The Single Unhealthiest Meal You Can Order at an Italian Restaurant

You won't be feeling the amore from this heavy Italian dish. Find out how to keep the flavors you love in a healthy manner.

In that location is nothing more comforting, more romantic or more celebratory than a nighttime out at your favorite Italian restaurant. Nosotros all accept our go-to dish, and at that place are plenty of healthy Italian recipes to choose from. There are also a few things to steer clear of. We're revealing the unhealthiest Italian meal along with lighter (and even tastier) dishes to club instead.

What Is the Unhealthiest Italian Meal?

The unhealthiest meal you lot can order at an Italian eating place is sadly one of the tastiest as well: chicken Alfredo. This dish is lacking in the nutrient section and is loaded with saturated fat and calories. Rich Alfredo sauce is traditionally made from butter, heavy cream and cheese. And if the chicken is breaded and fried, then it's really fourth dimension to observe a new favorite.

The chicken Alfredo dish at Olive Garden clocks in at 1620 calories, 100 grams of fatty, 57 grams of saturated fatty, 430 milligrams of cholesterol and 1680 milligrams of sodium. On a typical day, the Nutrient and Drug Assistants (FDA) recommends women take in about 1800 calories and 2200 for men. A healthy adult should aim to limit fat to 78 grams and saturated fat to xx grams in a mean solar day. Regularly eating meals with those loftier numbers tin can put us at higher risk for heart affliction, diabetes and obesity.

Chicken Alfredo commonly doesn't offer many nutrients from vegetables or whole grains either. So how could nosotros make it a bit healthier?

How to Make Chicken Alfredo Healthier

The easiest way to make this dish a little healthier is with smaller portion sizes. Enjoy a small cup of the real thing with plenty of side dishes like well-baked greenish salad and roasted harvest vegetables.

Adjacent, if yous're upwards for some experimenting fourth dimension in the kitchen, play around with other foods to thicken your Alfredo sauce. Pureed cauliflower and composite cashews tin both offer a creamy texture with way less fat than heavy cream.

Finally, attempt topping your fettuccine Alfredo with roasted veggies like eggplant, cherry-red bell peppers and onions for a delicious boost of fiber and vitamins.

Ideas for a Salubrious Italian Night

Fortunately, when it comes to healthy Italian dishes that don't skimp on flavor, in that location are endless options. Start with something simple like copycat Olive Garden soup and salad.

If you're craving a creamy pasta dish, cooking at dwelling is about ever healthier than eating out. Attempt a copycat restaurant pasta recipe that tastes like the real matter. Sneak in some veggies and cut carbs with zucchini lasagna, then add some lean poly peptide with rosemary craven with spinach and beans.

Healthy Italian Recipes We Tin't Resist

Red Clam Sauce

This recipe tastes like an Italian restaurant specialty and cooks while you take care of other things. What a marvelous way to jazz up pasta sauce! —JoAnn Brown, Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Pesto Shrimp Pasta

A dash of red pepper puts zero in this lively main dish from Gloria Jones Grenga of Newnan, Georgia.

Honeydew & Prosciutto Salad

For parties, I turn melon and prosciutto into an piece of cake salad with a honey mustard dressing. To add null, stir in fresh basil and mint. —Julie Merriman, Seattle, Washington

Turkey Sausage with Pasta

If you're looking for recipes with turkey sausage, stop hither. This has the perfect blend of compact, veggie and cheesy goodness. You'll be craving what's healthy when this pasta dish is on the menu. —Mary Tallman, Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin

Watermelon Gazpacho

This is a delightfully uncomplicated, elegant dish. Serve as a side or with pita and hummus for a meal. It'southward so refreshing—guests will honey it. —Nicole Deelah, Nashville, Tennessee

Penne with Veggies and Black Beans

Chock-full of zucchini, tomatoes, sugariness pepper and carrots, this hearty pasta dish puts your garden harvest to skillful use. For diversity, I sometimes add one-half cup of salsa or one-half cup of thickened teriyaki sauce. —Vickie Spoerle, Indianapolis, Indiana

Spring Greenish Risotto

Once a week I create a new recipe for my blog, An Officer and a Vegan. I first made this risotto when I needed something cheerful and comforting. It would be fantastic with asparagus, zucchini or summer squash, but use whatever veggies are in season. —Deanna McDonald, Thou Rapids, Michigan

Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza

A wonderful crust layered with herbed love apple sauce and toppings encourages my family of six to dig right in to this low-fat main class. —Denise Warner, Red Order, Montana

Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan

Endeavor this elementary arugula salad recipe for a fresh side the whole family will love. It combines fresh fiery greens with tasty gold raisins, crunchy almonds and shaved parmesan. —Nicole Rash, Boise, Idaho

