Keto at Olive Garden? You might think that would be impossible, thanks to this chain restaurant’s carb-heavy signature offerings such as pasta, chicken Parmesan, and breadsticks.
However, it’s surprisingly easy to follow the low carb, high fat keto diet at Olive Garden.
Most people on this diet try to limit their carb intake to 50 grams of total carbs or 25 grams of net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) per day. So we’ve assembled a list of Olive Garden dishes that each contain fewer than 25 grams of total carbs and 15 grams of net carbs.
Still, you may need to carefully count your other sources of carbs throughout the day if you decide to eat some of these meals.
Here are the 7 best keto-friendly choices at Olive Garden.
1. Minestrone Soup
Olive Garden’s Minestrone is a light, vegan-friendly soup made with vegetables, beans, and pasta in tomato broth.
While it fits a carefully planned keto diet, this dish offers little in the way of protein or fat while comprising a significant amount of your daily carb allotment.
One serving contains (1):
Calories: 110Fat: 1 gramProtein: 5 gramsTotal carbs: 17 gramsFiber: 4 gramsNet carbs: 13 grams
2. Pasta Fagioli Soup
This hearty Pasta Fagioli contains ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and pasta.
Like the Minestrone, it’s not the best choice because of its fairly high carb content paired with its relatively low protein and fat content. However, you can definitely have a bowl if it’s what you’re craving and you’re careful with carb intake for your other meals.
One serving provides (1):
Calories: 150Fat: 5 gramsProtein: 8 gramsTotal carbs: 16 gramsFiber: 3 gramsNet carbs: 13 grams
3. Zuppa Toscana Soup
Zuppa Toscana is made with Italian sausage, kale, and potatoes served in a creamy broth.
It’s the most keto-friendly soup that Olive Garden offers because it contains more fat and calories than the Minestrone and Pasta Fagioli, despite having the same number of net carbs. Thus, it’s a more substantial meal.
Calories: 220Fat: 15 gramsProtein: 7 gramsTotal carbs: 15 gramsFiber: 2 gramsNet carbs: 13 grams
4. Salad with Signature Italian Dressing and No Croutons
Olive Garden’s appetizer salad — made with lettuce, tomato, onion, olives, and pepperoncini — is perfectly keto as long as you order it without croutons.
The restaurant’s Signature Italian Dressing is low in carbs as well.
One serving of this salad — with dressing but without croutons — provides (1):
Calories: 110Fat: 8 gramsProtein: 2 gramsTotal carbs: 7 gramsFiber: 2 gramsNet carbs: 5 grams
5. Grilled Chicken Margherita
The Grilled Chicken Margherita is an ideal keto option — and it’s large enough that you may even be able to get two meals out of it.
This dish contains two grilled chicken breasts topped with mozzarella cheese, pesto, lemon garlic sauce, and tomatoes and is served with a side of broccoli.
One portion (containing two chicken breasts) provides (1):
Calories: 540Fat: 27 gramsProtein: 65 gramsTotal carbs: 14 gramsFiber: 6 gramsNet carbs: 8 grams
6. Herb Grilled Salmon
The Herb Grilled Salmon plate is another excellent keto option.
It features a grilled salmon fillet with garlic herb butter and a side of broccoli.
Calories: 460Fat: 29 gramsProtein: 45 gramsTotal carbs: 8 gramsFiber: 5 gramsNet carbs: 3 grams
7. Gluten Sensitive 6 Ounce Sirloin (without pasta)
The Gluten Sensitive 6 Ounce Sirloin typically comes with a side of pasta, but you can replace the pasta with broccoli to drastically reduce the carb count.
One serving, which features a 6-ounce (170-gram) steak, contains (1):
Calories: 310Fat: 12 gramsProtein: 46 gramsTotal carbs: 8 gramsFiber: 4 gramsNet carbs: 4 grams
Surprisingly enough, Olive Garden offers several keto-friendly options in addition to its signature pastas.
Although the restaurant’s Minestrone, Pasta Fagioli, and Zuppa Toscana soups aren’t ideal for a standalone meal, they all contain 13 grams of net carbs per serving. You can add a salad with no croutons for 5 grams of net carbs.
Additionally, Olive Garden’s grilled chicken, salmon, and steak dishes — when served with broccoli instead of pasta — are very low in carbs, so they’re the best keto choices.
If you’re craving pasta, try ordering your favorite noodle dish with broccoli or another veggie instead of the pasta.
Dining and Cooking