Italian Food: You Can Order Healthy

Italian restaurants offer so many menu choices. It is oftentimes a difficult choice. A little research before you visit your favorite restaurant will help you choose a healthy Italian meal.

The same classic Italian dish may vary considerably in nutritional value at different Italian restaurants. I looked at the nutritional content of Chicken Marsala at Carrabba's, Olive Garden and Romano's Macaroni Grill. The serving sizes were not standardized which may account for the difference in calories. However it is important to consider the difference in nutritional value in a favorite Italian dish at each restaurant. Each restaurant prepares the dish a little differently and the caloric value will vary. This is what I found:

Classico Italian Chicken Marsala at Romano's Macaroni Grill, Dinner:

33 Prot., 76 Carb , 66 Fat, 1,090 Calories

Chicken Marsala at Carrabba's, 1 serving:

28g Prot., 4g Carb, 6g Fat. 215 Calories

Chicken Marsala at Olive Garden, 1 serving:

14g Prot, 12g Carb, 4g Fat, 140 Calories

Romano's Macaroni Grill dinner menu includes:

Traditional Lasagna 55g. Prot, 51g Carb, 44g Fat, 850 calories

Sausage & Pepper Classico Dinner 29g Prot, 84g Carb, 45g Fat , 860 calories

Lobster Ravioli 36g Prot, 55g Carb, 79g Fat , 1,090 calories

Chicken Scaloppine Dinner 42g Prot, 68g Carb, 71g Fat , 1,110 calories

Shrimp Portofino 16.6g Prot, 24.0g Carb, 47.2g Fat, 551 calories

Caesar della Casa 6g Prot, 13g Carb , 21g Fat ,260 calories (house salad with dressing)

Garden della Casa 6g Prot ,20g Carb ,15g Fat ,240 calories (house salad with dressing)

Lemon Passion 16g Prot , 151g Carb, 69g Fat, 1,270 calories (dessert)

N.Y. Cheesecake 16g Prot, 82g Carb, 76g Fat, 1,080 calories (dessert)

Olive Garden's dinner menu includes:

Salad with Oil & Vinegar 2g Prot ,10g Carb ,5g Fat , 93 calories

1 plain Breadstick 5g Prot , 28g Carb, 2.5g Fat ,150 calories

Capellini Pomodoro 17g Prot , 84g Carb, 14g Fat , 644 calories

Torta di Chocolate N/A, 63g Carb, N/A, 252 calories

As you can see there are many choices to make in ordering a healthy, lower-calorie meal. At Romano's Macaroni Grill you may choose a house salad and traditional lasagna as a meal with just over 1,000 calories. Or you may choose a meal at Olive Garden of a simple salad with oil and vinegar dressing, a bread stick, Capellini Pomodoro and dessert with a total caloric value of just over 1,000 calories.

Knowing the nutritional value of the food at Italian restaurants will enable you to make healthier choices. You can find nutritional information for most foods from most restaurants online. You may also ask the server for a nutritional information sheet at the restaurant.

Resources:

http://calorielab.com/restaurants

http://www.thedailyplate.com/nutrition-calories