America's Saltiest Fast Foods
America's Saltiest Fast Foods
Fast food, in all its greasy glory, tends to get a pretty bad rap. And no wonder: For the most part, fast food chains' offerings are loaded with fat, calories, and cholesterol, and contain very little in the way of nutrients. But there's another health hazard lurking in your fast food as well: sodium, and a lot of it. We checked out the nutritional information for 11 leading fast food chains and identified the saltiest items on each of their menus.
In-N-Out
The saltiest item on the small menu at In-N-Out is the Double Double, which contains 1,440 milligrams of sodium. A plain hamburger, for comparison, contains 660 milligrams.
McDonald’s
The Bacon Clubhouse Crispy Chicken Sandwich contains the most sodium out of any item on the McDonald's menu, with 1,720 milligrams. Opt for the Premium Grilled Chicken Classic instead, which contains only 820 milligrams.
Wendy’s
Wendy's famous Baconator is the saltiest item on its menu, with 1,850 milligrams of sodium. Instead, opt for a smaller burger, like the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, which contains 850 milligrams.
Burger King
It's the five-piece order of homestyle chicken strips that contain the most sodium at Burger King, with 1,880 milligrams. Even the three-piece contains 1,130 milligrams. Order a Whopper Jr. with cheese instead, which contains just 580 milligrams.
KFC
Out of all the individual items on KFC's menu, it's the Mashed Potato with Gravy Bowl that contains the most sodium, with 2,040 milligrams. Opt for the snack-size bowl, which contains just 790 milligrams. And don't forget that the fried chicken still contains loads of sodium: an Original Recipe breast contains 1,130 milligrams.
Arby’s
It's the Roast Turkey Ranch and Bacon Sandwich, not the roast beef, that contains the most sodium at Arby's, with 2,250 milligrams. Opt for the Classic Roast Beef sandwich instead, which contains 970.
Taco Bell
The Smothered Beef Burrito is the most sodium-heavy item on Taco Bell's Menu, with 2,260 milligrams. Go for the Chicken Burrito instead, which contains 960 milligrams.
Sonic
Topping the daily recommended sodium allowance with one dish, Sonic's large chili cheese tots is the saltiest item on their menu, with 2,760 milligrams of sodium (not to mention 59 grams of fat). If you must have chili and cheese on your tots, opt for a small, which contains 970 milligrams.
Hardee’s
The ⅔ Lb. Monster Thickburger is one of the unhealthiest fast food burgers on the planet, with a whopping 2,820 milligrams of sodium (and an outrageous 95 grams of fat). Thankfully, there are plenty of lower-sodium burgers on the Hardee's menu, like the ¼ Lb. Little Thick Cheeseburger, with 1,150 milligrams.
Subway
Cured meats are loaded with sodium, and Subway's Spicy Italian is loaded with them. Pepperoni, salami, and cheese are all included in this sandwich, and a footlong contains 2,980 milligrams of sodium. Choose a six-inch roast beef (660 milligrams) or a six-inch turkey breast (670 milligrams) sandwich instead.
#1 Pizza Hut
The saltiest fast-food menu item in America right now is the Meat Lovers 9" Personal PANormous Pizza from Pizza Hut, with an insane 3,670 milligrams of sodium; that's more than 1,000 milligrams more than the daily recommended allowance. Pizza is one of the saltiest foods around, so there really aren't any low-sodium options at Pizza Hut, but we'd suggest sticking to a small portion of the 12" Medium Cheese Pan Pizza, which contains 530 milligrams per slice.