# The 20 saltiest foods in America



## kleenex (Apr 27, 2008)

The 20 saltiest foods in America exposed - Diet and nutrition - MSNBC.com

We have some really salty food in restaurants....


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## LEFSElover (Apr 27, 2008)

...................I've just said several times in a row, WOW
...................moral of the story, don't go to Macaroni Grill and if you do, DON'T EAT ANYTHING


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## expatgirl (Apr 27, 2008)

here, I just say "bez sal" and they pretty much decrease the salt content though they always have a puzzled look when I ask.........it means "without salt"....


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## expatgirl (Apr 27, 2008)

yeah, that's the worst thing about my dh and I eating out-----we've gotten so used to a low salt diet that when we eat out it can sometimes be a challenge but we've found many restaurants who will accomodate us and we always tip well when they do


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## Jeekinz (Apr 27, 2008)

Yikes.....

The calories are off the charts too.


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## Katie H (Apr 27, 2008)

What a list!  I've never eaten any of the items on the list.  That's because I don't really care for many of them or we either don't have most of the restaurants in our area or we don't care for the restaurant.  The foods would definitely be a challenge for Buck and me because we use very little salt.  Never have been big on salt.  The examples look like, "have a little food with your salt."


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## ChefJune (Apr 27, 2008)

LEFSElover said:


> ...................I've just said several times in a row, WOW
> ...................moral of the story, don't go to Macaroni Grill and if you do, DON'T EAT ANYTHING



  "demi-glace" was never meant to "blanket" anything! 

that's a very scary list.


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## ChefJune (Apr 27, 2008)

Katie E said:


> What a list!  I've never eaten any of the items on the list.  That's because I don't really care for many of them or we either don't have most of the restaurants in our area or we don't care for the restaurant.  The foods would definitely be a challenge for Buck and me because we use very little salt.  Never have been big on salt.  The examples look like, "have a little food with your salt."



me neither. I've never eaten in any of those restaurants, either, except maybe once or twice in a Dennys on the road.


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## Loprraine (Apr 27, 2008)

I love my salt, but the sodium count ( and calorie count) in some of those dishes in incredible!!!


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## quicksilver (Apr 27, 2008)

*hard salami, soy sauce, anchovies.*


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## jpmcgrew (Apr 27, 2008)

I have never eaten in any of these places except Dennys when I was younger which was after the bar closed and we all would go get breakfast Not to worry because I'm sure I still get way more salt than I should in my food.


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## luvs (Apr 27, 2008)

they failed to mention anchovies & olives.


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## kitchenelf (Apr 27, 2008)

The list is PREPARED foods from different restaurants, not an ingredient list.


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## quicksilver (Apr 27, 2008)

*     Didn't see PREPARED in the original thread or link. not until  I sidelined to seperate links.  SORRY!*

_   does prepared = the sum of its parts?_


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## kitchenelf (Apr 27, 2008)

quicksilver said:


> *     Didn't see PREPARED in the original thread or link. not until  I sidelined to seperate links.  SORRY!*
> 
> _   does prepared = the sum of its parts?_



 You must report to the woodshed immediately and no jacuzzi for the first 30 minutes!  Also, Phillipe (he's the one that speaks French) was told no pedicure until tomorrow - manicure and facial are fine!    Hey, I've upgraded the woodshed just in case I have to go.


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## quicksilver (Apr 27, 2008)

*     Me first, me first. Who wants to come? Who wants to bring the weenies? Who wants to bring the marshmallows?*
*We'll sent the place ablaze and have a PAR TAA!!!!!*
*     Cocktails, anyone?????????*


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## expatgirl (Apr 27, 2008)

well, to think that one of my fav snacks in high school was saltine crackers and dill pickles and No I wasn't pregnant either.........god, my blood pressure is probably on the rise just reading this thread


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## expatgirl (Apr 27, 2008)

the woodshed has been upgraded and there's a partaa????? Let's go....


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## AMSeccia (Apr 28, 2008)

OHMYGOSH, I can't imagine any of this sodium is actually necessary.  Is anybody else bothered by this?  My body just can't tolerate all this sodium, and I find that every day older I get, the worse it seems to affect me.  

Last night we stopped at Culvers, sort of a regional frozen custard/burger chain, and after two chicken fingers I felt bad from the sodium.  It makes it very hard to eat out ... I find that salad dressings and soups are the worst.


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## buckytom (Apr 28, 2008)

interesting list. thankfully, i can't recall eating in any of those places, and don't plan to. 

however, some of the suggestions in the list for how to make it healthier are stupid. like many nutritionists, they miss the point of why we choose to eat something.

for instance, how about the rigatoni romano. that's rigatoni with sausage and a cheesey sauce. their suggestion was to have plain sauce and chicken. well, then why order rigatoni romano?
or have a steak instead of having beef stroganoff, in  the beef category. they're not the same thing. why would i order a hunk o' beef if i wanted it with gravy and noodles?

for the chinese food, it says to skip the fried rice with the beef and broccoli. ok, i thought they were seperate dishes to begin with.

and never eat fajitas at any cost, anywhere.

men's health needs better editors.


