If you make the right choices, fast food doesn't have to be unhealthy. The quick, cheap eats provide options for many Americans, who often don't make the wisest choices. According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, more than 25 percent of Americans eat at fast food restaurants every day. According to MayoClinic.com, a healthy adult should eat no more than 2,300mg of salt per day. If you have high blood pressure, that number should stay below 1,500mg.
Salads
Catering to the health conscious, most fast food restaurants offer salad options that contain little or no salt in the actual salad. High sodium levels typically are in the dressings that come separately. According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, you don't need the entire packet to tastefully season a salad. Instead, squeeze a small amount on your salad to save calories and sodium. For example, one Arby's Santa Fe Ranch salad dressing packet contains 264 calories and 615mg of sodium. Use half the packet and cut your salt consumption in half.
French Fries
In and of themselves, french fries do not contain large amounts of salt. It's the added salt that servers pile on when the potatoes come out of the fryer that loads on the sodium. According to the Heart Failure Society of America, a small order of french fries at a fast food restaurant contains about 10 to 20mg of sodium. Ask the server to leave off the added salt, which usually brings up the total sodium content closer to 200mg per serving.
Taco
Fast food Mexican restaurants vary widely in the sodium content of their menu items. The Heart Failure Society of America recommends ordering tacos that have only about 273mg per serving compared to an enchilada that packs about 1,260mg or even a taco salad, in which you'll eat closer to 1,360mg of salt.
Small Cheeseburger
While processed meat is one of the worst culprits for high sodium, a small cheeseburger packs far fewer salt milligrams and can satisfy your cravings for a fast food burger. According to the Heart Failure Society of America, a small cheeseburger has about 743mg of sodium and a small hamburger about 506mg. Compare that to a large cheeseburger, loaded with sauce and double meat that delivers more like 1,200mg of salt.
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