Eating out at Olive Garden tonight..HELP

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  • cassavaca
    cassavaca Posts: 89 Member
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    i get the minestrone soup and eat a crapload of salad (ask for NO DRESSING)

    I am suggesting the same, Minestrone soup is very low in cals and when ordering the salad, do not eat the croutons, and ask for no dressing on yours. They do have oil and vinegar (balsamic i think) that you can use for yourself. Pass on the cheese if you can. :)
  • Tonnina
    Tonnina Posts: 979 Member
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    Don't have the salad, it's WAY more calories than you think because they DRENCH it in dressing. Have one HALF of a bread stick (150 calories) if you must and enjoy the Zupa Tuscana soup... It's like 150 calories I think. I always get the Mushroom Ravioli, it's around 700 calories, but if you eat half (They give you SO much!) it's really more like 350... But If you are satisfied with just soup, I swear, that Zupa Tuscana soup is SO amazing. It has sausage, kale and potatoes in it... sure it's high in salt, but you were planning on drinking a lot of water weren't you?
  • corrinnebrown
    corrinnebrown Posts: 345 Member
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    Try to get any dressing on the side for the salad and STAY away from the breadsticks 1 has 150 calories.
  • mgram2
    mgram2 Posts: 128 Member
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    Venetian Apricot Chicken. 400 calories for the entire dinner plate size. Yummmmmmyyy! <3
    Also.. pass on the salad AND breadsticks. These will BOTH hurt you in the cal department.
  • Brittmy
    Brittmy Posts: 141 Member
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    Minestrone soup is only 100 calories, so have 2 bowls if you want + Salad with dressing on the side + maybe one breadstick. Don't eat that little chocolate at the end though haha. That'll surprise you when you log it. :-) That should keep you under 500 calories, no problem. My mom always does get the venetian apricot chicken too, and she likes it.
  • galegetsthin
    galegetsthin Posts: 1,352 Member
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    Well, if you are eating out at Olive Garden, might I suggest a secluded corner booth?
  • amanda3588
    amanda3588 Posts: 422 Member
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    I got this!! I served there back in college:

    Lunch size capellini pomodoro, sub wheat linguine (pasta tossed in diced tomatoes, olive oil, spices,etc and is one of my favorites)

    Apricot chicken (its chicken glazed in apricot sauce served with broccoli and asperagus), or you can sub one of the veggies for whole wheat pasta with the apricot glaze

    Minestrone soup - so low in calorie, but high in sodium

    Salad - Non-fat dressing on the side (trust me, they drench the salad in dressing, so its better on the side so you have control)

    No breadsticks - those thinks are a fat factory

    OR get what you want in the lunch sized portion (yes, you can order lunch sizes at dinner), but fill up on salad first.
  • sunrise611
    sunrise611 Posts: 1,860 Member
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    Yep, I had the same dilemma not too long ago. Although I love the restaurant, their calories and sodium levels are way up there in most dishes.

    I chose their Capellini Pomodoro, which is angel hair pasta tossed with veggies in a tomato sauce.

    It's delicious!

    Good luck with your choice and bon apetit!

    Edited to add: I ate half if it and brought the rest home to enjoy the next day for lunch. Portion control helps.
  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
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    You've gotten some great suggestions here. You can always look at their online menu and input choices into the MFP database for additional info. I just did it myself for lunch later.
  • BringingSherriBack
    BringingSherriBack Posts: 607 Member
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    Linguini alla marinara is 430 calories, and very good! Bread sticks are 150 calories, I believe. I would just skip the salad. :)

    Good choice. You could have soup instead of the salad and try to limit yourself to just one breadstick. Just check to see which soup is lowest in calories.
  • cutethang1
    cutethang1 Posts: 239 Member
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    You can reduce the calories on anything by potion control, however the sodium on all the entrees will be tough. If you are going to partake, then by all means enjoy. If you are trying to stay on your target macros if you do partake you may want to eat very light the rest of the day as your sodium will definitely be high.
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
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    I don't generally eat at chain restaurants, but do eat out a lot because of having to entertain clients. Generally, here is what I do.

    1. Plan ahead. Check out the menu. If it is available, look at the nutrition information, and make decisions (and back-up plans). If the nutrition information is not available, do the best approximation with the menu information provided. Don't forget to look at the calorie information for drinks.

    2. Once you know how much your meal will likely be, calorie wise, find a way to make allowance for it. Either order stuff that would fit in with your daily quota, or exercise more the entire week, the day of, the day after, etc. to buy yourself some buffer, or eat 100 or 150 calories less a day for a week so you end up with a bunch of extra calories for a splurge meal.

    3. Eat in moderation. Portion sizes tend to generally run big (especially in chain/family style restaurants), so eat a small portion and take home the rest. Bonus being that you've got yummy food that you didn't have to cook yourself to eat for the next day or two.

