The Trick That Turns Olive Garden Salads Into A Hearty Meal

Olive Garden's salads are often shared as an appetizer, but they can also be enjoyed as a meal which you can make heartier and more satisfying by adding one of the restaurant's available protein options. These options can be found on Olive Garden's menu under "Sides, Sauces, and Extras," and include sliced grilled chicken, sliced crispy chicken fritta, Italian sausage links, and meatballs.

If these options don't appeal to you and you're eating at the restaurant or phoning-in a pickup order, you can also ask for an herb-garlic salmon fillet, sautéed shrimp, or sirloin steak. Although Olive Garden's menu lists the salmon and steak as entrées (and the sautéed shrimp appears primarily in several pasta dishes), the staff can accommodate requests for these proteins with an adjusted price. 

The chicken, shrimp, salmon, and steak would make fantastic additions when sliced and added to a salad, while the Italian sausage and meatballs may be better enjoyed on the side since they're topped with Olive Garden's farm-fresh marinara sauce. Bulking up the salad with added protein not only makes it more satisfying to eat, but experts suggest eating a balanced amount of protein at every meal promotes satiety and stable energy levels. Olive Garden's salad with dressing included only contains about 3 grams of protein, but adding grilled chicken, crispy chicken fritta, Italian sausage, meatballs, or sautéed shrimp can boost it upwards of 30 grams. Adding salmon raises the total to roughly 50 grams, while the steak brings it to around 60 grams.

You can also create a hearty salad by ordering other add-ins alongside your choice of protein. For instance, don't pass on the freshly grated cheese and don't feel bad about asking your server to keep grating. Though it's Romano cheese, not shredded parmesan, served at Olive Garden, a 1-ounce serving (about the size of a cupped palm ) can contribute 9 additional grams of protein. It also adds a nice salty bite, which helps bring out more flavor from the salad in every bite.

Don't be shy about asking for extra of the good stuff either — pepperoncini, black olives, tomatoes, and red onions. Though it may not seem like it, these inclusions make a difference in volume, which helps the salad to feel substantial. Each also contributes to fullness, since they contain fiber. For an even more toothsome bite, add a side of short pasta, such as rigatoni or the restaurant's gluten-free ziti, and toss it throughout your salad for a well-rounded Olive Garden pasta salad.

If you want to enjoy a hearty Olive Garden salad while keeping calories in check, consider ordering the salad with half the amount of dressing. You can also opt for some of the lighter dressing options available at Olive Garden, such as oil and vinegar or low-fat Italian, or simply ask for the dressing to be served on the side.