Nutrition-conscious diners who visit Olive Garden may want to know about the nutritional value of the restaurant's menu selections. It's up to you to decide whether to go for a lean entree or one that piles on the fat and calories. "Our menus provide a wide variety of choices that appeal to a broad range of taste preferences and dietary needs," says John Caron, chief marketing officer for Olive Garden's parent company, Darden Restaurants.
Indulgent Items
In 2009, Olive Garden faced criticism for its "Tour of Italy" entree, which offers guests a sampler meal consisting of portions of lasagna, chicken parmigiana and fettuccine Alfredo. A critical report titled "XTreme Eating 2009," compiled by the nutrition-advocacy organization Center for Science in the Public Interest, called the Tour of Italy a "triple bypass," with 33 g of saturated fat, 1,450 calories and 3,830 mg of sodium.
Other high-calorie, high-fat menu options include spaghetti and Italian sausage with 1,270 calories and 24 g of saturated fat; chicken and shrimp carbonara with 1,440 calories and 38 g of saturated fat; and the 1,510-calorie pork Milanese with 37 g of saturated fat.
Healthy Options
Low-fat "Garden Fare" menu options, labeled on Olive Garden's menu with an olive branch symbol, contain 30 percent or less of their calories from fat. Garden Fare items include entrees such as Venetian apricot chicken with 380 calories and 1.5 g of saturated fat and shrimp primavera with 730 calories and 2 g of saturated fat.
In August 2010, Olive Garden's parent company, Darden Restaurants, joined HealthyDiningFinder.com, an online resource partially funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that provides information on "dietitian-approved" menu choices. This venture came soon after Darden joined the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a coalition dedicated to helping people reach a healthy weight.
Salt Content
The Center for Science in the Public Interest also criticized Olive Garden for excessive salt content in a 2009 report titled "Heart Attack Entrees and Side Orders of Stroke." In the report, Olive Garden's Tour of Italy and chicken parmigiana entrees made the list of the 10 saltiest meals in America. Both entrees contain over 2 tsp. of salt, which amounts to between 5,000 mg and more than 6,000 mg of sodium. To put these numbers in perspective, according to dietary guidelines developed by the U.S. government, most people should consume no more than 1,500 to 2,300 mg of sodium per day.
Other high-sodium offenders on Olive Garden's menu include calamari, five cheese ziti, short ribs and stuffed chicken Marsala, all of which contain more than 2,000 mg of sodium.
Kid's Meals
Olive Garden offers a selection of items on its kid's menu, featuring a range of high-fat and low-fat options. Nutrition-conscious parents should steer clear of the kid's fettuccine Alfredo, which contains 800 calories and 30 g of saturated fat. Healthier options include the 310-calorie grilled chicken with pasta and broccoli, with 1 g of saturated fat, and the 250-calorie spaghetti kid's meal, with 0.5 g of saturated fat.
Side Items
Appetizers and other side items add extra calories and fat to your meal selection. Garden-fresh salad with dressing adds 4.5 g of saturated fat and 350 calories to a meal, while a serving of Olive Garden's complimentary breadsticks adds 150 extra calories. Add the Alfredo dipping sauce that comes with breadsticks, and you'll push your meal up another 380 calories and 22 g of saturated fat.
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