The Olive Garden first opened its doors in 1982. It is an Italian restaurant inspired by the cuisine of Tuscany, focusing on fresh and authentic ingredients. The Olive Garden offers a variety of option for restaurant goers, that includes its Garden Fare options for those with special dietary needs, including low-fat or low carbohydrate diets.
Appetizers
The Olive Garden offers a number of appetizer options, but is best known for its breadsticks and garden salad. One Olive Garden breadstick with garlic butter contains 150 calories, 2 g of total fat, 400 mg of sodium, 28 g of carbohydrate and 2 g of fiber. A serving of its garden salad with dressing contains 350 calories, 26 g of total fat, 1,930 mg of sodium, 22 g of carbohydrate and 3 g of fiber. To save on calories, fat and sodium, ask for your salad without the dressing. A serving of Olive Garden salad without the dressing contains 120 calories, 3.5 g of fat, 550 mg of sodium, 17 g of carbohydrate and 3 g of fiber. A low-fat Garden Fare appetizer option includes the minestrone soup with 100 calories, 1 g of total fat, 1,020 mg of sodium, 18 g of carbohydrate and 3 g of fiber per serving.
Entrees
When trying to choose low-calorie options at an Italian restaurant, the American Heart Association suggests avoiding cheese-based dishes, and instead choose dishes that focus on vegetables such as a primavera. A healthy low-fat entree option at the Olive Garden is its linguine alla marinara. A dinner serving contains 430 calories, 6 g of total fat, 900 mg of sodium, 76 g of carbohydrate and 9 g of fiber. The Venetian apricot chicken is another healthy option with 380 calories, 4 g of total fat, 1,420 mg of sodium, 32 g of carbohydrate and 8 g of fiber in its dinner portion. The herb grilled salmon makes a low carbohydrate dish with 510 calories, 26 g of total fat, 760 mg of sodium, 5 g of carbohydrate and 2 g of fiber.
Dessert
For those of you who need a little sweet dessert at the end of the meal, Olive Garden offers its dolcini desserts. The dolcini desserts are smaller in size and have fewer calories than a traditional dessert. A dolcini chocolate mousse with dark chocolate cookie crust contains 290 calories, 21 g of total fat, 120 mg of sodium and 23 g of carbohydrate. To save some fat and calories, choose the strawberry and white chocolate cream cake dolcini with 210 calories 11 of total fat, 70 mg of sodium and 27 g of carbohydrate. A regular serving of tiramisu contains 510 calories, 32 g of fat, 75 mg of sodium and 48 g of carbohydrate.
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