Keto at Olive Garden

Olive Garden items ranked by net carbs

Net carbs per 100g. Tap any item for serving sizes and the full breakdown.

Tips

• Tell the server up front to skip the breadsticks and not bring the basket — they're the single biggest carb trap, and once they're on the table they're hard to resist. Same goes for the side of pasta that comes with most entrees; ask to swap it for steamed broccoli or a side salad.
• Anchor your meal on a plain grilled protein. The Herb-Grilled Salmon and grilled chicken (ask for it grilled, not breaded or parmesan-crusted) are essentially carb-free. Avoid anything described as crispy, breaded, parm-crusted, or served over pasta.
• Order the house salad but ask for no croutons, and skip the standard Italian dressing — it's sweetened. Ask for oil and vinegar or olive oil on the side, or request the dressing on the side so you control the amount. The salad itself (lettuce, olives, tomato, onion, pepperoncini) is fine without the crouton topping.
• Be careful with Zuppa Toscana. It's keto-leaning with sausage, kale, and cream, but it's loaded with sliced potatoes and the broth is often starch-thickened — ask them to leave the potatoes out, and treat it as a small cup rather than a bowl. Pasta e Fagioli and minestrone are not keto (beans and pasta).
• Ask for steamed vegetables (broccoli) or a side salad in place of any starch — mashed potatoes, pasta, breadsticks, or risotto. Olive Garden will steam broccoli plain on request, which makes a clean low-carb side.
• Watch the drinks and the 'free refills' marinara. Skip soda, sweet tea, sangria, and dessert wines; stick to water, unsweetened tea, black coffee, or a dry wine. Dipping sauces and the sugary balsamic glaze add up fast — use butter or olive oil instead.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best keto meal to order at Olive Garden?

Order a plain grilled protein with a non-starchy side and a smart salad. A reliable combo is Herb-Grilled Salmon or grilled chicken, steamed broccoli instead of pasta, and a house salad with no croutons and oil-and-vinegar dressing. That keeps you mostly to protein, fat, and low-carb vegetables. Skip the breadsticks and any breaded or pasta-based entree, and you'll usually come in well under your daily net-carb target.

Is the Zuppa Toscana keto-friendly?

Sort of, with edits. Zuppa Toscana has keto-friendly bones — Italian sausage, kale, and a cream-based broth — but it's made with sliced potatoes and the broth is often thickened with starch, so a full bowl carries more carbs than it looks. Ask for it without the potatoes and have a cup rather than a bowl. Avoid Pasta e Fagioli and minestrone entirely; both are built on beans and pasta.

Can I eat the salad and breadsticks at Olive Garden on keto?

The salad yes, the breadsticks no. Each breadstick is essentially pure refined flour and can blow most of your day's carb budget in one or two pieces, so ask the server not to bring the basket. The salad is fine if you order it without croutons and skip the standard Italian dressing, which is sweetened — request oil and vinegar or olive oil on the side instead.

What should I avoid at Olive Garden on keto?

Avoid anything pasta-based (Never Ending Pasta, fettuccine alfredo, lasagna, ravioli), breaded or parm-crusted entrees, the breadsticks, croutons, mashed potatoes, risotto, and the bean or pasta soups. Watch the liquid carbs too — soda, sweet tea, sangria, and sweet wines add up fast. Sweetened dressings and the balsamic glaze are easy to overlook, so default to oil, vinegar, or butter.

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