The Smartest High-Protein Option At Olive Garden Isn't Technically On The Menu

Olive Garden is known for being a chain of many things: "unlimited" breadsticks that actually do have some limits attached to them, bottomless pasta bowls (which, sadly, are made from frozen pasta and not fresh), and a nightcap of Andes Mints on the way out. One thing it isn't normally associated with, however, is outstanding nutritional value. If you're heading there to eat some tasty Italian food and worrying about whether you'll still be able to follow along with your protein goals for the day, there are some easy ways you can hack the menu.

A lot of people have protein on the mind these days, and understandably so. It can help you build muscle, boost metabolism, reduce cravings, and so much more. But keeping up with your protein goals can be tough when you're eating out, especially if you're unsure of the protein counts in your favorite items. One of the best ways to get a high-protein meal at Olive Garden is to go the "Create Your Own Pasta" route, which gives you several different options to take to ensure you reach your protein goals.

There's no shortage of pasta at Olive Garden, with menu items like chicken Alfredo, carbonara, scampi, ravioli, and lasagna. These dishes may be tasty, but they're probably not the best choices for those looking to order a more nutritious, high-protein meal. For the smartest high-protein option at Olive Garden, we recommend choosing the "Create Your Own Pasta" and trying one of our two favorite combinations.

The first way to order your pasta is to choose the rigatoni (which contains 14 grams of protein) with meat sauce (17 grams) and steamed broccoli (4 grams), which will provide 35 grams of protein. This choice is a bit higher on the calorie side of things with about 840 calories, though, so if you're looking for a high-protein, lower-calorie choice, you could try combination two. If you order the spaghetti (12 grams of protein) with the sautéed shrimp (33 grams) and marinara sauce (4 grams), you're looking at a dish of 49 grams of filling protein — all for only 660 calories.

These are the combinations we suggest to get the most bang for your buck in terms of filling up on protein, but the "Create Your Own Pasta" options are endless. Whether you're ordering at the table, for delivery (which is fairly new for this chain), or for pick-up, this is a great way to stick to your health goals and enjoy the comfort of a bowl of pasta.