Olive garden: Italian restaurant

Nutrition Action Healthletter, Jan-Feb, 2005

For years, the Garden Fare items on Olive Garden's menu have offered lower-fat pasta dishes for the health-conscious. Now the chain also offers two bits of advice for carb counters: "Savor one of our grilled entrees with fresh vegetables in place of potatoes" and "Enjoy our pasta entrees with whole wheat linguine."

No argument here. Both suggestions will produce a healthier meal. So what if the "whole wheat" pasta is only part whole-wheat? You're better off with some whole grain than none. Just keep in mind that substituting vegetables for potatoes doesn't automatically turn the chain's grilled entrees into flawless meals.

The Tuscan T-Bone, for example, has 580 calories and 16 grams of bad (saturated-plus-trans) fat. You're better off with the surprisingly lean Pork Filettino (with only 340 calories and 3 grams of harmful fat) or the Salmon Piccata (with 440 calories and its heart-healthy omega-3 fats). Bonus: each has just 420 mg of sodium.

Calories for the pasta dinner portions range from 510 (for the Linguine alla Marinara) to 740 (for the Shrimp Primavera). The Chicken Giardino and Capellini Pomodoro both clock in at 610 calories.

But you can shave roughly 200 calories off any pasta dish by ordering a lunch portion (any time of day). That leaves some room for the unlimited salad (get the dressing on the side) or the bean-packed Minestrone Soup. The breadsticks, which are brushed with butter and garlic salt, may not be worth 140 calories a pop.

Olive
garden

          Garden Fare
                                                Total    Saturated +
          Soups & Entrees           Calories   Fat (g)   Trans Fat (g)

[check]   Minestrone Soup             160          1          NA
[check]   Linguine alla Marinara,     510          8          NA
            dinner portion
[check]   Capellini Pomodoro,         610         13          NA
            dinner portion
[check]   Chicken Giardino,           610         18          NA
            dinner portion
[check]   Shrimp Primavera,           740         24          NA
            dinner portion
[check]   Pork Filettino with         340          9           3
[check]     vegetables *
[check]   Salmon Piccata with         440         21           6
[check]     vegetables *
          Tuscan T-Bone with          580         32          16
            vegetables *

          Garden Fare
                                    Fiber (g)   Sodium (mg)
          Soups & Entrees

[check]   Minestrone Soup                6            NA
[check]   Linguine alla Marinara,        7            NA
            dinner portion
[check]   Capellini Pomodoro,            8            NA
            dinner portion
[check]   Chicken Giardino,              8            NA
            dinner portion
[check]   Shrimp Primavera,              8            NA
            dinner portion
[check]   Pork Filettino with           NA           420
[check]     vegetables *
[check]   Salmon Piccata with           NA           420
[check]     vegetables *
          Tuscan T-Bone with            NA         1,010
            vegetables *

[check] [check] Best Bite. [check] Better Bite. * CSPI estimate.
NA Number not available.

Daily Values (daily limits for a 2,000-calorie diet): Total Fat: 65
grams. Saturated + Trans Fat: 20 grams. Fiber: 25 grams.
Sodium: 2,400 milligrams.