10 Low Sodium Restaurant Options For the New Year
By: Tanya Jolliffe,
SparkPeople Blogger
1/5/2012 2:00 PM
: 13 comments
: 21,925 Views
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends individuals between the ages of 2-50 should reduce daily sodium intake to 2,300 mg or less. For those older than 51 or younger individuals with hypertension, diabetes, or other chronic diseases, the recommendation lowers to 1,500 mg per day. Since sodium is essential element necessary for the body to function properly, it is important to consume between 1,500-2,300 mg per day on average unless otherwise directed by your medical provider.
In our ongoing Food on the Run and Diet Friendly Dining series, one of the most common comments I find relates to why the sodium content is so high in the foods we suggest as being "healthier" options.
More and more restaurants are moving in the direction of fresh, whole foods for entrée and side options. Since these tend to be naturally low in sodium, they are a great way to increase nutrition while decreasing the sodium and fat content at the same time. Options such as fresh fruit and steamed or raw vegetables without added sodium, lean meats, poultry and fish as well as whole grains, dried beans, and lentils that do not have added salt are usually better choices with lower sodium content.
The Healthy Dining finder's team of Registered Dietitians believes that Sodium Savvy menu items are those that provide 750 mg or sodium or less for an entrée, and 250 mg of sodium or less for an appetizer, side dish, or dessert. Here are 10 of the best low sodium casual dining and fast food entrée options you might want to select next time you are eating away from home.
Fast Food Chain Options
Casual Dining Chain Options
In our ongoing Food on the Run and Diet Friendly Dining series, one of the most common comments I find relates to why the sodium content is so high in the foods we suggest as being "healthier" options.
More and more restaurants are moving in the direction of fresh, whole foods for entrée and side options. Since these tend to be naturally low in sodium, they are a great way to increase nutrition while decreasing the sodium and fat content at the same time. Options such as fresh fruit and steamed or raw vegetables without added sodium, lean meats, poultry and fish as well as whole grains, dried beans, and lentils that do not have added salt are usually better choices with lower sodium content.
The Healthy Dining finder's team of Registered Dietitians believes that Sodium Savvy menu items are those that provide 750 mg or sodium or less for an entrée, and 250 mg of sodium or less for an appetizer, side dish, or dessert. Here are 10 of the best low sodium casual dining and fast food entrée options you might want to select next time you are eating away from home.
Fast Food Chain Options
- Arby's Junior Roast Beef Sandwich Calories – 210
- Burger King Whopper Jr. Calories – 340
- McDonald's 4-Piece Chicken McNuggets Calories – 190
- Subway 6" Veggie Delite Calories – 230
- Wendy's Half-Size Apple Pecan Chicken Salad Calories – 170 (dressing an additional 60 and roasted pecans an additional 110)
Fat – 8 grams
Sodium – 520 mg
Fat – 19 grams
Sodium – 530 mg
Fat – 12 grams
Sodium – 360 mg
Fat – 2.5 grams
Sodium – 310 mg
Fat – 6 grams (dressing an additional 3 grams and roasted pecans an additional 9 grams)
Sodium – 580 mg (dressing an additional 160 mg and roasted pecans an additional 60 mg)
Casual Dining Chain Options
- Cracker Barrel Country Dinner Plate Spicy Grilled Catfish Calories – 120
- Red Lobster Mahi Mahi Dinner with fresh broccoli and garden salad without dressing Calories – 450
- Denny's Grilled Chicken Deluxe Salad (doesn't include bread or salad dressing) Calories – 340
- Olive Garden – Garden Fare Lunch Portion Linguini Alla Marinara (doesn't include bread or salad) Calories – 310
- The Old Spaghetti Factory - Spaghetti Vesuvius (a mixture of chicken, sausage and meatballs with mushrooms, green peppers and onions in a spicy Tabasco and cayenne pepper seasoned sauce over pasta.) Calories – 710 for a hearty portion
Fat – 5 grams
Sodium – 300 mg (be sure you have requested no added salt)
Fat – 5 grams
Sodium – 470 mg
Fat – 13 grams
Sodium – 530 mg (be sure you have requested no added salt)
Fat – 4 grams
Sodium – 670 mg (be sure you have request no additional sodium)
Fat – 20 grams
Sodium – 590 mg
 You will earn 3 SparkPoints |
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Comments
Given that I'm supposed to stay around 1500 mg/day due to BP issues, even 500 mg is kind of high (as another poster said) but IF I eat out like that, then I just make sure the rest of my day is SUPER "low sodium" and can usually balance it!
I was SHOCKED to learn how high in sodium MOST of the grilled chicken is at most restaurants! Here I THOUGHT I had been eating "healthy" by choosing that option!! Joke was on ME!! It's amazing when you start reading nutritional info, isn't it?? I also find it interesting how bad a "rap" McDonald's gets -- yet as you will note above -- it's one of the options that's LOWEST in sodium!! And they DO have some other healthy options. Believe it or not, after researching things, it's one of my best options in alot of ways IF we're forced to drive thru (which thankfully we don't do very often) -- but like when we're traveling and don't have a choice... Even as "healthy" as Subway is touted -- I pretty much can't eat there EXCEPT for the Veggie Delite -- and even THEN you have to watch what kind of bread it's on and you can NOT eat any pickles or olives on that or you'd go over in sodium!
Anyway -- thanks for sharing this blog with us and for addressing the sodium issue that gets overlooked ALOT I think!!
As for the poster that pointed out alot of people with high BP aren't sensitive to sodium...MOST are -- I'm a nurse and know this not only from personal experience but also professionally. I feel most doctors fail terribly with their patients when they don't address this issue... I had been on TWO meds -- and STILL had borderline high BP but I've been able to come off ALL meds by losing a little over 40 pounds and watching my sodium! Even with my weight being down, my BP definitely reacts when I have a "higher sodium" day (I monitor it myself at home).... Has your husband ever TRIED to monitor his sodium and cut down then have his BP checked?? Especially if he's ADDING salt to things...I'm guessing his sodium intake is astronomical...(one teaspoon of table salt has 2,325 mg of sodium)
Even without ADDING salt, it's amazing how much you take in with just "regular" food -- and I'm not talking "processed" either - which I pretty much have to stay away from completely...
Mayo Clinic's recommendation is 1500 mg or less if you have high BP -- OR LESS! You need it for your body to function properly but not as much as people think! - 1/8/2012 12:37:20 AM
I guess my best option from this list would be that Veggie Delight from Subway. - 1/6/2012 4:28:02 PM
Please Log In To Leave A Comment: Log in now ›