Olive Garden Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, Olive Garden cooks with: Soybean oil blend throughout: fryer oil, pasta cooking oil, breadstick brushing oil (soybean blend), and house Italian dressing (soybean oil listed first in ingredients). PUFA fraction ~0.55.. Across the 93 menu items we analyzed, it averages 8.4g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of D (Very High Risk).
Ask Olive Garden to drop seed oils
6 people have asked so far.
One tap, anonymous, no signup. We keep each chain's total public so the demand is impossible to ignore.
Safest Orders at Olive Garden
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
Cleanest full order: Pasta e Fagioli Soup + Fresh Brewed Iced Tea, 1.1g total
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Strawberry-Passion Fruit Limonata | 0.0g |
| Desert Pear Limonata | 0.0g |
| Marinara | 0.5g |
| Minestrone Soup (cup) | 0.6g |
| Minestrone Soup | 0.6g |
What to Avoid at Olive Garden
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Shrimp Fritto Misto | 47.4g |
| Spinach Artichoke Dip | 38.5g |
| Lasagna Fritta | 23.3g |
| Eggplant Parmigiana | 20.0g |
| Fried Mozzarella | 18.4g |
Every Olive Garden item, ranked
All 93 items we have for Olive Garden, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Strawberry-Passion Fruit Limonata | 0.0g |
| Mango-Passion Fruit Iced Tea | 0.0g |
| Bellini Peach-Raspberry Iced Tea | 0.0g |
| Desert Pear Limonata | 0.0g |
| Fresh Brewed Iced Tea | 0.0g |
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Lavazza Espresso | 0.1g |
| Cappuccino | 0.3g |
| Marinara | 0.5g |
| Minestrone Soup (cup) | 0.6g |
| Minestrone Soup | 0.6g |
| Five Cheese Marinara | 1.0g |
| Pasta e Fagioli Soup | 1.1g |
| House Salad (no dressing) | 1.2g |
| Strawberry Cream Cake | 1.4g |
| Breadstick (1pc) | 1.5g |
| Breadsticks | 1.5g |
| Kids Macaroni & Cheese | 1.7g |
| Alfredo | 2.0g |
| Kids Pizza | 2.1g |
| Sicilian Cheesecake | 2.3g |
| Zuppa Toscana Soup | 2.4g |
| Pasta e Fagioli (cup) | 3.0g |
| Kids Cheese Ravioli | 3.2g |
| 6 oz. Sirloin | 3.5g |
| Lunch Lasagna Classico | 3.5g |
| Lighter Lasagna Classico | 3.5g |
| Kids Rotini with Marinara | 3.6g |
| Kids Rotini with Meat Sauce | 3.7g |
| Zuppa Toscana (cup) | 4.0g |
| Chicken & Gnocchi Soup | 4.1g |
| Black Tie Mousse Cake | 4.3g |
| Lunch Cheese Ravioli | 4.4g |
| Lighter Cheese Ravioli | 4.4g |
| Tiramisu | 5.0g |
| Lunch Fettuccine Alfredo | 5.0g |
| Meatballs Parmigiana | 5.0g |
| Lighter Fettuccine Alfredo | 5.0g |
| Kids Grilled Chicken with Rotini | 5.4g |
| Lunch Spaghetti | 5.4g |
| Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo | 5.8g |
| Lunch Shrimp Scampi | 5.9g |
| Four Cheese Manicotti | 6.0g |
| House Salad | 6.0g |
| Ravioli di Portobello | 6.0g |
| Lighter Five Cheese Ziti | 6.5g |
| Lunch Five Cheese Ziti | 6.5g |
| Stuffed Mushrooms | 7.0g |
| Lasagna Classico | 7.0g |
| Braised Beef Tortelloni | 7.0g |
| Spaghetti with Marinara | 7.2g |
| Spaghetti with Meat Sauce | 7.5g |
| Stuffed Ziti Fritta | 7.5g |
| Cheese Ravioli | 7.7g |
| Chocolate Brownie Lasagna | 8.0g |
| Lighter Spaghetti & Meatballs | 8.0g |
| Lunch Spaghetti & Meatballs | 8.0g |
| Ravioli Carbonara | 8.5g |
| House Salad (with dressing) | 9.0g |
| Kids Chicken Fingers | 9.0g |
| Shrimp Alfredo | 9.1g |
| Seafood Alfredo | 9.1g |
| Herb-Grilled Salmon | 10.0g |
| Shrimp Carbonara | 10.1g |
| Spaghetti & Meatballs | 11.0g |
| Fettuccine Alfredo | 11.0g |
| Chicken Piccata | 12.0g |
| Toasted Ravioli | 12.5g |
| Chocolate Lasagna | 13.0g |
| Chicken Alfredo | 14.0g |
| Five Cheese Ziti al Forno | 14.0g |
| Lighter Chicken Parmigiana | 14.4g |
| Lunch Chicken Parmigiana | 14.4g |
| Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo | 14.5g |
| Spicy Ranch | 14.5g |
| Calabrian Steak & Shrimp Bucatini | 14.8g |
| Shrimp Scampi | 15.0g |
| Stuffed Chicken Marsala | 15.1g |
