While far from an authentic Italian restaurant, the Olive Garden is undoubtedly popular: the American-Italian chain is the 13th highest grossing restaurant in the United States, famous for its never ending pasta bowls, salad, and bread sticks. Still, many of us wouldn’t mind a few healthier Olive Garden swaps to keep our weight and nutrition under control when we eat out.

Although it’s tempting to shrug off the occasional night out at this popular chain, it’s important to note that calories add up fast, making even irregular habits important to consider in the context of weight management.

To that note, we’ve got a few easy healthier Olive Garden swaps to help manage the caloric overload that often occurs in a pasta-laden venue like this one.

Remember that the totals for the healthier Olive Garden swaps below do not account for salad (150 calories) and a bread stick (140 calories), which are automatically served with each meal.
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Healthier Olive Garden Swaps

Swap These…

Skip it: Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara- 1590 calories, 146% maximum recommended intake for fat, 104% maximum recommended intake for sodium

Skip it: Spaghetti with Meatballs- 1010 calories, 68% maximum recommended intake for fat, 90% maximum recommended intake for sodium

Skip it: Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce- 780 calories, 50% maximum recommended intake for fat, 93% maximum recommended intake for sodium

Skip it: Fettuccine Alfredo- 1010 calories, 71% maximum recommended intake for fat, 36% maximum recommended intake for sodium

Skip it: Eggplant Parmigiana- 1060 calories, 69% maximum recommended intake for fat, 86% maximum recommended intake for sodium

For One of These…

Pick it: Chicken Piccata- 500 calories, 30% maximum recommended intake for fat, 63% maximum recommended intake for sodium

Pick it: Spaghetti with Marinara- 590 calories, 17% maximum recommended intake for fat, 46% maximum recommended intake for sodium

Pick it: Shrimp Scampi- 500 calories, 24% maximum recommended intake for fat, 50% maximum recommended intake for sodium

Morgan Medeiros MSc

Morgan Medeiros is a certified nutritionist, holding a both a Bachelor and Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition. Morgan completed her undergraduate education at Central Washington University, and her graduate education at Northeastern University. During her time as a graduate student, Morgan focused her area of expertise in health education, weight management, and behavioral change. Morgan has experience working in areas of nutritional neuroscience and disease prevention, obesity prevention, and weight loss. Morgan also works in areas of nutritional analysis and menu labeling for restaurants, where she is able to creatively bridge her interest in food culture and health education. In her free time, Morgan enjoys traveling, reading, writing, running, and spending time with her family and friends (including- most importantly- her dog, Clyde).