Eating low calorie at Olive Garden doesn't have to mean skipping out on the pasta or breadsticks. From the most delicious soups, salads, and pasta dishes, plus the best combos to order, this list has all the best Olive Garden menu items under 500 calories!
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Olive Garden Low Calorie Options
Olive Garden's menu offers a lot more than the unlimited pasta and breadsticks they're known for! There are plenty of healthier options on their menu that are actually low in calories but still big in flavor.
As a long-time fan of Olive Garden myself, I wanted to highlight those underrated low calorie options today. So, I sifted through Olive Garden's menu for all the best things you can get for under 500 calories, from lunch to dinner entrees. There are a ton of great items to choose from, and there's a good chance some of your favorite orders are on this list!
1. Minestrone Soup
Nutritional Info for a serving:
- 110 Calories
- 1g Fat
- 17g Carbs
- 4g Sugar
- 4g Fiber
- 5g Protein
This vegetarian favorite, loaded with fresh vegetables, beans, and pasta in a tangy tomato broth, is the lowest calorie option on Olive Garden's menu. Though it's only 110 calories, this pasta soup is surprisingly filling. It's also great paired with a side of garlic breadstick at 140 calories or a grilled chicken at 130 calories for some added protein.
2. Pasta fa*gioli Soup
Nutritional Info for a serving:
- 150 Calories
- 5g Fat
- 16g Carbs
- 4g Sugar
- 3g Fiber
- 8g Protein
The perfect marriage of pasta and veggies in a brothy soup, the pasta e fa*gioli is one of their most filling soup options. With a mix of white and red beans, ground beef, tomatoes, and pasta, there's a good balance of protein, carbs, and fiber to keep you satisfied until your next meal. For just 150 calories more, you can get a side salad with classic dressing for a healthy add-on. By the way, if you want to make this soup at home, I have a copycat Olive Garden pasta fa*gioli recipe on my other blog.
3. Zuppa Toscana Soup
Nutritional Info for a serving:
- 220 Calories
- 15g Fat
- 15g Carbs
- 2g Sugar
- 2g Fiber
- 7g Protein
Anything creamy at Olive Garden is usually higher in calories, but their zuppa toscana soup is a delicious exception. This hearty soup is made with russet potatoes, spicy Italian sausage, and fresh kale in a creamy broth and comes out to just 220 calories for a serving. It's awesome for a light lunch, or you can make it heartier with a breadstick side for around 360 calories total.
4. Chicken & Gnocchi Soup
Nutritional Info for a serving:
- 230 Calories
- 12g Fat
- 22g Carbs
- 4g Sugar
- 1g Fiber
- 11g Protein
Another delicious soup, the chicken & gnocchi soup is a low calorie offering that's a great alternative for your creamy pasta cravings. The pillowy potato gnocchi, bites of roasted chicken, and tender spinach in a rich chicken broth make the ultimate comfort food with just 230 calories.
5. Famous House Salad
Nutritional Info for a serving without dressing:
- 290 Calories
- 17g Fat
- 30g Carbs
- 10g Sugar
- 6g Fiber
- 8g Protein
If you're craving fresh veggies, Olive Garden's famous house salad is a great choice. It's got lettuce greens, sliced red onions, Roma tomatoes, black olives, pepperoncini, croutons, and parmesan cheese. The dressing is served on the side, giving you the option to skip it or make a light dressing yourself by asking for a side of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. You can also just drizzle on their low-fat Italian dressing for 30 calories or signature Italian dressing for 80 calories. Oh, and if you want to try making it at home, check out this Olive Garden salad recipe.
6. Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce
Nutritional Info for a lunch entree:
- 290 Calories
- 6g Fat
- 50g Carbs
- 7g Sugar
- 4g Fiber
- 9g Protein
This simple and classic combination is Olive Garden's lowest calorie pasta option, with just 290 calories for a lunch entree. There's plenty of room to customize the meal to suit your needs too. You can get it with meat sauce for just 360 calories total or add a side of grilled chicken, sauteed shrimp, or seasoned broccoli while still keeping the meal under 470 calories. Alternatively, if you'd like a bigger portion, you can order it off their dinner menu or from their Create Your Own Pasta option, and it comes to only 490 calories.
7. Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks
Nutritional Info for salad with low-fat Italian dressing, breadstick, and minestrone soup:
- 340 Calories
- 6g Fat
- 55g Carbs
- 10g Sugar
- 7g Fiber
- 12g Protein
The lowest calorie order you can make on their Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks option is to get the salad with low-fat Italian dressing, minestrone soup, and a plain breadstick. You can also customize the combination in a few different ways while still keeping it perfectly low-cal. Upgrade to a garlic breadstick, get it with regular salad dressing instead of low-fat, or opt for any of the soup options. Any one of these swaps will still keep the calorie count well under 480.
8. Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce
Nutritional Info for a lunch entree:
- 440 Calories
- 22g Fat
- 38g Carbs
- 4g Sugar
- 3g Fiber
- 25g Protein
Stuffed with a blend of Italian cheeses then topped with flavorful tomato marinara and melty mozzarella cheese, Olive Garden's cheese ravioli is a surprisingly low calorie dish that tastes super indulgent. For the lowest calorie count, you can order it with marinara instead of meat sauce. However, if you'd like the added protein, the whole meal comes to just 500 calories with the meat sauce option.
9. Shrimp Scampi
Nutritional Info for a lunch entree:
- 460 Calories
- 18g Fat
- 52g Carbs
- 5g Sugar
- 4g Fiber
- 20g Protein
This filling shrimp pasta is a perfectly balanced meal featuring shrimp, tomatoes, and asparagus tossed with angel hair pasta in a light garlic sauce. It's a hearty and satisfying option for lunch or dinner, with the lunch-sized portion weighing in at only 460 calories and the dinner entree version at 490 calories.
10. Gluten-Sensitive 6 oz. Tuscan Sirloin
Nutritional Info for a serving:
- 480 Calories
- 30g Fat
- 9g Carbs
- 2g Sugar
- 4g Fiber
- 46g Protein
The 6 oz. sirloin entree on Olive Garden's regular dinner menu comes with a side of fettuccine alfredo, which bumps the calorie count up to almost 1000 calories. But the version on their gluten-sensitive menu comes with parmesan garlic broccoli instead and has just 480 calories for the whole meal! Just like the dinner entree, the steak is grilled to your preferred doneness and is topped with garlic herb butter, so you're getting the same deliciousness with less than half the calories.
11. Herb-Grilled Salmon Coho
Nutritional Info for a dinner entree:
- 500 Calories
- 31g Fat
- 8g Carbs
- 2g Sugar
- 3g Fiber
- 50g Protein
At just slightly over 500 calories, this filling and healthy plate, featuring grilled coho salmon smothered in garlicky herb butter and served with parmesan broccoli, is one of the lowest calorie offerings on their dinner menu. Coho salmon is leaner than other varieties of salmon, making this regional menu order a must-try for low calorie eating. If the coho salmon version isn't available in your area, you can also get the regular herb-grilled salmon for just 100 calories more.
More Low Calorie Menu Ordering Guides
- Low calorie Cheesecake Factory
- Low calorie Burger King
- Low calorie Wendy's
- Low calorie Subway
- Healthy Taco Bell
- Healthy Outback Steakhouse
- Healthy Panda Express
