Finding Low Sodium Fast Food Choices
Fast food gets a bad rap for being highly processed and loaded with fat, calories, and sodium. It's true that typical drive-thru fare like burgers, fries, and pizza can quickly surpass daily recommendations for salt intake.
The American Heart Association advises limiting sodium to less than 2,300 milligrams per day. But a fast food meal can pack over half your days' worth of salt in just one serving!
The convenience of fast food makes it hard to resist when you're rushed. But with high blood pressure impacting over 100 million Americans, it pays to get savvy with lower sodium choices. Lets explore some better-for-you fast food options when cravings strike.
Why Limit Sodium?
Before highlighting low sodium fast food items, lets review why limiting salt matters for health.
Sodium plays essential roles like maintaining fluid balance and enabling muscles and nerves to function. But most Americans ingest way more than the adequate intake amount each day.
Extra sodium causes your body to retain water, placing strain on blood vessels and the heart. Over time this stresses the cardiovascular system, leading to problems like:
- High blood pressure
- Stiffened arteries
- Higher risk of stroke
- Greater chance of heart attack or heart failure
Research confirms the more dietary sodium you consume, the higher your blood pressure. Lowering intake reverses this effect, protecting long term cardiovascular health.
Doctors say even small reductions make a difference. Cutting your salt intake by just 400 mg per day can significantly benefit blood pressure and heart health.
Low Sodium Fast Food Tips
Armed with motivation, lets get started identifying better fast food options. Here are some top low sodium tips for navigating popular chains:
Research Nutrition Info Upfront
Most major fast food restaurants post sodium amounts for menu items online or in stores. Checking this info lets you compare numbers before ordering.
Focus on meals under 800 mg sodium to align with heart health advice. Or opt for low sodium flagged choices when available to simplify selection.
Customize Your Meal
Choose custom or build your own meal options to skip salty pre-made flavors. A plain hamburger with veggie toppings is far lower sodium than a loaded cheeseburger with bacon.
Also opt out of salt-heavy sauces and seasonings like soy sauce and cajun spice mixes. Stick to ketchup, mustard, or oil and vinegar instead.
Pay Attention to Sides
When focused on healthy main dishes, it's easy to overlook how sides impact sodium totals. Fries, rice pilaf, biscuits, and creamy soups can pack surprising salt punches.
Pair your meal with lower sodium options like apple slices, fresh fruit, plain baked potatoes, or side salads with minimal dressing.
Skip Pre-Salted Entrees
Breaded, cured, smoked, or pickled foods inherently contain more sodium. Opt for grilled, poached, or roasted preparations when possible. Also limit bacon, ham, salami and sausages which skyrocket sodium.
Brands market healthy frozen meals too, but check labels as pre-made items often still harbor hefty sodium from preservatives and flavor boosters.
Hydrate with Water
Instead of grabbing sugar-filled soda, hydrating with water further protects against sodium effects. Water buffers fluid retention and blood pressure changes from excess salt.
Adding lemon, lime, or cucumber provides flavor if plain seems boring. Just avoid salty soups advertised as lower calorie options.
Low Sodium Fast Food Chains
Of course nutrition numbers vary across fast food brands. Heres a quick guide highlighting some generally lower sodium chains to help cut salt.
Subway
With endless sandwich customizations, Subway makes it easy to control salt content. Skip preserved meats and cheese for veggie piles instead. Mustard-based sauces, oil and vinegar dressings, and wheat rolls offer sodium savings over sandwiches andsubs from many competitors.
Chipotle
Skip Chipotles pre-made meat dishes and build your own tacos, burritos, bowls, and salads. Corn tortillas contain just 5mg sodium versus 300mg for flour. Fill them with fajita veggies, chicken or carnitas, black beans, and fresh tomato salsa.
Panera Bread
Panera advertises lower sodium credentials across menu items with special callouts. Broths contain 30% less sodium than average, for example. Soups, salads, and sandwiches still vary, so check nutrition stats to identify better options.
Jasons Deli
Jasons Deli labels low and lower-sodium choices with hearts and stars, making picking easier. The chain's sandwiches and salads typically contain less salt than counterparts, especially when paired with potato chips over high sodium deli sides.
Jimmy John's
Jimmy Johns sandwiches and simple sides generally pack less salt than subs from bigger chains. skips salted bread, oils and vinegar for dressings, and includes nutrition stats.
Jersey Mikes
Jersey Mikes allows custom subs without skyrocketing sodium like other sandwich shops. Prioritize veggie fillings over cured meats and cheese. Order dressing and oil-based condiments on the side to controlsalt.
Noodles & Company
Skip cream and cheese-based sauces for noodle and pasta dishes here. Opt for red sauce or pesto which offer fresh flavor for around 300-500 mg sodium per dish. Load up on veggies in pasta, stir fries, and zucchini noodles.
Other Low Sodium Fast Food Ideas
Beyond the usual burger, sandwich, taco and pasta joints, more restaurant chains highlight lower sodium now. Here are some quick grab n go salty snacks to swap for meals under 500 mg sodium:
- Pizza Hut - Hand Tossed Veggie Lovers Pizza
- McDonalds - Fruit & Maple Oatmeal / Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait
- Wendy's - Mandarin Chicken Salad / Baked Potato
- Arbys - Roast Turkey Farmhouse Salad
- Taco Bell - Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme
- KFC - Grilled Chicken Breast
- Burger King - Garden Grilled Chicken Salad
- Dunkin' Donuts - Egg White Veggie Flatbread
Looking at the Labels
Fast food can satisfy convenience cravings and still align with a heart healthy low sodium diet. The keys are customizing simpler items, knowing better choices for sides, and doing some quick nutrition research.
As a general rule of thumb:
- Aim for less than 800mg sodium per meal
- Skip salty sauces, seasonings and accompaniments
- Hydrate with water instead of soda or sweet tea
- Compare brands online to identify lower sodiumstandouts
Curious about how your favorite fast fare stacks up nutrition-wise? Don't assume check the facts first. Just a little label-reading and number-crunching goes a long way when cutting salt and choosing sensibly on busy days!
FAQs
Why is too much sodium bad?
Excess sodium causes the body to retain fluid, placing strain on blood vessels. Over time this stresses the cardiovascular system and can lead to high blood pressure, stiff arteries, stroke, heart attack and more.
How can I find low sodium fast food?
Research nutrition info online first to compare options. Choose simpler, customizable items over salty pre-made dishes. Skip high sodium sauces, dressings and sides. And hydrate with water instead of soda.
What are the best low sodium fast food chains?
Some fast food chains offering lower sodium choices include Subway, Chipotle, Panera Bread, Jason's Deli, Jimmy John's, Jersey Mike's, and Noodles & Company. Compare nutrition stats to identify better options.
What's a healthy low sodium fast food meal?
Aim for meals under 800mg sodium. A veggie sub or wrap, salad with light dressing, baked potato, or grilled chicken sandwich tend to be lower sodium fast food options. Pair with fruit, veggies and water instead of fries and soda.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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