The 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture support the recommendation that adults should limit the amount of sodium they ingest to less than 1,500 mg of salt per day to decrease the incidence of high blood pressure and stroke. This is equivalent to approximately 2/3 of a teaspoon of salt daily. To facilitate the recommendation, U.S. adults should be aware of the sodium concentrations in many fast foods.
McDonald's
The golden arches remain a driving force in American fast food. Ronald McDonald remains forever young, but he might not be eating his fast food. For instance, a Quarter Pounder with cheese has 1,190 mg of sodium in it. That is almost the total sodium allowance for one day. The Angus Bacon and Cheese Sandwich tops the list, with 2,070 mg of sodium. The item with the lowest amount of sodium was a small french fry order, with 110 mg of sodium.
Burger King
The king likes his salt. While none of the items listed in the nutritional menu topped McDonald's 2,070 mg of salt, many items still were loaded with salt. For instance, a Double Whopper with cheese has 1,480 mg of sodium added to it. The Texas Triple Whopper sandwich contains 1,840 mg of salt. No doubt the king has blood pressure issues.
Wendy's
Wendy's appears to be in lockstep with McDonald's and Burger King. The quarter pound single burger has 1,270 mg of sodium, and the 3/4 pounder triple has 1,800 mg of sodium. The spicy chicken fillet has 950 mg of sodium. Even the Baja Salad has 1,650 mg of sodium. These are not healthy meals.
Panera Breads
On the more upscale side of things, this fast food restaurant offers what appears to be healthier-looking options until you examine their nutrition facts. Their Napa Almond Chicken salad on sesame semolina has 1,200 mg of sodium added to it. The full Mediterranean Veggie on XL tomato basil has 1,400 mg of sodium. This is close to the Mediterranean Diet in name only. Half of a Bacon Turkey Bravo on XL tomato basil has 1,400 mg of sodium.
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