Olive garden -ew

but i have to eat there tonight with a friend's parents.
What the hell do i eat and keep the bread sticks away...
Terrified I will blow it!

Tue. Jan 15, 4:38pm

I would say just get linguine with marinara sauce. You could also ask them to bring the dressing on the side when they bring out the salad. Dip your fork in a tiny bit of dressing, then spear the lettuce. You use a lot less dressing that way and still taste it.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 4:42 PM

linguine?

I havent been eating refined carbs. will this blow me out of the water?

Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 4:47 PM

go for the minestrone soup and salad. the soup has small shell pasta in it but its easy to eat around if you are avoiding carbs. soup is low fat and tons of veggies.

everything else on the menu is COVERED in cheese and fat and pretty much terrible for you. they use a LOT of butter in all their recipes. Good luck! let us know what you end up getting

Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 5:01 PM

Yeah I don't like Olive Garden either and I avoid refined carbs as much as I can, but one meal won't hurt you. Maybe order something small...I don't know what they have...it's been a very very long time since I've beem there. Or just cut your order in half and save it for the next day.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 5:03 PM

Go check out their menu online. I had to go there last year and I found a 'calorie-friendly' dish and it wasn't too bad. It was identified as a healthier option, too. Most everything else was just ridiculous - 900-1000+ calories a dish - not counting salad and breadsticks. Eeek.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 5:18 PM

Get something with chicken that isn't fried, and try to just eat the chicken and eat around the pasta. Don't scoop up too much of the sauce, or ask for the sauce on the side.

Try your best to avoid the breadsticks and the salad - it is drenched in dressing!

At the restaurant that's near me (they pull up menus based on ZIP code), they have a new entree called "Venetian Apricot Chicken." The description is "grilled chicken breasts in an apricot citrus sauce. Served with broccoli, asparagus and diced tomatoes." That would be a good option if it is available where you go. It does not come with pasta, just grilled chicken and veggies. I'm sure you can get sauce on the side.

There is also "Herb-Grilled Salmon," with the description: "Salmon filet brushed with Italianherbs and extra-virgin olive oil. Served with seasoned broccoli."

If the location you go to doesn't have either of these options, you can always order a grilled chicken breast with a side of steamed veggies. They'll do it. Just because it isn't on the menu doesn't mean it isn't available.

Good luck!!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 5:23 PM

Below is a link to some nutritional information available for my brance of the Olive Garden. I found it by clicking on "Garden Fare." Some of the dishes really aren't bad for you! The Venetian Apricot Chicken, dinner-sized portion, is 448 cals, 11g fat, and 4g fiber. The lunch-sized portion is 328 cals, 7g fat and 4g fiber.

The Linguini alla Marinara that an above poster mentioned is 551 cals for a dinner-sized portion, 8g fat and 8g fiber. However, if you haven't been eating refined carbs, it may give you a stomachache!

Link

Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 5:34 PM

For me the biggest thing is the breadsticks....at 140 cals apiece, beware!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 5:43 PM

make sure you eat something before you go, like an apple...

Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 6:13 AM

OP HERE

Thanks for all of your help!!

So beofre I left work I ate a kashi bar- 140 cals but much better than breadsticks.

1 bite of hubby's bread
1 bowl minstroni soup
got shrimp whole wheat pasta, no cheese, left 3/4 of the meal!!! I ate around most of the pasta. The waiter actually asked it there was something wrong with the meal since I didnt eat it.
Not one bite of dessert!!

So I am really please with myself. Having asked for help in advance got me thining about it and gave me the willpower to make the smart decisions instead of mindlessly eating. Thank you so much for the support

Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 9:05 AM

Well done OP! You did a fantastic job!

Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 9:06 AM

Well done op! the olive garden is sooooo ew. Just gross. Why is it still so popular?

Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 9:44 AM

OP here:
I have NO IDEA! The soup was okay but neither my husband or I enjoyed our food. For a billion calories- it should taste good. I thikn most meals are frozen. Yuck! We only went there b/c we were meeting a friend's parents and they really like it.
But that place and Apple Bee's- Yuck!!!

Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 9:48 AM

I completely disagree. The Olive Garden is so delicious! While it may be high in calories and fat, every once in awhile it is worth the splurge. Mmmmm....

Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 10:31 AM

It looks like the Herb-Grilled Salmon is a safe and healthy choice. Not sure what it comes with but its low in cals, carbs and fat, if it comes with pasta on the side or served over pasta ask for grilled veggies instead. Most places don't mind subbing. And have that salad but ask for yours w/ ff dressing or on the side.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 10:48 AM

They actually have a dish for lunch (you can order it whenever you like so long as you ask nicely) It is a skewer of chicken with peppers and onions served with roasted pot, as well as zuccini. You can ask for double veggie or broccoli instead of the pot,

Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 5:26 PM

Yeah, you should definitely omit the "pot" because marijuana give you the munchies and that would be counterproductive... ;-)

Thursday, January 17, 2008, 11:51 AM

LOL! I definately thought the same thing when I read it. It would be hard to stay motivated to exercise if you cant get off the couch b/c you are laughing so hard. Might give you an ab workout though hehe

Thursday, January 17, 2008, 12:00 PM

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