Your Doctor Said Cut the Salt. You Still Want to Eat Out.
High blood pressure. Heart disease. Kidney disease. Fluid retention. Your doctor gave you the talk. Cut the sodium. No more than 1500 to 2300 milligrams per day. Read every label. Cook at home.
But you have a life. You have a family. You have friends who want to go out. You cannot stay in your kitchen forever.
Here is the truth. Most restaurant food is loaded with salt. Olive Garden is no exception. A single meal can have over 3000 milligrams of sodium. That is more than your entire daily allowance.
But you can eat at Olive Garden on a low sodium diet. You just have to know what to order. And more importantly, what to ask for.
This guide is written specifically for people with high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, or anyone watching their sodium intake. You will learn exactly what to order, what to avoid, and how to customize your meal for your health.
The Low Sodium Rules for Eating at Olive Garden
Before we talk about specific foods, let us review the rules. These keep your blood pressure in check. These protect your heart and kidneys.
Rule one. No added salt. Ask the kitchen to prepare your food without any added salt. This is the single most important request.
Rule two. No sauces on the food. Sauces are sodium bombs. Ask for sauce on the side. Use a tiny amount. Dip your fork.
Rule three. No cheese. Cheese is high in sodium. One ounce of parmesan cheese has over 300 milligrams of sodium. Skip it.
Rule four. No breadsticks. Each breadstick has about 400 milligrams of sodium. Eat one at most. Better yet, eat none.
Rule five. No soup. Most soups have 600 to 1500 milligrams of sodium per bowl. Even the “healthy” minestrone has 600 milligrams. Eat soup only as a treat.
Rule six. Choose grilled over fried. Grilled chicken has less sodium than breaded chicken parm. Grilled shrimp has less sodium than fried shrimp.
Rule seven. Ask for lemon. Lemon adds flavor without salt. Squeeze fresh lemon on your chicken, vegetables, and salad.
Rule eight. Drink water. No soda. No sweet tea. No juice. Water only.
The Lowest Sodium Items at Olive Garden
After extensive research, here are the lowest sodium options at Olive Garden. Remember to ask for no added salt.
Grilled Chicken. No Salt Added.
Order a plain grilled chicken breast. Ask for no salt. No marinade. No sauce. No butter. Just chicken.
Sodium content. About 150 milligrams for a half portion. This is your best option.
Cost is about twelve to fourteen dollars.
Grilled Shrimp. No Salt Added.
Order plain grilled shrimp. Ask for no salt. No scampi sauce. No butter. Just shrimp with a little garlic and lemon.
Sodium content. About 200 milligrams for a half portion.
Cost is about sixteen to eighteen dollars.
Steamed Broccoli. No Salt Added.
Order a side of steamed broccoli. Ask for no salt. No butter. Just broccoli.
Sodium content. About 50 milligrams per side.
Cost is three dollars.
Steamed Spinach. No Salt Added.
Order a side of steamed spinach. Ask for no salt. No butter. Just spinach.
Sodium content. About 100 milligrams per side.
Cost is about three dollars.
Side Salad. No Dressing. No Croutons. No Cheese.
Order a side salad. Ask for no croutons. No cheese. No dressing. Just lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, and peppers. The vegetables have natural sodium but no added salt.
Sodium content. About 100 milligrams for the whole salad.
Cost is five dollars.
Plain Baked Potato. If Available.
Some Olive Garden locations have baked potatoes. Ask. If they do, order one plain. No butter. No salt. No sour cream. No bacon.
Sodium content. About 20 milligrams for a plain potato.
Cost is about three dollars.
The Lowest Sodium Meal at Olive Garden
After testing every combination, here is the absolute lowest sodium meal you can build.
Order this.
Grilled chicken breast. No salt. No marinade. No sauce. No butter. Half portion. About seven dollars.
Side of steamed broccoli. No salt. No butter. Three dollars.
Side salad with no dressing, no croutons, no cheese. Five dollars.
Lemon wedges on the side. Free.
Water.
Total sodium. Chicken has about 150 milligrams. Broccoli has about 50 milligrams. Salad has about 100 milligrams. Total 300 milligrams. Excellent for a low sodium diet.
Total cost. Seven plus three plus five equals fifteen dollars plus tax and tip.
How to eat it. Squeeze lemon over the chicken and broccoli. The lemon adds flavor without salt. Eat the salad plain. The vegetables have their own flavor. You will be surprised how good it tastes.
The Second Lowest Sodium Meal. For When You Want Pasta
Sometimes you want pasta. You are human. Here is the lowest sodium way to eat pasta at Olive Garden.
Order this.
