Olive Garden is a go-to for comfort food and Italian-American classics, but not everything on the menu is friendly to your waistline or heart health. While indulgent dishes can be part of a balanced lifestyle in moderation, some options pack an overwhelming amount of calories, sodium, and saturated fat. Here are some of the most unhealthy menu items to watch out for next time you’re dining at Olive Garden.
Tour of Italy
The Tour of Italy might sound like a culinary adventure, but it’s one of the heaviest meals on the menu. This massive entrée combines three rich dishes in one: Chicken Parmigiana, Lasagna Classico, and Fettuccine Alfredo. With over 1,500 calories, 80 grams of fat, and nearly 3,000 mg of sodium, this dish is a nutritional overload. It’s delicious, no doubt, but it’s more than a full day’s worth of calories for some people.
Chicken Alfredo
Creamy, comforting, and packed with flavor, the Chicken Alfredo is one of Olive Garden’s signature dishes. However, it also happens to be one of the worst offenders for heart health. The heavy cream sauce and generous portion of pasta push this dish to around 1,600 calories and 100 grams of fat, with high levels of saturated fat that can raise cholesterol levels. Add in the sodium content, and it’s best reserved for rare indulgences.
Shrimp Carbonara
Don’t let the seafood fool you—Shrimp Carbonara is far from a light option. This dish is loaded with butter, cream, and bacon, resulting in over 1,200 calories and over 2,000 mg of sodium. While shrimp can be healthy on its own, here it’s smothered in a calorie-laden sauce and served over a bed of refined pasta. It’s tasty, but definitely not heart-healthy.
Stuffed Ziti Fritta
Appetizers can be deceptively unhealthy, and the Stuffed Ziti Fritta is a prime example. These fried, cheese-stuffed pasta bites are crispy and satisfying, but they also pack a serious caloric punch—around 1,000 calories for the appetizer alone. With all that fried oil and melted cheese, it’s a starter that can rival a full meal in terms of unhealthy stats.
Italian Margarita
Even drinks can take a toll, and Olive Garden’s Italian Margarita is one of the worst culprits. With nearly 500 calories per glass and a heavy dose of sugar, this cocktail adds up quickly—especially if you enjoy more than one. Combined with a heavy entrée, it can push your meal into extreme territory for both calories and sugar.
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