I went to Olive Garden for dinner last night. And guess how many calories I consumed? Guess!

260.

That's right. 260. Before you say "Shutupnoyoudi'ent!," I did. As I slid over in a booth made for six but currently only accommodating my friend, Nancy, her husband, Steve, and myself...I was already eyeing my favorite "no sugar-added" dessert. And bragging to Nancy about how sinless it was. Or so I thought. In my attempt to prove Nancy wrong after a spirited debate over the real meaning of "no sugar-added," our waiter directed me to the OG's newest thing...their nutritional guide. In a leather bound notebook, no less. And located on every table. How convenient!

You can imagine my horror when I discovered a) I was wrong and b) the "no sugar added" chocolate cake with cream sauce and fresh strawberries has 800 calories! Aaahhhhhhh!!! It was the third most fattening dessert on the menu. Surprisingly, the tiramisu was the healthiest choice, with only 510 calories.

Dejected and also a little empowered, I began scouring the nutrition guide and shouting out calorie counts for all to hear. I used to hate those people. Now I am those people. Before my Olive Garden awakening last night, my typical meal was soup, breadsticks and the no-sugar added bull#@$*. That's two bowls of pasta e fagioli soup, three or four breadsticks and the dessert. I added it up last night. Do you know how many calories that is? 1, 660!

But here's the best news. The pasta e fagioli soup, a soup I've come to love over the years more than 7 of my 8 ex-boyfriends, is only 130 calories per serving. With 2.5 grams of fat and 6 grams of fiber (the highest fiber content of any soup the OG serves). I was in heaven. As I happily consumed my two bowls of fagioli topped off with a vat of unsweetened iced tea (extra ice, please).

PS...the waiters - it took two - were DE-lightful. As was the manager we called over to tell about the service outstanding.

PSS...I am now obsessed with nutritional guides and will a) be bugging every waiter from now to eternity about them or b) be printing them off in advance. I'm coming prepared, people, with just the right mix of obnoxious and charming to make it interesting.

PSSS...I'd like to send a special shout out to Olive Garden and pasta e fagioli soup, whom I love more than ever. Kudos for providing nutritional info on every table, OG. And in such a pretty package. I'll see you and the soup next week and every week for the rest of my life.  

Comments

[Genevieve]

Thanks for the hot tip!