This Might Be The Unhealthiest Item You Can Order At Olive Garden

If you're headed to Olive Garden, you probably already know that you're in for a rich, comfort food meal. With a pasta-focused menu, generous portions and its famous never-ending breadsticks, the restaurant chain isn't exactly known for lighter fare. But some Olive Garden dishes are more unhealthy than others — and the unhealthiest one is probably the Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo.

The Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo consists of Asiago cheese-filled tortelloni that's baked in Alfredo sauce with Italian cheeses and breadcrumbs. The dish is then topped off with grilled chicken slices. The dish contains a total of 1,980 calories, which makes up a significant portion of how many calories an average adult should be eating in a day. 

Additionally, the Alfredo dish contains 3,720 milligrams of sodium, which is significantly higher than the recommended daily intake of 1,500 milligrams. The saturated fat in the dish is also quite high at 76 grams, compared to the 13 grams daily that's recommended as a maximum. So why are these nutritional facts concerning?

An adult woman should consume somewhere between 1,800 and 2,200 calories per day, while an adult man should consume between 2,400 and 2,800 — both depending on age and activity level. The Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo at Olive Garden takes up almost all of an adult woman's daily calorie intake in one sitting. Eating excessive calories on a regular basis can, of course, lead to weight gain, but can also negatively impact your digestive system, organs, and even sleep cycle.  

When it comes to sodium, adults should ideally consume about 1,500 milligrams per day, and go no higher than 2,300 milligrams. It's important to keep your sodium intake in check because, while it is an essential mineral, too much can lead to an increase in blood pressure and pose a higher risk of both heart attack and stroke. The Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo dish contains a whopping 63 more grams of saturated fat than is recommended for an entire day. Too much saturated fat in your diet can increase LDL cholesterol which also puts you at a higher risk for heart disease and stroke. 

Given how unhealthy it is, the Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo may be a dish that you want to avoid ordering at Olive Garden — at least on a frequent basis. If it's your favorite dish, there's nothing wrong with ordering it from time to time, as long as you're aware of the nutritional information and make an educated decision. You can always opt for a healthy Olive Garden soup on occasion.