Olive Garden Macros: Complete Nutrition Guide for Pasta, Breadsticks & More

Olive Garden’s motto “When You’re Here, You’re Family” also means unlimited breadsticks and salad—a macro tracker’s nightmare (or dream, depending on your self-control). With pasta dishes routinely hitting 1,500+ calories, Olive Garden requires serious strategy.

But it’s not impossible. Grilled proteins, marinara sauces, and lunch portions can make Olive Garden work for your macros. This guide breaks down the entire menu.

The Olive Garden Macro Challenge

Before diving in, understand what makes Italian dining tricky:

• Unlimited breadsticks – Each one is 140 calories, and they keep coming
• Massive pasta portions – Dinner portions are 1,000-1,800 calories
• Alfredo = calorie bomb – Cream-based sauces add hundreds of calories
• Hidden oils – Italian cooking uses generous amounts
• “Family style” mentality – Portions are meant for sharing (but aren’t)

The good news? Grilled proteins are excellent, and lunch portions are half the calories.

Olive Garden Breadsticks & Salad Macros

Item	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Breadstick (1)	140	2	26	2
Salad (without dressing)	150	6	16	8
Italian Dressing	110	0	6	9
Light Italian Dressing	35	0	3	3

The breadstick trap: Just 3 breadsticks = 420 calories. Limit to 1 or skip entirely.

Salad strategy: Get light dressing or oil & vinegar. Without creamy dressing, salad is reasonable at 150-185 calories per serving.

Olive Garden Soups Macros (1 Bowl)

Soup	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Minestrone	130	5	19	4
Pasta e Fagioli	170	9	22	5
Zuppa Toscana	270	10	19	17
Chicken Gnocchi	280	9	26	15

Best for macros: Minestrone (130 cal) or Pasta e Fagioli (170 cal, 9g protein) Skip: Zuppa Toscana and Chicken Gnocchi are cream-based and higher calorie

Olive Garden Classic Pastas Macros (Dinner Portion)

Pasta	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce	920	37	115	34
Fettuccine Alfredo	1,310	36	116	76
Chicken Alfredo	1,570	65	117	97
Shrimp Alfredo	1,410	44	117	89
Five Cheese Ziti al Forno	1,000	38	93	51
Eggplant Parmigiana	1,070	31	110	54
Chicken Parmigiana	1,090	53	96	51
Shrimp Scampi	970	31	108	43
Seafood Alfredo	1,540	51	121	94
Tour of Italy	1,560	57	104	99

Warning: Most dinner pastas are 1,000-1,500 calories. The Tour of Italy is essentially three entrees on one plate.

Olive Garden Lunch Portions Macros

Lunch Pasta	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce	510	20	63	19
Fettuccine Alfredo	720	20	63	41
Chicken Alfredo	720	32	49	42
Five Cheese Ziti al Forno	550	21	51	28
Chicken Parmigiana	620	31	55	30

Pro tip: Lunch portions are 40-50% fewer calories than dinner. Always check if lunch portions are available.

Olive Garden Cucina Mia (Create Your Own) Macros

Build your own pasta with better portion control:

Pasta Base

Pasta	Calories	Carbs (g)
Rigatoni	360	70
Spaghetti	360	70
Angel Hair	360	70
Penne	360	70

Sauces

Sauce	Calories	Fat (g)
Marinara	100	3
Meat Sauce	200	10
Five Cheese Marinara	210	9
Alfredo	540	48

Proteins

Protein	Calories	Protein (g)
Grilled Chicken	190	36
Italian Sausage	270	17
Meatballs (3)	390	22
Shrimp	140	16

Best Cucina Mia combo:

• Angel Hair + Marinara + Grilled Chicken = 650 calories, 40g protein

Worst combo:

• Any pasta + Alfredo + Meatballs = 1,290 calories

Olive Garden Grilled Proteins Macros (Entrée Only)

Protein	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Herb-Grilled Salmon	560	58	2	35
Grilled Chicken Margherita	510	50	11	29
Salmon Piccata	660	55	14	44
Shrimp Scampi (without pasta)	~400	28	5	30

Best for macros: Herb-Grilled Salmon (560 cal, 58g protein) or Grilled Chicken Margherita (510 cal, 50g protein)

Olive Garden Appetizers Macros

Appetizer	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Stuffed Ziti Fritta	750	26	55	47
Fried Mozzarella	680	30	49	40
Calamari	690	28	50	41
Crispy Zucchini Fritta	440	9	52	22
Spinach-Artichoke Dip	790	23	52	54
Classic Shrimp Scampi Fritta	570	19	35	39
Lasagna Fritta	1,030	32	77	65

Warning: Most appetizers are fried and 600-1,000 calories. Share among 4+ people or skip.