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## expatgirl (Apr 28, 2008)

yep, when your body gets used to lower sodium levels eating out does become a challenge


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## DaveSoMD (Apr 28, 2008)

One of the reasons most people don't notice all the salt is that we as a country have become so used to it. Prepacagked food is so high in salt it is scarry at times. Once I started reading lables my cooking and eating habits, for the most part, changed. Micro-meals, nope.... frozen heat and serve dinners, not any more...and casseroles made with cream-of-anything soup, outta here. 

If I am going to consume salt and fat I'd rather choose when I indulge. And I do indulge at times  .  But I've been trying to cook more and more from scratch.


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## kitchenelf (Apr 28, 2008)

I always thought when one ate at a chain restaurant, even some of the better ones, it was assumed that sodium content was higher.  With all the processed sauces and pre-marinated, processed chicken it's a chance we take when we eat out at these places.  I got a salad from McDonald's ONCE and I will never get another one.  I think it was the Asian salad?  The dressing was horrible along with the chicken - both laden with preservatives!

Now, if you go to a more privately owned, finer dining restaurant, it's not near as bad as most everything should be made from scratch.  Though canned goods are still used in a lot of dishes the sauces should be preservative free.


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## ChefJune (Apr 28, 2008)

kitchenelf said:


> *I always thought when one ate at a chain restaurant, even some of the better ones, it was assumed that sodium content was higher. *With all the processed sauces and pre-marinated, processed chicken it's a chance we take when we eat out at these places. I got a salad from McDonald's ONCE and I will never get another one. I think it was the Asian salad? The dressing was horrible along with the chicken - both laden with preservatives!
> 
> Now, if you go to a more privately owned, finer dining restaurant, it's not near as bad as most everything should be made from scratch. Though canned goods are still used in a lot of dishes the sauces should be preservative free.


 
I thought that, too, Elf.  That's just another reason why I avoid them like the plague.  I remember _many_ years ago, stopping at an Arby's when they were new.  I couldn't believe they didn't use real beef in their sandwiches.  That pressed beef is even nastier than the plastic chicken/turkey sold in so many places!  not to mention the sodium content.....


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## Spicy Meataball (Apr 28, 2008)

Loprraine said:


> I love my salt, but the sodium count ( and calorie count) in some of those dishes in incredible!!!



I had to recently explain to a friend of mine why I take the time to make my own fish on the grill rather than buy the pre packaged ones in the freezer section. He swore that they had to be low salt because he couldnt taste alot of sodium in the dish.....until we went food shopping and I took my flounder from the fish monger down the road...and we went to Shop rite and he got his "fish fillets" and saw 550 MG..... ahhh the wonders of processed foods.


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## jennyema (Apr 28, 2008)

Spicy Meataball said:


> I had to recently explain to a friend of mine why I take the time to make my own fish on the grill rather than buy the pre packaged ones in the freezer section. He swore that they had to be low salt because he couldnt taste alot of sodium in the dish.....until we went food shopping and I took my flounder from the fish monger down the road...and we went to Shop rite and he got his "fish fillets" and saw 550 MG..... ahhh the wonders of processed foods.


 

In siome ways these lists are misleading because they are measuring sodium content and not salt.

While salt adds sodium to food, so do many other things, primarily preservatives and flavor enhancers.  So something might not taste overtly salty, but could have very high levels of sodium in it.


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## DrThunder88 (Apr 29, 2008)

I'm reminded of a line from _Futurama_.  "That's the saltiest thing I ever tasted...and I once ate a big, heaping bowl of salt!"


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## PanchoHambre (Apr 29, 2008)

buckytom said:


> however, some of the suggestions in the list for how to make it healthier are stupid. like many nutritionists, they miss the point of why we choose to eat something.
> 
> for instance, how about the rigatoni romano. that's rigatoni with sausage and a cheesey sauce. their suggestion was to have plain sauce and chicken. well, then why order rigatoni romano?
> or have a steak instead of having beef stroganoff, in the beef category. they're not the same thing. why would i order a hunk o' beef if i wanted it with gravy and noodles?
> ...


 
Agreed Bucky the problem is not fajitas the problem is presevative laden fajitas....

I think all of these preservatives are one of the reasons I tend to start feeling crummy if I eat out too much which is one of the reasons I started cooking in the first place.

I see nothing wring with indulging in tasty food that has high salt and fat on occassion as long as I balance my diet out.... I am not going to worry about salt when it comes to olives or genoa salami but of course these are things to be consumed in moderation. 

The problem with these chain joints is that they are feeding you processed industrial product not fresh food. A piece of chicken should be a piece of chicken not a byproduct of NASAs food research.


