Olive Garden Adds Lighter Portions of These Fan-Favorite Dishes to the Menu amid Increasing GLP-1 Usage Across the U.S.
- - Olive Garden Adds Lighter Portions of These Fan-Favorite Dishes to the Menu amid Increasing GLP-1 Usage Across the U.S.
Katie HillDecember 20, 2025 at 5:26 AM
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Italian-American food chain Olive Garden is adding a new section to its menu called "Lighter Portions."
Included in this new menu section are fan favorites like Chicken Parmigiana, Fettuccine Alfredo, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno, and Lasagna Classico.
During an earnings call for Darden Restaurants (the owner of Olive Garden), the chief executive shared that smaller portions “just so happens to benefit the consumers that might want smaller portions that are on GLP-1 medications."
The Italian-American food chain Olive Garden is getting a menu upgrade in 2026.
A new section called "Lighter Portions" is quickly being rolled out at Olive Gardens across the U.S., with the goal of being featured at all locations by the end of January 2026. This change comes at a time when inflation is significantly racking up menu prices — an issue that Darden Restaurants, the company that owns Olive Garden, is looking to combat.
The New York Post shared that during a Darden Restaurants earnings call on Thursday, Dec. 18, chief executive Rick Cardenas explained dishes in the "Lighter Portions" section have led to "a double-digit increase in affordability perceptions" for Olive Garden. Which has, in turn, led to "higher frequency among lighter portion guests."
Olive Garden
Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana
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Restaurant goers across the U.S. are looking for cheaper ways to dine out, and Olive Garden is answering their calls. As reported by the New York Post, an increasing number of customers are opting for appetizers as their main meal, or dining during a restaurant's happy hour to get better deals. With Olive Garden's "Lighter Portions," fans of the food chain can stick with their entrée favorites without breaking the bank.
Included under "Lighter Portions" are some fan-favorites like Chicken Parmigiana, Fettuccine Alfredo, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno, and Lasagna Classico. Prices in the section will range from $13 to $15, compared to the $16 to $23 range of typical Olive Garden main courses.
Apart from affordability, the "Lighter Portions" menu section simultaneously appeals to Olive Garden customers who are watching their diet. Stemming from the section's name, the dishes are not only cheaper, but smaller in size — a move that comes in tandem with increasing GLP-1 usage across the U.S.
Smaller portions “just so happens to benefit the consumers that might want smaller portions that are on GLP-1 medications,” Cardenas said on the earnings call.
Olive Garden
Olive Garden's Fettuccine Alfredo
Cardenas also shared on the call that around 40% of Olive Garden locations had "Lighter Portions" implemented last quarter, and another 20% were recently added. Originally, the rollout wasn't set to be complete until May 2026, but that deadline has been pushed up to January.
Given that the Italian-American restaurant chain has seen such success with the soft-launch of "Lighter Portions," no marketing campaign is in the works.
“Currently, we’re not expecting, or we’re not thinking about marketing it to our guests,” the Darden Restaurants CEO said. “Because it’s doing pretty well on the menu the way it is.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
