Unlock Delicious Keto Options at Italian Restaurants: Your Ultimate Low-Carb Guide

The ketogenic diet has surged in popularity, celebrated for its effectiveness in promoting weight loss while allowing individuals to indulge in high-fat, meat-centric meals. While Italian cuisine, known for its carb-heavy dishes, might seem incompatible with keto, there are numerous ways to enjoy Italian flavors while staying within your dietary guidelines. No matter where you travel in Italy, it seems like they have cracked the code on good cooking. Unfortunately, many of the best dishes are filled with starchy foods, flour, or sugar. This article explores how to navigate Italian restaurants on a keto diet, providing specific food choices and modification tips to ensure a satisfying and keto-friendly dining experience.

Understanding the Keto Diet

Before diving into specific menu items, it's crucial to understand the basics of the keto diet. New keto followers may still have some questions about what is and isn't ketogenic-friendly.

Is extremely low carb. Carbohydrates (carbs) include sugars, starches, and fiber products. Dietary carbs are broken down into glucose and provide the body with energy. Carb-rich foods include bread products, pasta, starchy vegetables (such as potatoes), fruits, and legumes.
Is high fat. This type of dietary plan includes higher fat foods. This doesn't mean you should eat fried, fatty foods. Instead, you should choose high fat foods prepared in healthy ways.
Can vary. Some people prefer the standard keto diet, while others choose a version that includes extra protein or allows some crabs (around workout times).

After you've mastered the keto basics, try your new diet in a dine-out setting. While you might not have the same control over preparation you would at home, you can still choose which Italian meals match your dietary plan.

Foods to Avoid

Often, the most popular Italian dishes feature high-carb foods and ingredients. To successfully navigate a keto diet at an Italian restaurant, it's essential to know which foods to avoid. Here's a list of common culprits:

Pasta: It is best to avoid all pasta dishes and side items with pasta on keto. This includes ravioli, tortellini, manicotti, and lasagna as well. A forkful of penne won't ruin your diet. But it could start a slide away from the ketogenic plan.
Bread, breading, breadcrumbs, and croutons: Each one is made from high-carb flours. Be cautious of meatballs and meat/seafood dishes as they typically have breadcrumbs or breading added to them. Garlic bread, bread sticks, or a loaf of Italian bread are all menu items to avoid.
Pizza crust: Pizza crust is made up of the same components as bread. While you can eat the cheese, the dough and a sugary sauce are out.
Soup: Most Italian soups feature pasta, beans, starchy veggie, or a combo of these ingredients.
Dessert: Italian classics like cannolis, tiramisu, lemon cake, and biscotti are far from keto-friendly.
Tomato sauce: The only exception to this rule is a low or reduced sugar sauce.

Keto-Friendly Options

Despite the carb-heavy reputation of Italian cuisine, many dishes can be modified or naturally fit into a ketogenic diet. Which foods are keto-friendly? Again, low- or no-carb, high-fat foods are the best choices on this type of diet. Here are some excellent choices:

