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Eating Healthy, Italian Style

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Restaurant macaroni and cheese should raise immediate red flags. If you are craving this yummy treat, opt for Annie's Homegrown Mac and Cheese. With only 400 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, and 560 mg of sodium, its tasty, cheesy, and it won't force you to wear your jeans two sizes larger for the next few days.

Another popular Italian restaurant that felt the squeeze throughout the carb-counting craze was the Olive Garden. While the Olive Garden does not list the nutritional facts of their entire menu online, their "garden fare" menu, hosting a plethora of light alternatives, can be easily downloaded. Their "Venetian Apricot Chicken," on their garden fare dinner entre menu boasts only 380 calories, 4 grams of fat, and has 8 grams of fiber.

Sizing it up next to their Chicken Castellina dinner entre, diners can save 515 calories and 41 grams of fat. Compared to the Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden hosts a variety of healthier options. The Macaroni Grill had only three items on their healthy menu, while Olive Garden has an entire menu devoted to healthy eating.

Finally, following a Mediterranean diet is not extremely difficult if you know the right questions to ask. First off, understanding the "language" of eating healthy is easier than learning Italian.