Your Doctor Said Change Your Diet. You Still Want to Eat Out.
High cholesterol. High blood pressure. Heart disease risk. Your doctor gave you the talk. Cut the saturated fat. Cut the sodium. Eat more vegetables. Eat lean protein.
But you still have a life. You still have a family that wants to go out to dinner. You still crave the comfort of a hot meal that someone else cooked.
Here is the truth. You can eat at Olive Garden on a heart healthy diet. You just have to know what to order. And what to leave on the plate.
This guide is written specifically for people with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, or anyone trying to eat for cardiovascular health. You will learn exactly what to order, what to avoid, and how to customize your meal for your heart.
The Heart Healthy Rules for Eating at Olive Garden
Before we talk about specific foods, let us review the rules. These keep your heart safe. These lower your cholesterol. These reduce your sodium.
Rule one. Limit saturated fat. Saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol. Avoid butter, cream, cheese, fatty meats, and fried foods.
Rule two. Limit sodium. High sodium raises blood pressure. Olive Garden food is salty. You must choose the lowest sodium options.
Rule three. Choose lean protein. Grilled chicken. Shrimp. Fish. Beans. Avoid sausage, meatballs, and fatty beef.
Rule four. Eat vegetables. Fiber lowers cholesterol. Vegetables are full of fiber. Eat the salad. Eat the broccoli. Eat the spinach.
Rule five. Avoid cream sauces. Alfredo sauce is full of saturated fat. Cream based soups are full of saturated fat. Choose tomato based sauces instead.
Rule six. Avoid fried foods. Fried chicken. Fried shrimp. Fried zucchini. All fried foods are high in unhealthy fats.
Rule seven. Watch the cheese. Cheese is high in saturated fat and sodium. Ask for half the cheese or no cheese.
Rule eight. Skip the breadsticks. Breadsticks are high in sodium and refined carbs. Eat one at most.
The Best Heart Healthy Foods at Olive Garden
Let me walk you through every heart healthy option. No tables. Just clear text.
Grilled Chicken (Off Menu).
This is the heart healthy champion. Order a plain grilled chicken breast. No butter. No oil. No sauce. Just chicken.
Grilled chicken is lean protein. Low in saturated fat. Low in sodium if you ask for no added salt.
Cost is about twelve to fourteen dollars. Ask for a double portion if you are very hungry.
Grilled Shrimp.
Shrimp is low in saturated fat. High in protein. Good for your heart.
Order plain grilled shrimp. No butter. No scampi sauce. Just shrimp with a little garlic and lemon.
Cost is about sixteen to eighteen dollars.
Fish (If Available).
Some Olive Garden locations offer grilled fish specials. Ask your server. White fish like tilapia or cod is very lean. Good for your heart.
Cost varies. Usually about fifteen to eighteen dollars.
Minestrone Soup.
This soup is heart healthy. It has no cream. No butter. Just vegetables, beans, and tomato broth.
One bowl has about one hundred ten calories. Two grams of saturated fat. Six hundred milligrams of sodium. That sodium number is high but lower than other soups.
Cost is six dollars and fifty cents.
Pasta e Fagioli (Modified).
This soup has beans and pasta in tomato broth. It is low in saturated fat. But it is high in sodium. About seven hundred milligrams per bowl.
Order a bowl. Eat half. Take half home. Stretch the sodium over two meals.
Cost is six dollars and fifty cents.
Side Salad.
The house salad is heart healthy if you order it correctly. Ask for no cheese. Ask for dressing on the side. Use only one tablespoon of dressing.
The best dressing is light Italian. It has less fat and less sodium than creamy dressings.
Cost is five dollars.
Steamed Broccoli.
Broccoli is a heart superfood. Fiber lowers cholesterol. Antioxidants reduce inflammation.
Order a side of steamed broccoli. Ask for no butter. No salt.
Cost is three dollars.
Steamed Spinach.
Spinach is another heart superfood. Ask for a side of steamed spinach. Not on the menu but most locations have it.
Cost is about three dollars.
Marinara Sauce (Watch the Sodium).
Marinara sauce is low in saturated fat. But it is high in sodium. One half cup has about four hundred milligrams of sodium.
Use a small amount. Ask for it on the side. Dip your fork in it.
Cost is one dollar.
The Perfect Heart Healthy Meal at Olive Garden
After testing every combination, here is the best meal for heart health.
Order this.
Grilled chicken breast. Plain. No butter. No oil. No salt. About twelve dollars.
Side of steamed broccoli. No butter. No salt. Three dollars.
Side of steamed spinach. No butter. No salt. Three dollars.
Side salad with light Italian dressing on the side. No cheese. Five dollars.
Water with lemon.
Total cost. Twelve plus three plus three plus five equals twenty three dollars plus tax and tip.
Total saturated fat. About two grams. Excellent.
Total sodium. About four hundred milligrams from the dressing and natural sodium in the chicken. Very good for a restaurant meal.
How to eat it. Eat the salad first. The fiber will fill you up. Then eat the broccoli and spinach. More fiber. Then eat the chicken. You will be full. Your heart will be happy.