Tuna Steak on Fettuccine

For something new to do with tuna, I suggest this tangy dish. Although I prefer the marinade on tuna or mahi mahi, information technology'south scrumptious on whatever fish, grilled, baked or broiled. —Caren Stearns, Austin, Texas

Tuscan Portobello Stew

Here'south a good for you one-skillet meal that's quick and like shooting fish in a barrel to prepare all the same elegant enough for company. I often take this stew to my schoolhouse's potlucks, where it is devoured past teachers and students alike. —Jane Siemon, Viroqua, Wisconsin

Italian Sausage Veggie Skillet

We love Italian sausage sandwiches, but because the bread isn't diet-friendly for me, I created this recipe to satisfy my craving. If y'all like some rut, use hot peppers in place of the sugariness peppers. —Tina Howells, Salem, Ohio

Grilled Pistachio-Lemon Pesto Shrimp

Besides tasting great with shrimp, this pesto can be used on pasta or spread on a portobello mushroom or garlic bread topped with melted mozzarella. —Amy Jo Dale, Long Beach, California

Contest-Winning Easy Minestrone

This minestrone soup recipe is special to me considering it'southward one of the few dinners my entire family loves. And I can feel good most serving it because it's full of diet and low in fat. —Lauren Brennan, Hood River, Oregon

Rosemary Chicken with Spinach & Beans

With ii immature boys constantly on-the-go, I'1000 always looking for ways to simplify meals. This recipe uses just 1 skillet, making it a cinch to prepare dinner for a hungry family in half an hour. —Sara Richardson, Littleton, Colorado

Tasty Marinated Tomatoes

My niece introduced me to this colorful recipe some time agone. I make information technology when I have buffets or large gatherings because information technology tin can be prepared hours ahead. This is a wonderful manner to use a bumper crop of tomatoes. —Myrtle Matthews, Marietta, Georgia

Grilled Basil Chicken and Tomatoes

Relax after piece of work with a cold drink while this savory chicken marinates in an herby tomato blend for an hour, then toss information technology on the grill. It'due south one of those basil recipes that tastes just like summer. —Laura Lunardi, West Chester, Pennsylvania

Rigatoni Chard Toss

I had to get my firefighter married man to swallow more than fruits and veggies to lower his cholesterol and triglycerides. Fresh chard and tomatoes add a lot of fiber and vitamins to our diets, only we love this recipe for the flavor. While he would never admit to eating "health food" around the firehouse, this dish is one of many that made his trips to the doc much more pleasant! —Carolyn Kumpe, El Dorado, California

Cacciatore Chicken Breasts

JoAnn McCauley of Dubuque, Iowa shares her version of traditional Craven Cacciatore with this easy recipe. The tasty sauce and chicken can be served over rice or noodles. If you desire to lower the sodium, apply garlic powder instead of garlic salt.

Caprese Salad Kabobs

Merchandise in the usual veggie platter for these fun kabobs. In addition to preparing these for get-togethers, I oftentimes make these as snacks for my family unit. And because assembly is so piece of cake, the kids oftentimes ask to help. —Christine Mitchell, Glendora, California

Italian Beefiness and Shells

A veggie and pasta combo makes a hearty entree that comes together easily. Wine lends an extra touch of season to the sauce and makes this primary dish a winner. —Mike Tchou, Pepper Pike, Ohio

Italian Pork Stew

Don't skip the anchovy paste! It gives a skilful, salty flavor, only doesn't taste fishy at all. Add a salad and crusty bread for an incredible meal. —Lynne German, Woodland Hills, California

Pizza Spaghetti

This recipe came to me when I saw someone dip a piece of pizza into a pasta dish. My married woman and kids love information technology and then practice my friends! —Robert Smith, Las Vegas, Nevada

Three-Green Salad

For a crisp, refreshing side dish, this tasty salad can't be beat. Information technology's the perfect salad to become with lasagna. —Gina Squires, Salem, Oregon

Bulgur Turkey Manicotti

The addition of wholesome bulgur gives actress nutrition to this Italian entree. It's so zesty and flavorful, your family will never realize information technology's good for them. —Mary Gunderson, Conrad, Iowa

Tuscan Craven and Beans

Rosemary and beans make a prissy rustic Italian meal in this flavorful dish. —Marie Rizzio, Interlochen, Michigan

Makeover Easy Beef-Stuffed Shells

Enjoy the convenience of this brand-ahead dish or bake right away. Either fashion, it has half the saturated fat of the original recipe but is just as meaty. —Blair Lonergan, Rochelle, Virginia

Blimp Vegetarian Shells

When my aunt first told me about these shells, they sounded like a lot of piece of work—but the recipe whips upwardly in no time. Sometimes I add a little cooked bacon to the ricotta filling. —Amelia Hopkin, Salt Lake City, Utah