Gluten free rotini pasta. Ask for no salt in the pasta water. Four dollars for a side portion.
Plain marinara sauce on the side. Ask for no salt added marinara. One dollar.
Side salad with no dressing, no croutons, no cheese. Five dollars.
Total sodium. Gluten free pasta has about 50 milligrams. No salt marinara has about 100 milligrams for two tablespoons. Salad has about 100 milligrams. Total 250 milligrams. Very good for a low sodium diet.
Total cost. Four plus one plus five equals ten dollars plus tax and tip.
How to eat it. Use only two tablespoons of marinara sauce. Dip your fork in the sauce. Twirl a small amount of pasta. The sauce flavor will go a long way.
What to Avoid at All Costs
These foods are sodium disasters. Learn to avoid them.
Never order breadsticks. Each breadstick has about 400 milligrams of sodium. Eat two breadsticks and you have almost 800 milligrams before your meal even arrives.
Never order Zuppa Toscana soup. One bowl has about 1500 milligrams of sodium. That is your entire daily allowance in one soup bowl.
Never order Chicken and Gnocchi soup. About 1400 milligrams per bowl.
Never order Pasta e Fagioli soup. About 700 milligrams per bowl. Lower than the others but still high.
Never order Minestrone soup. About 600 milligrams per bowl. The lowest of the soups but still high for a low sodium diet.
Never order Fettuccine Alfredo. The sauce alone has over 800 milligrams of sodium per serving. Add the pasta and you are over 1200 milligrams.
Never order Chicken Parmigiana. The breaded chicken has salt. The sauce has salt. The cheese has salt. Total over 2000 milligrams.
Never order Tour of Italy. Over 3000 milligrams of sodium. That is two days worth of salt in one meal.
Never order meatballs. Five meatballs have about 1300 milligrams of sodium. They are delicious but deadly for blood pressure.
Never order salad dressing. One serving of Italian dressing has about 400 milligrams of sodium. Ranch has about 300 milligrams. Make your own dressing with olive oil and lemon.
The Sodium Breakdown. What You Need to Know
Here are the sodium counts for popular Olive Garden items. Use this to plan your meal.
Lowest sodium options. Under 300mg.
Grilled chicken no salt. About 150mg.
Steamed broccoli no salt. About 50mg.
Side salad no dressing no croutons. About 100mg.
Plain baked potato if available. About 20mg.
Gluten free pasta no salt. About 50mg.
Medium sodium options. 300mg to 800mg.
Side salad with light Italian dressing. About 400mg.
Spaghetti with marinara, half portion. About 400mg.
Minestrone soup, half bowl. About 300mg.
Pasta e Fagioli soup, half bowl. About 350mg.
High sodium options. 800mg to 1500mg.
Lighter Chicken Parmigiana. About 1200mg.
Lighter Fettuccine Alfredo. About 1100mg.
Five meatballs. About 1300mg.
Full bowl of Minestrone. About 600mg.
One breadstick. About 400mg.
Very high sodium options. Over 1500mg.
Tour of Italy. About 3200mg.
Lasagna Classico full size. About 2500mg.
Zuppa Toscana full bowl. About 1500mg.
Chicken Parmigiana full size. About 2000mg.
Meatball sandwich if available. About 1800mg.
The American Heart Association recommends less than 2300mg of sodium per day. Ideally less than 1500mg for people with high blood pressure.
One meal at Olive Garden can easily exceed your entire daily limit. Choose wisely.
The Low Sodium Customizations. What to Ask For
You can make almost any dish lower in sodium with these requests.
Ask for no salt on anything. The kitchen adds salt to almost everything. Ask them to hold the salt. Say these exact words. “I have a medical condition. Please do not add any salt to my food. Not on the chicken. Not in the pasta water. Not on the vegetables.”
Ask for sauce on the side. This lets you control how much you eat. Use one tablespoon of sauce instead of the half cup they would normally serve. You cut the sodium by 80 percent.
Ask for no cheese. Cheese is high in sodium. Skip it.
Ask for no croutons. Croutons are salted. Skip them.
Ask for dressing on the side. Use one tablespoon of dressing instead of the quarter cup they would normally serve. Or make your own dressing with olive oil and lemon.
Ask for lemon wedges. Lemon adds flavor without salt. Use it liberally.
Ask for double vegetables instead of pasta. Vegetables have less sodium than pasta. They also have potassium, which helps lower blood pressure.
The Potassium Boost. Foods That Lower Blood Pressure
Potassium helps counteract sodium. It helps lower blood pressure. Here are the high potassium foods at Olive Garden.
Spinach. Order a side of steamed spinach. No salt. Spinach is loaded with potassium.