The Budget Heart Healthy Meal. Under Fifteen Dollars
Not everyone can spend twenty three dollars on a meal. Here is a heart healthy meal for under fifteen dollars.
Order this.
Minestrone soup. Six dollars and fifty cents.
Side salad with light Italian dressing on the side. No cheese. Five dollars.
Side of steamed broccoli. Three dollars.
Water.
Total cost. Six fifty plus five plus three equals fourteen dollars and fifty cents plus tax.
Total saturated fat. About two grams. Excellent.
Total sodium. About nine hundred milligrams. High but acceptable for one meal if the rest of your day is low sodium.
How to eat it. Eat the salad first. Then the broccoli. Then the soup. Eat only half the soup to reduce sodium. Take the rest home.
The Low Sodium Heart Healthy Meal
Sodium is the biggest challenge at Olive Garden. Restaurant food is salty. Here is the lowest sodium meal you can build.
Order this.
Grilled chicken breast. Plain. No salt. No butter. No oil. Twelve dollars.
Side of steamed broccoli. No salt. No butter. Three dollars.
Side of plain white rice if available. Call ahead. Most locations do not have rice.
Lemon wedges on the side. Free.
Water.
Total sodium. About one hundred fifty milligrams from the natural sodium in the chicken and broccoli. Excellent for a restaurant meal.
Total cost. Fifteen dollars plus tax.
How to eat it. Squeeze lemon over the chicken and broccoli. The lemon adds flavor without salt.
What to Avoid for Heart Health
These foods are dangerous for your heart. Learn to avoid them.
Never order Fettuccine Alfredo. This dish is full of saturated fat. Cream. Butter. Cheese. One serving has over forty grams of saturated fat. That is twice your daily limit.
Never order Chicken Parmigiana (standard). Breaded chicken fried in oil. Covered in cheese. Served on a bed of pasta. Saturated fat and sodium bomb.
Never order Tour of Italy. Three dishes in one. Each one is bad. Together they are a heart attack on a plate.
Never order Five Cheese Ziti al Forno. Five cheeses. Baked. Full of saturated fat and sodium.
Never order Lasagna Classico. Layers of cheese, fatty meat, and pasta. Very high in saturated fat and sodium.
Never order Zuppa Toscana soup. Cream based. Full of sausage. High in saturated fat and sodium.
Never order Chicken and Gnocchi soup. Cream based. High in saturated fat. High in sodium.
Never order breadsticks. Each breadstick has about four hundred milligrams of sodium. Eat two breadsticks and you have almost eight hundred milligrams before your meal even arrives.
Never order creamy dressings. Ranch. Creamy Italian. Parmesan Peppercorn. All high in saturated fat and sodium.
Never order fried appetizers. Shrimp Scampi Fritta. Stuffed Ziti Fritta. Fried zucchini. All fried. All bad for your heart.
Never order dessert. Desserts are full of saturated fat and sugar. Bad for your heart. Bad for your waistline.
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 500mg).
Grilled chicken with no salt. About 150mg.
Steamed broccoli with no salt. About 50mg.
Side salad with no dressing. About 100mg.
Medium sodium options (500mg to 1000mg).
Minestrone soup. About 600mg.
Pasta e Fagioli soup. About 700mg.
Side salad with light Italian dressing. About 400mg.
Spaghetti with marinara, half portion. About 800mg.
High sodium options (1000mg to 2000mg).
Lighter Chicken Parmigiana. About 1200mg.
Lighter Fettuccine Alfredo. About 1100mg.
Five meatballs. About 1300mg.
Full size Chicken Parmigiana. About 2000mg.
Very high sodium options (over 2000mg).
Tour of Italy. About 3200mg.
Lasagna Classico full size. About 2500mg.
Zuppa Toscana soup. About 1500mg per bowl.
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 Saturated Fat Breakdown
Saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol. Here is what you need to know.
Lowest saturated fat options (under 5g).
Grilled chicken. About 2g.
Grilled shrimp. About 1g.
Minestrone soup. About 2g.
Side salad with light dressing. About 1g.
Steamed broccoli. About 0g.
Medium saturated fat options (5g to 15g).
Lighter Chicken Parmigiana. About 8g.
Spaghetti with marinara. About 3g (plus cheese adds more).
Five meatballs. About 10g.
High saturated fat options (over 15g).
Fettuccine Alfredo full size. About 40g.
Tour of Italy. About 78g.
Five Cheese Ziti. About 35g.
Lasagna Classico. About 30g.
The American Heart Association recommends less than 13g of saturated fat per day for a 2000 calorie diet.
One order of Fettuccine Alfredo has triple your daily limit. Avoid.
The Heart Healthy Customizations. What to Ask For
You can make almost any dish heart healthy with these modifications.
Ask for no cheese. This cuts saturated fat and sodium significantly.
Ask for sauce on the side. This lets you control how much you eat. Use half the sauce. Save the rest.
Ask for no butter. Butter is pure saturated fat. Order your vegetables steamed with no butter.