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Appetizers

Antipasto Platter: Typically contains an assortment of cured meats, cheeses, and marinated vegetables such as artichokes and peppers. Antipasto or Antipasti is the traditional first meal to be served at Italian restaurants. It always consists of keto friendly ingredients including small pieces of cured meats, cheeses, pickled vegetables, artichoke hearts, marinated olives, mushrooms and more. You’ll find a wide variety of antipasto options depending on which Italian restaurant you go to. They’re all good for a keto diet since they don’t include pasta or fried items.
Caprese Salad: Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil, seasoned with salt and olive oil, occasionally paired with arugula. Both mozzarella and tomatoes are keto friendly. Tomatoes have zero net carbs and so does mozzarella cheese. Mozzarella cheese is high in fat and protein but low in carbs. The marinade is typically olive oil and herbs. All of which are keto friendly. The beauty of this Caprese salad is in its simplicity. Oven Roasted Caprese Salad - Fresh mozzarella accompanied by roasted garlic and tomatoes, tossed together with fresh basil and pesto.
Gamberoni: A traditional shrimp antipasto dish, served cold or hot after the shrimp have been sautéed with garlic and wine.
Steamed Mussels or Clams: These should simply be steamed in broth or marinara sauce. Another relatively keto friendly dish you can order at an Italian restaurant is mussels marinara, A.K.A mussels cooked in tomato sauce. Both mussels and marinara sauce are keto friendly. Mussels have more carbs in them than most proteins but it is still low enough to enjoy.
Carpaccio: Carpaccio an appetizer that is typically thinly sliced meat or seafood served with sauce. Since carpaccio is pure protein it is low in carbs. Carpaccio is a great keto friendly Italian appetizer. Carpaccio is an Italian dish of very thinly sliced raw meat (usually beef, veal, tuna or salmon) served with olive oil, lemon juice and for the non-seafood versions, parmesan cheese.
Marinated Olives: Olives are a great food to eat on a keto diet. They’re naturally high in fat, low in carbs and low in protein. Marinated olives are typically bathed in a combination of olive oil, vinegar and Italian spices like oregano. While I wouldn’t want to sit there and eat a whole plate of olives for dinner, marinated olives make a great appetizer to add an extra layer of flavor to your meal. The more flavors in your keto Italian meal the more satisfied you will be.
Grilled Artichoke Hearts: Grilled artichoke hearts are great for a keto diet. Don’t confuse grilled artichokes with the more popular stuffed artichokes. Stuffed artichokes are not ketogenic because they are stuffed with breadcrumbs. On the other hand grilled artichoke hearts are cooked in olive oil and lemon. Artichokes are naturally low in carbs.

Soups

Zuppa Toscana: Zuppa Toscana is made with Italian sausage, kale, and potatoes served in a creamy broth. It’s the most keto-friendly soup that Olive Garden offers because it contains more fat and calories than the Minestrone and Pasta Fagioli, despite having the same number of net carbs. Thus, it’s a more substantial meal. Some Zuppa Toscana recipes use potatoes. Ask your serve if the soup is potato heavy.
Stracciatella Soup: Stracciatella soup is made up of meat broth and egg. It’s similar to an egg drop soup and is also known as Stracciatella LaLa romana. Stracciatella is an Italian soup made with meat broth, spinach, parmesan cheese and small pieces of cooked egg.
Ginestrata Soup: Ginestrata soup originated in Tuscany. It’s a thin egg based soup made with egg yolks, chicken stock, nut meg, butter and white wine.
Buridda Soup: Buridda soup is a seafood stew that’s made in only 10 minutes! While it’s keto friendly it is typically served with bread. You are supposed to use the bread to soak up the broth. You can simply ask for Buridda without the bread!
Zuppa di Clams: Zuppa di clams is a light brothy soup made with tomatoes and mussels. All of the ingredients in classic Zuppa di clams are naturally low carb. Including mussels.

Salads

Caesar Salad: Ask for it without the croutons or bread. If you’re willing to forgo the croutons, you can enjoy this much loved salad even while you are on a keto or low carb diet. Caesar dressing’s ingredients are typically high fat and low carb so it’s perfect for keto. Homemade Keto Caesar Salad - Just like authentic Caesar salad, but without the bread or high-carb croutons.
Burrata Salad: Burrata salad can be a great option for a keto meal at an Italian restaurant, as it offers a delicious combination of flavors while being relatively low in carbohydrates. Burrata is a high fat cheese made from young mozzarella that’s naturally low in carbs and high in fat. It also has a moderate amount of protein so you won’t go over your macros. Burrata salad is typically served with leafy greens and tomatoes in a simple olive oil and balsamic drizzle. Leafy greens and tomatoes are low in carbs, fat and protein and yet high in fiber and vitamins.
Italian House Salad: An Italian house salad is typically a very simple green salad with Italian dressing. Italian dressing is keto friendly because it’s a basic blend of olive oil and vinegar with some spices like garlic, onion and mustard.
Seafood Salad: Being mostly seafood (protein) and salad greens (source of fibre), a good Italian seafood salad is going to be quite low carb and super delicious!
Vegan Cucumber and ‘Bacon’ Side Salad: Add some extra low-carb vegetables and healthy fats to your Italian meal with this side salad.

