Restaurant guide · Olive Garden
What to Order at Olive Garden on a GLP-1: High-Protein, Small-Portion Picks
What should I order at Olive Garden on a GLP-1?
At Olive Garden on a GLP-1, order:
- Kids Grilled Chicken with Rotini Pasta & Marinara: 33 g protein, 430 calories
- Lasagna Classico, lunch portion: 29 g protein, 500 calories
- Herb-Grilled Salmon: 45 g protein, 610 calories
Skip on a low-appetite day: Breadsticks. Tip: Ask for the lunch portion.
Olive Garden plates are large, but its nutrition guide lists smaller ways in: soups by the 8 fl oz serving, lunch portions and the kids’ menu. Here are six orders, from a 150-calorie soup to a salmon dinner you can split.
How much protein is in each Olive Garden order?
| Order | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Pasta Fagioli Soup8 fl oz | 8 g | 150 |
| Chicken & Gnocchi Soup8 fl oz | 11 g | 230 |
| Kids Grilled Chicken with Rotini Pasta & Marinara1 kids’ meal | 33 g | 430 |
| Shrimp Scampi, lunch portionLunch portion | 20 g | 460 |
| Lasagna Classico, lunch portionLunch portion | 29 g | 500 |
| Herb-Grilled SalmonDinner entrée | 45 g | 610 |
Most protein for the calories: Kids Grilled Chicken with Rotini Pasta & Marinara, 33 g protein in 430 calories.
How do I order each one?
Pasta Fagioli Soup
8 g protein150 calories8 fl oz
A soup serving is 8 fl oz.
Source: Olive Garden Nutrition Information, U.S. restaurants (PDF), Soups, Salad & Breadsticks table.
Chicken & Gnocchi Soup
11 g protein230 calories8 fl oz
A soup serving is 8 fl oz.
Source: Olive Garden Nutrition Information, U.S. restaurants (PDF), Soups, Salad & Breadsticks table.
Kids Grilled Chicken with Rotini Pasta & Marinara
33 g protein430 calories1 kids’ meal
Ask whether the kids’ menu is open to adults.
Source: Olive Garden Nutrition Information, U.S. restaurants (PDF), Kids Menu table.
Shrimp Scampi, lunch portion
20 g protein460 caloriesLunch portion
Order it at lunch, when the smaller portion is on the menu.
Source: Olive Garden Nutrition Information, U.S. restaurants (PDF), Lunch table.
Lasagna Classico, lunch portion
29 g protein500 caloriesLunch portion
The dinner portion is 940 calories, so the lunch size matters.
Source: Olive Garden Nutrition Information, U.S. restaurants (PDF), Lunch table.
Herb-Grilled Salmon
45 g protein610 caloriesDinner entrée
Box half before you start.
Source: Olive Garden Nutrition Information, U.S. restaurants (PDF), Dinner table.
What should I skip at Olive Garden on a low-appetite day?
- Breadsticks. Even a plain breadstick is 130 calories with 4 g protein, and they come in a basket.
- Fettuccine Alfredo. The lunch portion is 920 calories with 20 g protein.
- Dressing on the house salad. Each fl oz of the signature Italian dressing is 80 calories with no protein. Ask for it on the side.
How do I keep a Olive Garden order small?
Ask for the lunch portion
Olive Garden lists lunch portions apart from dinner, and the difference is big: Lasagna Classico is 500 calories at lunch and 940 at dinner. Go at lunchtime, or ask whether the lunch size is still available.
More questions about ordering at Olive Garden
Are Olive Garden lunch portions smaller?
Yes. The nutrition guide lists them separately. Lasagna Classico is 500 calories with 29 g protein at lunch, and 940 calories with 54 g at dinner.
Can adults order from the Olive Garden kids’ menu?
Ask your server; it varies. The Kids Grilled Chicken with Rotini Pasta & Marinara is 430 calories with 33 g protein, per Olive Garden’s guide.
Where do these figures come from?
Every figure on this page was read from Olive Garden’s own published nutrition information, for the portion named. Changing the order (a different sauce, bread or side) changes the numbers. These are food facts, not a target, and not advice about how much to eat.
- Olive Garden Nutrition Information, U.S. restaurants (PDF) (Document code US_083126). Checked October 19, 2026.