Ask for no salt. The kitchen adds salt to almost everything. Ask them to hold the salt.
Ask for double vegetables instead of pasta. This is the best hack. Order any dish. Ask for double broccoli or double spinach instead of the pasta. You get fiber instead of empty carbs.
Ask for half the portion. This cuts saturated fat and sodium in half. Eat half at the restaurant. Take half home for tomorrow.
Ask for dressing on the side and use one tablespoon. Most people use four tablespoons of dressing. That adds hundreds of calories and grams of saturated fat. Use one tablespoon. Dip your fork.
The Heart Healthy and Diabetic Combination
Many people have both heart disease and diabetes. Here is how to eat for both conditions.
The double diagnosis meal.
Grilled chicken breast. No salt. No butter. No sauce.
Side of steamed broccoli. No salt. No butter.
Side salad with light Italian dressing on the side. No cheese. No croutons.
Water.
Why this works for heart health. Low saturated fat. Low sodium. High fiber.
Why this works for diabetes. Zero carbs from the chicken. Low carbs from the broccoli and salad. No blood sugar spike.
Total carbs. About fifteen grams from the broccoli and salad. Perfect for a diabetic.
Total saturated fat. About two grams. Perfect for heart health.
Total sodium. About three hundred milligrams. Perfect for blood pressure.
This meal works for almost everyone. Heart disease. Diabetes. High blood pressure. Weight loss. General health.
The Takeout Strategy for Heart Health
Takeout gives you control. You can modify your food without feeling embarrassed. You can eat at home where you have measuring spoons and portion control.
The heart healthy takeout strategy.
Order grilled chicken with no salt. Order steamed broccoli with no butter. Order a side salad with dressing on the side.
Pick up your food. Drive home.
At home, measure one tablespoon of dressing. Put it on your salad. Put the rest of the dressing in the fridge for another day.
Plate your food on a small plate. A small plate makes a normal portion look large.
Eat the salad first. Then the broccoli. Then the chicken.
Stop when you are full. Put the leftovers in the fridge.
You just ate a heart healthy meal. You controlled the portions. You controlled the sodium. You controlled the fat.
Frequently Asked Questions for Heart Healthy Diners
Is Olive Garden food heart healthy?
Some of it. The grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, and minestrone soup are heart healthy. The creamy pastas and fried foods are not.
What is the lowest sodium item at Olive Garden?
Grilled chicken with no added salt. About one hundred fifty milligrams of sodium.
What is the lowest saturated fat item at Olive Garden?
Steamed broccoli. Zero grams of saturated fat.
Can I eat pasta on a heart healthy diet?
Yes. Choose tomato based sauce instead of cream sauce. Ask for half the cheese. Eat a half portion. Add vegetables.
Is the salad heart healthy?
Yes. Ask for no cheese. Ask for dressing on the side. Use one tablespoon of light Italian dressing.
Can I eat the breadsticks on a heart healthy diet?
One breadstick has four hundred milligrams of sodium. Eat half of one. That is two hundred milligrams. Acceptable as a treat.
Does Olive Garden have low sodium options?
Not specifically. You must ask for no added salt. The food will still have natural sodium. But it will be lower.
Is the minestrone soup heart healthy?
Yes. Low in saturated fat. High in fiber. Watch the sodium. Eat a half portion.
Can I get olive oil instead of butter?
Yes. Ask for a side of olive oil. Use it on your vegetables instead of butter. Olive oil is heart healthy. Butter is not.
Does Olive Garden have nutrition information available?
Yes. Ask your server or check their website. All nutrition data is published.
Your Heart Healthy Action Plan for Olive Garden
Step one. Review your goals. Low saturated fat. Low sodium. High fiber.
Step two. Choose your protein. Grilled chicken is best. Grilled shrimp is second.
Step three. Choose your vegetables. Steamed broccoli. Steamed spinach. Side salad.
Step four. Choose your sauce or dressing. Light Italian dressing on the side. Marinara on the side. Olive oil.
Step five. Order your modifications. No cheese. No butter. No salt. Dressing on the side. Sauce on the side.
Step six. When the food arrives, put half in a to go box immediately. Out of sight. Out of mind.
Step seven. Eat your salad first. The fiber will fill you up.
Step eight. Eat your vegetables. More fiber.
Step nine. Eat your protein.
Step ten. Stop when you are full. Take the rest home.
Final Word to Heart Healthy Diners
Your heart is the most important muscle in your body. It has been working for you every second of every day since you were born. It deserves your care.
Eating out is not a betrayal of your heart healthy diet. You just have to be smart. Grilled chicken instead of fried. Steamed broccoli instead of pasta. Salad instead of breadsticks. Water instead of soda.
Olive Garden can be part of your heart healthy life. The grilled chicken is lean. The vegetables are fresh. The minestrone soup is warm and comforting.
You do not need the alfredo sauce. You do not need the cheese. You do not need the breadsticks. You need protein, fiber, and vegetables. Olive Garden has all three.
Order smart. Modify boldly. Eat slowly. Stop when full.
Your heart will thank you.