Main Courses

Salsiccia alla Cacciatore: A dish that features Italian-style sausage, herbs, and low-carb veggies covered in marinara sauce. In Italian the term “Cacciatore” or “alla Cacciatore” means that the meal was prepared in a hunter-style. This means that the meal was made using what a hunter could find out in the woods. So it’s super paleo friendly and clean. Salsiccia (sausage) alla cacciatore is sausage cooked with mushrooms, onions, red peppers, garlic and other herbs.
Gamberi alla Piccata: A delicious combination of shrimp, lemon, capers, garlic, butter, and tomatoes. Piccata refers to Italian sauce that’s made with capers, butter, white wine and lemon juice. So any time you see piccata on the menu you’ll know that the sauce is keto friendly. Gamberi LaLa Piccata is a dish of shrimp cooked in a lemon butter sauce with capers and tomatoes. It’s light, tasty and totally keto friendly as long as it doesn’t come with starchy sides.
Costolette di Agnello (Lamb Chops): A simple Italian lamb chop dish. Costolette di Agnello is the Italian name for lamb chops. Lamb chops are typically roasted and left pretty plain. Ask if you can swap the potatoes or rice side dish out for a low carb vegetable like sautéed spinach or broccoli.
Salmone Rustica: Grilled salmon served with spinach, roasted tomato, red onion, and olive oil. Salmon rustica is typically any kind of seafood or meat that is grilled on a piece of wood. The wood gives the salmon flavor depending on which type of wood is used. Rustica means that the salmon is cooked in a plain and simple manner. That means it’s grilled without lots of seasoning sauces or starches. In this case salmon piccata is simply salmon cooked in a lemon butter sauce. The lemon butter sauce and salmon are both low carb.
Costolette di Manzo: A delicious braised beef short ribs dish. Order without the sauce/reduction, bread, pasta, risotto, or potatoes that come with it. Costilla Corta di Manzo is braised short rib that fits well with a keto diet if you order it without rice or pasta.
Osso Bucco: Veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine, and broth. Osso buco means “hole of the bone” because the sauce uses bone marrow for flavor. It consists of cross-cut veal shanked braised in veggies, broth and white wine.
Chicken or Veal Saltimbocca: Meat wrapped (or lined) with prosciutto and sage, cooked in a marsala-based sauce. As long as the meat isn’t breaded then you can order it on keto. I wouldn’t call it the healthiest choice since it’s literally meat wrapped with meat but it won’t kick you out of ketosis.
New York Strip Steak or Ribeye: Ask for it to be served with steamed broccoli, asparagus, or a side salad. A steak is always a safe choice to order at an Italian restaurant. Steaks are usually cooked plain and served with a simple sauce or steak butter. Sides usually include a low starchy vegetable like broccoli.
Chicken Cacciatore or Chicken alla Cacciatore: Chicken made in a hunter style.
Chicken Carciofi: Carciofi means artichokes in Italian this dish is chicken cooked with artichokes and other vegetables. It’s perfect for keto since the chicken is typically not breaded or fried.

Beverages and Dessert

Espresso (no sugar or milk): Skip the cappuccino, and order a shot of Italian espresso black. Expresso is 100% keto friendly because coffee and Expresso naturally have zero carbs.
Herbal Teas: Italian restaurants always have a selection of herbal teas that you can enjoy for dessert. Tea without sugar is keto friendly and has zero calories. The hot water from the tea will also help relax your stomach and make you feel full after a light meal.
Berries: Almost all Italian restaurants use berries to garnish their desserts. You can order a small bowl of mixed berries to eat for dessert. Berries are the only kind of fruit that is O.K. On a keto diet. Raspberries and black berries are naturally low in carbs.
Lemon Sorbet: If you can stick to a small portion, lemon sorbet is a great option to have on a keto diet when eating at an Italian restaurant. By a small portion I mean 1/4th cup.