Zucchini Lasagna

I plant zucchini every year, and we always seem to have more we tin utilise! This zucchini lasagna is a particularly succulent style I utilise our abundant crop. —Charlotte McDaniel, Williamsville, Illinois

Italian Sausage-Stuffed Zucchini

I've always had to be creative when getting my family to consume vegetables, so I decided to make stuffed zucchini using the pizza flavors that everyone loves. Information technology worked! We like to include sausage for a main dish, but it could exist a meatless side dish, besides. —Donna Marie Ryan, Topsfield, Massachusetts

Speedy Craven Marsala

This is one of my favorite dishes to order in restaurants, so I created a version that I could make in a flash on a weeknight at dwelling. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho

Turkey Meatballs and Sauce

My sweetie and I have fought the battle of the bulge forever. This is my less-fattening take on meatballs. They're wearisome-cooker piece of cake, and and then flavorful! — Jane McMillan, Dania Beach, Florida

Quick Turkey Scallopini

Hither's i of my most-requested recipes, thanks to the special white wine and mustard sauce. It makes an ordinary weeknight dinner feel similar a little party. —Susan Warren, Northward Manchester, Indiana

Sweet Onion & Sausage Spaghetti

Sweet onion seasons turkey, adding rich flavor to Mary Relyea'southward wholesome pasta dish. At abode in Canastota, New York, she tosses information technology together with light cream, basil and tomatoes for a quick, springy repast in minutes.

Tuscan Pork Stew

Tender chunks of pork slowly cook in a nicely seasoned, wine-infused sauce. Add some crushed red pepper flakes to this pork stew for a little extra kick.—Penny Hawkins, Mebane, North Carolina

Italian Hot Dish

My hubby had a poor perception of good for you food until he tried this beefy casserole. The combination of pasta, oregano, mushrooms and light-green peppers makes information technology a favorite healthy pasta recipe in our house. —Theresa Smith, Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Elegant Pork Marsala

Wine and mushrooms lend elegance to this oh-so-simple pork dish. Utilize pre-sliced mushrooms and minced garlic to relieve time. Cleanup is one-pan easy. —Kim Gillis, Loftier Falls, New York

Slow-Cooker Ratatouille

Non simply does this classic recipe make a astounding side dish, you can also serve it with sliced French bread for a warm and easy titbit. Try it in the summertime with your garden-fresh vegetables. —Jolene Walters, North Miami, Florida

Chicken Merlot with Mushrooms

Deadening cooked and savory, this dish is perfect for any nighttime of the calendar week, and is certain to become a staple in your home.–Shelli McWilliam of Salem, Oregon

Saucy Vegetable Tofu

This is my daughter Tonya'southward favorite meal. Sometimes nosotros make information technology with rigatoni and call it "Riga-Tonya." It's a keen dinner and a squeamish way to prepare yummy vegetables for the kids. —Sandra Eckert, Pottstown, Pennsylvania

Shrimp Puttanesca

I throw together these assuming ingredients for a feisty seafood pasta. —Lynda Balslev, Sausalito, California

Shrimp Piccata

This easy recipe is part of a meal plan along with "Balsamic Brioled Asparagus". I typically serve this with crusty french bread and Balsamic Broiled Asparagus.

Pesto Halibut

The mildness of halibut contrasts perfectly with the robust season of pesto in this recipe. It takes only minutes to get the fish set for the oven, leaving you lot enough of fourth dimension to get started on your side dishes. Nigh annihilation goes well with this entree. —April Showalter, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Salmon with Balsamic-Honey Glaze

Look no farther—y'all've just plant the first, final and only style you'll ever want to fix salmon once more. The sweetness and tangy flavors alloy beautifully in this easy-to-retrieve recipe. —Mary Lou Timpson, Centennial Park, Arizona

Italian Pork and Potato Casserole

This recipe has been enjoyed past iii generations of my family unit. My mother concocted information technology years ago using a few ingredients she said were handy at the fourth dimension. The aroma from these ingredients brings back fond memories of home.

Chunky Chicken Cacciatore

This healthy pasta recipe is so versatile! Expect in your refrigerator for anything else you desire to throw in, like scarlet pepper, mushrooms, extra zucchini—you name information technology. And if you're a vegetarian, go alee and leave out the craven. —Stephanie Loaiza, Layton, Utah

Chicken Strips Milano

A beloved friend shared this recipe a few years ago. Since and then, I've prepared this garlicky and delightful entree for both family dinners and get-togethers. —Lara Priest, Gansevoort, New York

Italian Mushroom Meat Loaf

Healthful oats and flaxseed amp upwardly the nutrition in this tasty meat loaf. —Kylie Werning, Candler, North Carolina

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Source: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/the-unhealthiest-meal-you-can-order-at-an-italian-restaurant-and-what-to-order-instead/

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