Broccoli. Order a side of steamed broccoli. No salt. Broccoli has potassium and fiber.
Tomatoes. The salad has fresh tomatoes. Eat them. The marinara sauce has tomatoes but also has salt. Stick with fresh tomatoes.
Beans. The minestrone soup has beans. But the soup also has salt. If you eat the soup, eat the beans. Leave most of the broth.
The best potassium meal. Grilled chicken. Steamed spinach. Side salad with tomatoes. Lemon wedges. No salt. This meal has potassium, protein, and fiber. Perfect for blood pressure.
The DASH Diet Guide for Olive Garden
The DASH diet is the number one recommended diet for high blood pressure. It stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Here is how to eat DASH at Olive Garden.
DASH principles. Lots of vegetables. Lots of fruits. Whole grains. Low fat dairy. Lean protein. Limited sodium. Limited saturated fat. Limited sugar.
The DASH meal at Olive Garden.
Grilled chicken breast. No salt. Lean protein. Good.
Side of steamed broccoli. Vegetable. Good.
Side salad with no dressing, no croutons, no cheese. Vegetables. Good.
Side of steamed spinach. Vegetable. Good.
Lemon wedges. Fruit. Good.
Water.
What DASH avoids at Olive Garden. Breadsticks. Cheese. Creamy sauces. Fried foods. Desserts. Soda.
This meal follows DASH principles perfectly. Low sodium. High vegetables. Lean protein. No processed foods.
Frequently Asked Questions for Low Sodium Diners
What is the lowest sodium item at Olive Garden? Grilled chicken with no added salt. About 150 milligrams of sodium.
Can I eat the breadsticks on a low sodium diet? One breadstick has 400 milligrams of sodium. Eat half of one as a treat. Better yet, eat none.
Is the salad low sodium? Yes, if you order it with no dressing, no croutons, and no cheese. The vegetables themselves have very little sodium.
What about salad dressing? One serving of dressing has 300 to 400 milligrams of sodium. Make your own dressing with olive oil and lemon. Or use only one tablespoon.
Can I eat soup? Minestrone has 600 milligrams per bowl. Eat a half bowl for 300 milligrams. Acceptable as an occasional treat.
Is the gluten free pasta lower in sodium? The pasta itself has less sodium. But the kitchen may add salt to the water. Ask for no salt in the pasta water.
Does Olive Garden have low sodium options on the menu? Not specifically. You must ask for no added salt and customize your order.
Can I ask for no salt on my food? Yes. The kitchen will accommodate. Say “I have a medical condition. Please do not add any salt to my food.”
What is the best drink for low sodium? Water. Nothing else. No soda. No sweet tea. No juice.
How do I add flavor without salt? Lemon. Garlic. Black pepper. Red pepper flakes. Olive oil. Vinegar. Ask for these on the side.
Your Low Sodium Action Plan for Olive Garden
Step one. Before you go, review the rules. No added salt. Sauce on the side. No cheese. No breadsticks. No soup. Water only.
Step two. Choose your protein. Grilled chicken is best. Grilled shrimp is second.
Step three. Choose your vegetables. Steamed broccoli. Steamed spinach. Side salad with no dressing.
Step four. When you order, say this exact script. “I have a medical condition. I cannot have any salt. Please do not add salt to my chicken, my vegetables, or anything else. Please put all sauces and dressings on the side. Thank you.”
Step five. Ask for lemon wedges. Lots of them.
Step six. When the food arrives, squeeze lemon over everything. Add black pepper if you want.
Step seven. Eat slowly. Enjoy the natural flavors of the food.
Step eight. Drink water. No soda. No sweet tea.
Step nine. Take leftovers home. You have tomorrow’s low sodium lunch.
Final Word to Low Sodium Diners
High blood pressure is serious. Heart disease is serious. Kidney disease is serious. Your health matters.
But you do not have to hide at home. You do not have to eat bland food forever. You can eat at Olive Garden. You just have to order smart.
Grilled chicken. Steamed vegetables. Fresh salad. Lemon. No salt. No sauce. No cheese. No breadsticks.
It sounds boring. But it is not. The natural flavors of good ingredients shine through when you are not drowning everything in salt.
Your taste buds will adjust. After a few weeks of low sodium eating, you will taste things you never noticed before. The sweetness of a tomato. The earthiness of spinach. The brightness of lemon.
You can do this. Your heart will thank you. Your kidneys will thank you. Your blood pressure will thank you.
Go to Olive Garden. Order your grilled chicken. Squeeze your lemon. Eat your broccoli. Drink your water.
You are taking care of yourself. That is the most important thing.