Healthy Options at Olive Garden

It kind of seems like the words in the title of this blog entry should not all be in one sentence. But it's true.

A very special 8-year-old celebrated her birthday by choosing her favorite restaurant for dinner this evening and Olive Garden it was. Great, I thought. Pasta and cheese and bread.

I was first to arrive and had a few minutes with the menu. "Healthier choices" were marked, but you couldn't tell what "healthier" meant. So I asked for a nutrition guide (you CAN do this!!!!) and I learned a lot.

1) Salads aren't so smurfy at Olive Garden. BUT you can ask for light dressing on the side for the traditional family-style-bowl-of-yummy they bring to the table. And when you control the dressing, you rule the world.

2) There were several options under 600 calories. I chose an apricot chicken number with broccoli and asparagus, no pasta, for 400 calories. I even brought one of the two pieces of breast meat home to freeze for a rainy day. Think pasta with marinara or grilled meat with veg sides. You can substitute steamed veg sides for the not-so-healthy sides, you just have to ask!

3) You can substitute whole wheat fettuccine for any noodle in any dish.

4) There are gluten-free options, too.

5) The dinner portion of Fettuccine Alfredo has 75 grams of fat. Yes, I said 75.

Navigating the restaurant meal can be tough. But it's possible. Don't be afraid to speak up. Ask for a nutrition guide. Ask for substitutions. If we ask enough, our "votes" get counted and maybe, just maybe, they'll hear what we want and start to include more healthy options.