    4. If you go off the deep end and overeat, it's okay. Not the end of the world, and one meal is not going to negate all your work unless you let it derail you.

    Personally, I'm not going to good restaurants with fabulous chefs and pay them good money to feed me salad. I eat everything I want - fresh bread, appetizer, entree, dessert - without guilt because I've already made allowance for it. It might be a 1500 calorie meal, but so what?
  • Krys_140
    Krys_140 Posts: 648 Member
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    Whatever you order ask to split it in a half before they serve, and bring the rest to you in a to go box.
    I did that with Montana Grill last weekend

    ^^^^This. I do this all the time, and it works like a charm.

    Related: I've also tried simply asking for a 1/2 portion at a reduced price. Most chains cannot accommodate, but most of the local restaurants are really good about it. You don't quite pay 1/2 price, but then again, you're not bringing home 1/2 of a high calorie meal, either. :wink:
  • pinthin87
    pinthin87 Posts: 296 Member
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    Don't eat the bread and get the pasta figoli or minestrone soup it will fill you up and is low in calories. Just make sure you drink enough water because the sodium content is high there no matter what you eat. They also have an awesome grilled salmon with grilled veggies that is fairly healthy.

    Oh and if you have to have dessert get the dolci piccolini (mini dessert). Each one is like 150-250 cals and is just enough sweetness to satisfy you without going overboard.
  • rodneyderrick
    rodneyderrick Posts: 483 Member
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    I honestly wouldn't go.

    I try not to criminalize any particular foods, and go with the eat in moderation approach; however, Olive Garden cuisines are loaded with carbohydrates, salts, and sugars. The people that eat this kind of food habitually are usually more than a little overweight. For example, my wife and I went to the Olive Garden on our sixteenth wedding anniversary. She was dying to go, and I was aiming to please her, so I could make it through the day without any unnecessary arguments. When we walked into the establishment, there wasn't a skinny person in the place except for my wife and I. I'm not saying this to joke or make fun, but it looked like an obesity convention. The woman who took us to our table had to squeeze between the tables to seat us. She sounded like Darth Vader in his mask. I ordered chicken with all the fixings on the side, and threw what I didn't eat in the trash. No reason to bring death home.
  • ttillman19
    ttillman19 Posts: 54 Member
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    Thank you all fo the help. To the person who asked about what I am holding....yes this is my huge c***. His name is Eddy and is a show chicken. To the people who suggested I just do not go..that is not an option. This is one of my best friends who is graduating college after her husband got laid off and needed a better financial situation for her family. I have been planning for this all week by making sure to not go over my calories. As funny as it sounds sodium is not a big concern of mine. I am the weird obese person with low blood pressure who has been instructed to up my sodium to keep my blood pressure above 100/50. I am going to check the website for nutritional content, but that does not tell me if the food tastes like crap. I would like to be able to eat out every once in a while and would rather eat less of something that tastes good than more of what takes like cardboard. I also wanted some support, and you guys supplied that. I am the caretaker of my husband who suffered a gun shot wound through his left eyebrow that went almost all the way through his brain and is lodged about an inch from the back of his skull. We also have a 3 year old son, so I do not get out very much let alone with "normal adults" who do not treat me like he is dead. I also work from home, so no social contact there either. Thank you all for your help and encouragement.
  • TheNewDodge
    TheNewDodge Posts: 607 Member
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    Olive Garden is gross. I'd pass
  • kcmomof2
    kcmomof2 Posts: 457 Member
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    Their menu and nutrition information is available online. I typically stick to the minestrone soup and salad (sans the dressing) when I go there.

    Good luck finding something that suits you and enjoy.
  • davidwh79
    davidwh79 Posts: 11 Member
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    To me it's simple. Just go out and enjoy your self. Eat a meal from the menu, and relax. Don't go nuts and order the most glutenous thing on the menu, but don't feel inhibited either. I don't feel that any "diet" is beneficial or realistic if it cannot afford you an occasional meal that is a special engagement. Also, anyone that says Olive Garden is not a good restaurant with good food either doesn't know good food, doesn't like Italian, or has some personal agenda against the restaurant. I love their food.
  • TheNewDodge
    TheNewDodge Posts: 607 Member
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    To me it's simple. Just go out and enjoy your self. Eat a meal from the menu, and relax. Don't go nuts and order the most glutenous thing on the menu, but don't feel inhibited either. I don't feel that any "diet" is beneficial or realistic if it cannot afford you an occasional meal that is a special engagement. Also, anyone that says Olive Garden is not a good restaurant with good food either doesn't know good food, doesn't like Italian, or has some personal agenda against the restaurant. I love their food.

    lol @ olive garden = italian

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