! very good and 170 calories. one bowl fills me up!
  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
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    the sodium in the dishes at olive garden is killer. including the soups and salads even :(
    pick and choose carefully makes it doable but be sure to check out the nutritional info they have online
  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
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    Olive Garden is tough its so loaded with calories! I go for the soup and just limit myself to 1 maybe 2 breadsticks. They are like 150 calories a piece! Yikes! The salad is also loaded and I mean loaded with calories. You can order it without the dressing and this helps a ton.
  • dawnblu
    dawnblu Posts: 95 Member
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    They have a light italian dressing that is very good. I like it better than the original full fat version. Get it on the side so you don't use as much. The pasta fagoli is low fat and a good source of protein too. Limit to one or two breadsticks and skip the andes mints!!! Those little buggers have 75 calories each! It's a conspiracy I tell you!
  • pamela1129
    pamela1129 Posts: 59 Member
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    I ate there last week and had salmon with broccoli florets. Very tasty and not nearly as bad as the pasta they serve. Also, here in WA they have the calorie count in a separate menu you can request. I keep mine in my purse. <<sigh>> LOVE that place.
  • antonio823
    antonio823 Posts: 298 Member
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    My suggestion would be to go online to check out their menu, I blew my entire day one time by assuming that my choice was low in calories...
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    Why anyone would choose to eat at the Olive Garden is beyond me :P But here:

    http://eatthis.menshealth.com/restaurant_top_swaps/56817
    http://eatthis.menshealth.com/content/healthiest-meal-olive-garden

    Don't touch the breadsticks. Or the salad dressing, unless you're dipping.
  • rure13
    rure13 Posts: 86
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    thanks for the info (: it's gonna be hard but i'm probably gonna have to stay away from the bread sticks those things are so addicting
  • murf19
    murf19 Posts: 453 Member
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    Olive Garden is bad for cals and carbs. I don't go anynore. I suggest the water!
  • DEE4560
    DEE4560 Posts: 139
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    Minestrone soup for an appetizer then the venetian Chicken. Its really good. I believe they total less then 400 calories.
  • _Johanna_
    _Johanna_ Posts: 125 Member
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    The salad is TERRIBLE with calories because of the dressing! However, if you ask, they have a low-calorie Italian dressing that you can ask for and it tastes just as good!!
  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
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    Their menu is online and easy to read. I also think it is on the menu, at least it is here in Cali.

    I order of Chicken Marsala. No salad or soup. Salad has nothing good for you in it and soup has very little.

    You want to get in the protein so just the chicken and which out potatos for real veggies. Half is more than plenty and I take the rest home for the next day.

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