Menu Modifications and Tips

When dining out, it's essential to be proactive in modifying dishes to fit your keto requirements. Here are some helpful tips:

Request No Bread: Most Italian restaurants will bring you complimentary bread or breadsticks, which both should be avoided on keto. Ask them to bring some fresh olives and olive oil instead.
Substitute Vegetables: If an entree comes with pasta or potatoes, ask if you can substitute them with steamed broccoli, asparagus, or a side salad.
Inquire About Sauces: Ensure that sauces are sugar-free and flour-free. Marinara, fra Diavolo, and arrabbiata sauces are generally low in carbs. For alfredo sauce, confirm that no flour was added as a thickener.
Be Cautious with Meatballs: Many Italian restaurants stuff their meatballs with breadcrumbs and cheese. Ask your server if the meatballs have breadcrumbs. If the answer is no you can eat it on keto. But if the waiter says that they use breadcrumbs as a binder, don’t eat it.
Add Fat and Flavor: If your dish is falling flat, don’t forget to amp up the flavor and fat content with extra virgin olive oil and cheese.
Turn your salad into an entree: Ask for a side of grilled chicken or steak, which you can then slice and add to your salad to turn it into a complete meal.
Add extra protein to your soup: While all of Olive Garden’s soups offer 13 grams of net carbs per serving, they don’t have much protein or fat. Ask for a side of grilled chicken or steak to make your soup a more complete, filling meal - with no extra carbs.

Keto-Friendly Recipes to Make at Home

To have more control over ingredients and ensure your meal is keto-compliant, consider making Italian-inspired dishes at home. Here are some popular options:

Keto Lasagna: Since lasagna filling is usually made with keto ingredients, all you have to do is swap out the high-carb pasta sheets. Keto Lasagna Recipe | Wholesome Yum | Easy healthy recipes. An easy low carb keto lasagna recipe with beef marinara, creamy ricotta, gooey mozzarella, and noodles just like the real thing! I L-O-V-E this recipe, to me it is better than the original. It is ready in a few minutes, easy, tasty and filling.
Low-Carb Cutlets: One of our favorite ways to make low-carb cutlets is by using a mixture of ground pork rinds, flaxseed meal, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning for the breading.
Keto Breadsticks: Italian food is better with fresh breadsticks. These buttery keto breadsticks are easy to make and absolutely mouthwatering.
Keto Pizza: Keto Pizza - no soggy crust here! Most fathead dough is limp and flavorless. Not this pizza crust! You might not be able to have a standard pizza dining out, but why not make your own? Some of our favourite classic flavours are: Margherita, Vegetarian, Pepperoni and Cheesy Garlic. Each delicious thin and crispy base has just 6g of carbs and a whopping 50g of protein! It’s even gluten free too so all your friends can enjoy it. We’ve also detailed a Vegan Pizza Base recipe, so no one will be left out.
Keto Gnocchi: These low carb keto gnocchi are fluffy, soft and pillowy!
Keto Gelato: Gelato recipes have sugar, but this recipe relies on simple, low-carb ingredients.
Keto Italian Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake: A creamy keto-friendly Italian Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake is simply irresistible!
Creamy Keto Risotto: This creamy keto risotto is going to be your next favorite side dish!
Keto Focaccia: This yeast-risen Keto focaccia is truly fabulous.
Personal Pan Pizza Dip: All the pizza toppings you love, but without the crust.
Italian Cheesy Bread Bake: Ooey gooey doughy goodness without the high-carb flour.
Rosemary Chicken Salad with Herb Balsamic Vinaigrette: This is nothing like the salads where they just plop a bland piece of grilled chicken breast on top.
Prosciutto, Caramelized Onion, and Parmesan Braid: Yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds.
Keto Sub Sandwich Casserole: If you miss the days when you had an Italian sub for lunch, skip the bread and make this casserole instead.
Low Carb Keto Caprese Snack Salad: The beauty of this Caprese salad is in its simplicity.
Pesto Keto Crackers: Skip the Italian bread and snack on these pesto crackers.
Spicy Sausage Cheese Dip: Craving something meaty and spicy to kick off your keto Italian dinner?
Garlic and Herb Breadstick Bites: Not only are these breadsticks keto-friendly, but they are so much more satisfying than their high-carb counterpart.
Keto Stuffed Artichokes: Inspired by the traditional Italian appetizer, these stuffed artichokes taste surprisingly authentic.
Keto Arancini (Cauliflower Rice Balls): To pull off the ultimate keto Italian magic trick, make yourself some low-carb arancini by replacing the rice and breading with cauliflower and pork rinds. Pour your favorite low-carb sauce over the finished product and enjoy!
Bolognese Zoodle Bake: A satisfyingly meaty keto sauce without the added sugar and high-carb veggies that are typically added to bolognese.
Simple Chicken Parmesan: A deliciously tender, pan-fried chicken cutlet with keto breading and layered with sauce and melted cheese.
Baked Italian Meatballs: The humble meatball deserves more attention. Its versatility, simplicity, and flavor are unmatched.
Low Carb Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto: Creamy, cheesy risotto doesn’t have to be filled with net carbs.
Italian Lemon Sponge Cake: A lighter keto dessert option that features a fluffy, airy cake and a subtle lemon flavor.
Keto Mocha Gelato: Most keto ice cream recipes are so rich and creamy that they serve as a perfect gelato substitute as well.
Speculoos and Macadamia Biscotti: A satisfying keto-friendly version of the traditional Italian biscuit.
Savory Italian Egg Bake: A savory casserole dish for those who need a hearty protein-packed breakfast to start the day.

