Healthy Pick/Makes Me Sick: Olive Garden

By Sarah Matheny on March 16th, 2010

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I’m not a fan of the Olive Garden commercial that is currently running every ten minutes on my television.  The premise is that a teenage grandson has taken his elderly grandfather to lunch at the OG and has generously offered to treat.  “Are you sure I can get anything?” the overexcited old man asks.  Now the way I see it, Richie Rich must have ulterior motives taking an elderly man who, let’s be honest, isn’t exactly looking super fit, to an establishment that encourages you to eat butter drenched breadsticks by the basketful and put grated cheese on everything.  I’m pretty sure one time my waiter asked me if I wanted fresh grated cheese on my iced tea there.  So what should Donald Trump, Jr. say if he really cares about his ancient companion’s health?

Makes Me Sick:  Tour of Italy

Warren Buffet the II can pretty much ensure this is Grandpa’s last meal if he orders this monstrosity.  The plate full of chicken Parmesan, fettuccine alfredo and lasagna has 1,450 calories and 3,830 mg of sodium, not counting the unlimited salad and breadsticks enjoyed before.  I’m lobbying to have it renamed Tour of the Cardiac Care Unit.

Healthy Pick: Linguine Alla Marinara

If Gramps is in the mood for pasta, this isn’t a bad choice at only 310 calories for the lunch portion.  In addition, Olive Garden offers low fat Italian dressing for their salad, and Baby Bill Gates could special order breadsticks without butter. Then again, if Gramps is in the mood for pasta, maybe he shouldn’t be at Olive Garden.