Olive Garden Sides Macros

Side	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Steamed Broccoli	50	4	8	1
Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini	270	8	23	16
Mashed Potatoes	220	4	33	8
Fettuccine Alfredo (side)	430	12	40	24
Garlic Mashed Potatoes	250	4	35	10

Best side: Steamed Broccoli (50 cal)

Olive Garden Desserts Macros

Dessert	Calories	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Tiramisu	510	7	53	30
Chocolate Brownie Lasagna	930	10	108	53
Black Tie Mousse Cake	770	9	75	49
Dolcini (1)	220	3	26	12

If you must: Single Dolcini is the lightest option at 220 calories.

Best Olive Garden Orders by Goal

Best High-Protein Olive Garden Order

Protein-Focused Italian

• House Salad (light dressing)
• Herb-Grilled Salmon
• Steamed Broccoli
• 1 Breadstick

Macros: 895 calories | 70g protein | 54g carbs | 46g fat

Best Low-Calorie Olive Garden Order (Under 700 Cal)

Light & Lean

• Minestrone Soup
• Lunch Chicken Parmigiana
• No breadsticks

Macros: 680 calories | 36g protein | 74g carbs | 33g fat

Best Keto Olive Garden Order

Low-Carb Italian

• House Salad (oil & vinegar)
• Grilled Chicken Margherita (no pasta side)
• Steamed Broccoli

Macros: 710 calories | 60g protein | 27g carbs | 42g fat

Best Balanced Olive Garden Order

Smart Italian Dinner

• House Salad (light dressing)
• Cucina Mia: Spaghetti + Marinara + Grilled Chicken
• No breadsticks

Macros: 835 calories | 48g protein | 95g carbs | 23g fat

How to Customize Your Olive Garden Order

To Maximize Protein:

• Grilled salmon or chicken – 50-58g protein
• Add protein to Cucina Mia – Grilled chicken = 36g extra
• Chicken Parmigiana – 53g protein
• Skip breadsticks for protein entree – Better macro trade-off

To Minimize Calories:

• Lunch portions always – 40-50% fewer calories
• Marinara over Alfredo – Saves 400+ calories
• Steamed broccoli – 50 cal vs 430 for Alfredo side
• 1 breadstick max – Or skip entirely
• Light dressing on salad – 35 vs 110 calories
• Cucina Mia with smart choices – Control your portions

To Reduce Carbs:

• Grilled proteins without pasta – Near-zero carbs
• Double steamed vegetables – Instead of pasta
• Skip breadsticks – 26g carbs each
• Salad with oil & vinegar – Lower carb dressing
• No soup – Even minestrone has 19g carbs

The Breadstick Math:

Breadsticks	Calories	Carbs
1	140	26g
2	280	52g
3	420	78g
4	560	104g
5	700	130g

Reality check: Five breadsticks = 700 calories. That could be your entire entree.

Complete Olive Garden Meal Combinations

Meal	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
Salad + Minestrone + 1 Breadstick	435	13g	64g	14g
Lunch Chicken Alfredo + Salad	905	38g	65g	51g
Herb-Grilled Salmon + Broccoli	610	62g	10g	36g
Cucina Mia (Marinara + Chicken)	650	42g	76g	17g
Tour of Italy + 2 Breadsticks + Salad	2,130	65g	162g	115g
Chicken Parmigiana (Dinner) + 3 Breadsticks	1,510	59g	174g	57g

Note: That Tour of Italy combo shows how quickly Olive Garden can spiral—over 2,100 calories in one sitting.

Sauce Selection Guide

Instead of	Get	You Save
Alfredo	Marinara	440 calories
Five Cheese Marinara	Plain Marinara	110 calories
Meat Sauce	Marinara	100 calories

Common Olive Garden Ordering Mistakes

1. Treating breadsticks as “free” – They’re 140 calories each
2. Dinner portions – Always ask for lunch size
3. Alfredo anything – 500+ extra calories from sauce
4. “Tour of Italy because it’s a deal” – It’s 1,560 calories
5. Fried appetizers – 600-1,000 calories before your meal
6. Cream-based soups – Zuppa Toscana is 270 cal vs Minestrone’s 130
7. Not asking for light dressing – Saves 75 calories per salad

The Bottom Line

Olive Garden can work for macro tracking, but requires discipline—especially with unlimited breadsticks. Focus on grilled proteins, marinara sauces, and lunch portions. The Cucina Mia build-your-own option gives you the most control.

Key takeaways:

• Lunch portions save 40-50% calories – Always ask
• Marinara over Alfredo – Saves 400+ calories
• Grilled salmon/chicken – Best protein-to-calorie options
• 1 breadstick max – Or skip entirely
• Light Italian dressing – 35 vs 110 calories
• Cucina Mia – Build your own with smarter choices

Following a flexible dieting approach? Olive Garden’s grilled options and build-your-own pasta make it workable.

Ready to see how Olive Garden fits your daily targets? Use our free macro calculator.

Looking for other casual dining options? Check out our guides to Applebee’s macros, Texas Roadhouse macros, and Outback macros.