The Olive Garden Exception

Keto at Olive Garden? You might think that would be impossible, thanks to this chain restaurant’s carb-heavy signature offerings such as pasta, chicken Parmesan, and breadsticks. However, it’s surprisingly easy to follow the low carb, high fat keto diet at Olive Garden. Most people on this diet try to limit their carb intake to 50 grams of total carbs or 25 grams of net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) per day. So we’ve assembled a list of Olive Garden dishes that each contain fewer than 25 grams of total carbs and 15 grams of net carbs. Still, you may need to carefully count your other sources of carbs throughout the day if you decide to eat some of these meals.

Keto-Friendly Choices at Olive Garden

Minestrone Soup: Olive Garden’s Minestrone is a light, vegan-friendly soup made with vegetables, beans, and pasta in tomato broth. While it fits a carefully planned keto diet, this dish offers little in the way of protein or fat while comprising a significant amount of your daily carb allotment.
Pasta Fagioli Soup: This hearty Pasta Fagioli contains ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and pasta. Like the Minestrone, it’s not the best choice because of its fairly high carb content paired with its relatively low protein and fat content. However, you can definitely have a bowl if it’s what you’re craving and you’re careful with carb intake for your other meals.
Zuppa Toscana Soup: Zuppa Toscana is made with Italian sausage, kale, and potatoes served in a creamy broth. It’s the most keto-friendly soup that Olive Garden offers because it contains more fat and calories than the Minestrone and Pasta Fagioli, despite having the same number of net carbs. Thus, it’s a more substantial meal.
Salad with Signature Italian Dressing and No Croutons: Olive Garden’s appetizer salad - made with lettuce, tomato, onion, olives, and pepperoncini - is perfectly keto as long as you order it without croutons. The restaurant’s Signature Italian Dressing is low in carbs as well.
Grilled Chicken Margherita: The Grilled Chicken Margherita is an ideal keto option - and it’s large enough that you may even be able to get two meals out of it. This dish contains two grilled chicken breasts topped with mozzarella cheese, pesto, lemon garlic sauce, and tomatoes and is served with a side of broccoli.
Herb Grilled Salmon: The Herb Grilled Salmon plate is another excellent keto option. It features a grilled salmon fillet with garlic herb butter and a side of broccoli.
Gluten Sensitive 6 Ounce Sirloin (without pasta): The Gluten Sensitive 6 Ounce Sirloin typically comes with a side of pasta, but you can replace the pasta with broccoli to drastically reduce the carb count.

Tips for a Keto-Friendly Meal at Olive Garden

Turn your salad into an entree. Ask for a side of grilled chicken or steak, which you can then slice and add to your salad to turn it into a complete meal.
Add extra protein to your soup. While all of Olive Garden’s soups offer 13 grams of net carbs per serving, they don’t have much protein or fat. Ask for a side of grilled chicken or steak to make your soup a more complete, filling meal - with no extra carbs.
Ask for broccoli instead of pasta. I do this regularly at Italian restaurants. Find the pasta dish that sounds most appealing, and then simply ask for broccoli instead of pasta. Most restaurant staff are happy to oblige, although you may have a slight surcharge.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

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