Study: Italian chains pile on calories

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Two popular U.S. chains of Italian restaurants serve dishes that are high in calories and saturated fat, an advocacy group said Wednesday.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest said it had independent lab tests done on dishes from Olive Garden and examined company data for Romano's Macaroni Grill.

"If you wanted to enjoy the health benefits of the traditional Mediterranean diet, you’d eat mostly fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and fish," said CSPI nutrition director Bonnie F. Liebman. "But the heaping portions of meat, cheese, pasta, and cream sauces served up at Italian-style American chain restaurants are about as far from the ideal Mediterranean diet as you can get."

A couple who ate at one of the chain restaurants -- splitting an order of calamari to begin and an order of tiramisu for dessert and ordering typical main courses -- would consume 2,800 calories and about three days worth of saturated fat in the one meal, the group said.

Details on the study and recommendations for eating health were published in CSPI's November Nutrition Action Healthletter.