Are Olive Garden Takeout Containers Microwavable?

From its glorious appetizers to its vast array of soups made fresh in-house every day, Olive Garden, the Italian-inspired restaurant, serves up what feels like an endless supply of tasty food (and breadsticks). Luckily, the fun doesn't end at the restaurant, as taking leftovers home from this Orlando-founded chain means you can seek to enjoy that delicious moment again. However, there is one question you may have overlooked: are Olive Garden takeout containers microwavable? The answer is absolutely.

Feeding America estimates that a staggering 80 million tons of food go to waste annually in the United States. Thankfully, with the ease of using Olive Garden containers, the chance of enjoying those leftovers may increase significantly due to convenience. Instead of the Styrofoam boxes that risk compromising the quality of your leftovers or melting your microwave once heated, Olive Gardens ToGo containers are built with the microwave in mind. They are also dishwasher-friendly, so they can easily be washed and reused afterward.

Stop wasting your Olive Garden leftovers, and quit throwing these takeaway containers straight in the trash — they are more convenient than you might realize.

While TikTok users claim to have devised the best way to reheat your Olive Garden leftovers, the microwave remains a convenient and reliable option. Before your leftovers hit the microwave, it's important to highlight that the USDA recommends refrigeration within two hours after being brought home from a restaurant. They should remain refrigerated within an air-tight container and consumed within three to four days.

To microwave your takeout from Olive Garden, open the lid and ensure the container's contents are in one layer. This gives your leftovers an equal chance of absorbing the microwaves. Heat the dish's contents in the microwave while covered with a moist paper towel. This method aids in steaming the dish and prevents it from drying out.

It's best to reheat leftovers in 30-second to 1-minute intervals. This gives you time between the intense microwaves to stir a sauce or rotate solids, allowing the dish to be evenly cooked from all angles. Cooking in short increments is also a great way to prevent oil or butter-based sauces from exploding, which is usually a result of trapped water molecules or pockets of fat being quickly exposed to high heat. By stirring the sauce, you release the pressure pockets. Sauce combustion averted!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022, the average American spent $3,600 eating away from home. Eating out generates an astonishing amount of plastic packaging and utensils, some of which may travel home with you in takeout containers. Single-use plastic is any item that is used once and discarded after. Since Olive Garden's takeout containers can be reused, they can easily fall outside the realm of single-use — as long as you're mindful of their continued use. A great way to use takeout containers is to take them to restaurants in case you have any leftovers. It's a win-win as you reduce food waste and the amount of plastic you take home (and then likely discard).

Naturally, not every restaurant will allow you to use your own containers for takeout, or traveling with a container is not convenient or accessible. At home, these plastic containers are excellent storage vessels for dried goods. Avoid using plastic containers for acidic dishes or sauces, as this will potentially erode the plastic faster and speed up the leaching of chemicals. If the container shows discoloration or becomes cloudy, it's likely deteriorating and releasing microplastics, indicating it's no longer suitable for use.

It's time to extend the life of those Olive Garden takeout containers. Make the most of the convenience and free culinary storage they offer.