Here's The Highest Protein Meal You Can Order At Olive Garden

Olive Garden's menu is more than just an array of pasta entrees and the iconic endless soup, salad, and breadsticks. In fact, the restaurant has several high-protein options. If you are trying to incorporate more protein into your diet and have a hankering for Italian-American fast-casual dining, Olive Garden is the spot to be.

We wanted to see what the highest-protein meal at Olive Garden is, assuming you were to have an appetizer, soup, a breadstick (or four, we don't judge), and an entree. The meal that is technically highest in protein also has a borderline unrealistic amount of food. With that being said, the appetizer with the most protein is the Meatballs Parmigiana, with 51 grams. This dish comes with five whole meatballs smothered in marinara and topped with cheese and breadcrumbs. Next comes the highest-protein soup, the Chicken and Gnocchi. This soup has 11g of protein and a breadstick alongside it (of course) adds another 4 grams. Onto the entree. If you're going for pasta, the dish with the most protein is the Chicken Tortellini Alfredo which clocks in at 112 grams of protein. The non-pasta Olive Garden dinner entrée with the most protein is the Stuffed Chicken Marsala, a fan-favorite that recently returned to the menu and boasts 72 grams of protein. All together, this meal will contain between 138 grams and 178 grams of protein.

The highest protein meal is quite a filling, but there are some lighter options that can be mixed and matched that still hit your protein goal. For an appetizer, try the Shrimp Fritto Misto with 41 grams of protein. This dish features fried shrimp, bell peppers, and onions with a side of marinara and spicy ranch. The shrimp packs a punch of protein without sitting as heavy in your stomach as ground beef, making it a lighter option. For an alternative entree, the Herb-Grilled Salmon served with parmesan garlic broccoli has a hearty 45 grams of protein.

The Olive Garden lunch, gluten-sensitive, and kids menus also feature dishes that fit into a high-protein diet. For lunch entrees, the Chicken Parmigiana (which we also consider one of the absolute best dishes Olive Garden serves) has the most protein at 36 grams. The highest-protein kids meal would be the Chicken Fingers with 25 grams. And, for those with gluten-sensitivities, the Grilled Chicken Parmigiana with rotini and marinara packs a whopping 75 grams of protein. Olive Garden has options for just about everyone on their menu, and is forthcoming with nutritional information on its website.