| Calamari | 16.0g |
| Chicken Scampi | 16.0g |
| Chicken Parmigiana | 16.0g |
| Lunch Eggplant Parmigiana | 16.7g |
| Chicken & Shrimp Carbonara | 16.7g |
| Lighter Eggplant Parmigiana | 16.7g |
| Warm Italian Doughnuts | 16.8g |
| Ranch | 17.0g |
| Grilled Chicken Margherita | 17.5g |
| Tour of Italy | 18.0g |
| Fried Mozzarella | 18.4g |
| Eggplant Parmigiana | 20.0g |
| Lasagna Fritta | 23.3g |
| Spinach Artichoke Dip | 38.5g |
| Shrimp Fritto Misto | 47.4g |
Fry Oil History at Olive Garden
Cooking in zero trans fat canola oil since December 2006.
The same Darden announcement on December 13, 2006 covered Olive Garden, with the full changeover due by the end of November 2007. Darden said the new canola oils came out of 18 months of testing and customer feedback. Source
Every documented oil switch across the industry lives on the Oil History timeline.
Frequently asked
Does Olive Garden use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, Olive Garden cooks with: Soybean oil blend throughout: fryer oil, pasta cooking oil, breadstick brushing oil (soybean blend), and house Italian dressing (soybean oil listed first in ingredients). PUFA fraction ~0.55.. Across the 93 menu items we analyzed, it averages 8.4g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of D (Very High Risk).
What oil does Olive Garden cook with?
Our research indicates: Soybean oil blend throughout: fryer oil, pasta cooking oil, breadstick brushing oil (soybean blend), and house Italian dressing (soybean oil listed first in ingredients). PUFA fraction ~0.55.. Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does Olive Garden use beef tallow?
No. Our research indicates Olive Garden cooks with Soybean oil blend throughout: fryer oil, pasta cooking oil, breadstick brushing oil (soybean blend), and house Italian dressing (soybean oil listed first in ingredients). PUFA fraction ~0.55., not beef tallow. For chains that fry in tallow or other real fats, see Tallow Watch.
Is Olive Garden seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates Olive Garden cooks with Soybean oil blend throughout: fryer oil, pasta cooking oil, breadstick brushing oil (soybean blend), and house Italian dressing (soybean oil listed first in ingredients). PUFA fraction ~0.55., which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Olive Garden?
Strawberry-Passion Fruit Limonata is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Olive Garden, at an estimated 0.0g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Olive Garden?
Shrimp Fritto Misto is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Olive Garden, at an estimated 47.4g PUFA. Fried items and creamy, mayo-based sauces are usually the heaviest.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, and similar vegetable oils — are extracted from seeds using high heat and chemical solvents. They are very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable at cooking temperatures and can oxidize easily. Many health-conscious eaters choose to minimize seed oils and prefer foods cooked in beef tallow, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead. This page shows estimated PUFA grams per menu item to help you make more informed choices. These are estimates — actual values vary by preparation and location. New to the topic? Start with what seed oils are and the complete list, or read the evidence on why people avoid them.
Compare other chains
Ocean Prime · Ojos Locos Sports Cantina · Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom · On The Border · Ono Hawaiian BBQ · Original Tommy's
See where Olive Garden lands on the full Seed Oil Index, or check which chains cook in real fats on Tallow Watch. Wondering about a specific dish instead? The Is It Seed Oil food guide answers it for 200+ everyday foods, and the distributor oils page covers what independent restaurants fry in.