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## ChefJune (Apr 29, 2008)

> The problem with these chain joints is that they are feeding you processed industrial product not fresh food. A piece of chicken should be a piece of chicken not a byproduct of NASAs food research


 
You know, there IS an alternative if Americans will take it.. There are (or perhaps in some areas "used to be" is a better term) _independent_ restaurants -- not all of which are high end -- where one can still get a fantastic meal at reasonable (considering the high cost of everything) prices.

Why is it so many folks are so enamored with the Dominos',Olive Gardens', TGI Fridays', and Red Lobsters of the world?  I've never gotten that.


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## expatgirl (Apr 29, 2008)

Chef June, I think that so many people are stressed out at the end of the day that's it's so easy to drop in or pick up the phone....living here...there is no fast food or delivery...that doesn't mean that they don't use salt, however, but many places here will take it off if you ask....but you don't have that back-up here----you want pizza you're going to hike for it........and with snow and cold temps most of the year you think twice about it


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## GotGarlic (Apr 29, 2008)

PanchoHambre said:


> Agreed Bucky the problem is not fajitas the problem is presevative laden fajitas....



The site said this about the fajitas: "Here are a few offenders to choke on: fried chicken, Buffalo sauce, blue cheese, smoked bacon, ranch dressing, and sour cream. All make this the sodium equivalent of single-handedly downing three and a half baskets of Chili's bottomless tostada chips. Add rice and beans and you've just ordered 3 days' worth of sodium and an entire day of calories. If you're salt-sensitive, avoid fajitas--any kind of fajitas--at all costs."


Just curious - why would restaurants need to use preservatives in their food? It would seem to me that they get deliveries often enough that preservatives would not be necessary.


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## AMSeccia (Apr 29, 2008)

ChefJune, I get what you're saying, but in Metro NY, you likely have thousands of choices, whereas some people in remote areas don't.  Sometimes those chains are all there is to choose from, unless you are lucky and have a family run outfit in your town.  Most food service products contain highly processed ingredients, period.  Labor prevents most from doing EVERYTHING the old fashioned way, no matter how hard they try. You can only work so many hours before something's gotta give, and that's where it starts.

Chains are not my first pick either, but even in a small city like Green Bay, there are more of those than indies, believe it or not.  And then even a couple of our local outfits are marketing themselves like chains or sports bars, which is a whole 'nother rant.  I do think food servie


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## redkitty (Apr 29, 2008)

DrThunder88 said:


> I'm reminded of a line from _Futurama_.  "That's the saltiest thing I ever tasted...and I once ate a big, heaping bowl of salt!"



Hahahaaa!!!  I love Futurama!

I'm constantly surprised by how many people still live off processed foods.  The UK has soooo many ready-meals and they are all just loaded with sodium.  One of the main reasons I don't enjoy eating out more often is because I can't see what went into my dinner!


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## ChefJune (Apr 29, 2008)

AMSeccia said:


> ChefJune, I get what you're saying, but in Metro NY, you likely have thousands of choices, whereas some people in remote areas don't. Sometimes those chains are all there is to choose from, unless you are lucky and have a family run outfit in your town. Most food service products contain highly processed ingredients, period. Labor prevents most from doing EVERYTHING the old fashioned way, no matter how hard they try. You can only work so many hours before something's gotta give, and that's where it starts.
> 
> Chains are not my first pick either, but even in a small city like Green Bay, there are more of those than indies, believe it or not. And then even a couple of our local outfits are marketing themselves like chains or sports bars, which is a whole 'nother rant. I do think food servie


 
What I'm saying, Andrea, is that there _used to_ be small mom and pop restaurants everywhere, before the chains came in and out advertised them and made folks believe they were DA BOMB, when in fact, they were the bomb, but not in a good way!


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## jennyema (Apr 29, 2008)

GotGarlic said:


> Just curious - why would restaurants need to use preservatives in their food? It would seem to me that they get deliveries often enough that preservatives would not be necessary.


 

Many of those chain restaurants use processed food.

I think that's one of the points June makes.


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## PanchoHambre (Apr 29, 2008)

ChefJune said:


> You know, there IS an alternative if Americans will take it.. There are (or perhaps in some areas "used to be" is a better term) _independent_ restaurants -- not all of which are high end -- where one can still get a fantastic meal at reasonable (considering the high cost of everything) prices.
> 
> Why is it so many folks are so enamored with the Dominos',Olive Gardens', TGI Fridays', and Red Lobsters of the world? I've never gotten that.


 
independent restaurants in general I believe are a better bet from the health standpoint (with the exception of all the pizza/wings/steaks places around here that use pretty much processed everything) I certainly feel better about eating in them.

People like the big chains because they are easy and predictable. I will admit on occassion I find them useful... when you have a big group of people or have been driving all day and just need to pull off the road to grab a bite and are not really up for exploring. They definitley fill a void. The occasional meal of preservative laced chickenbreast wont kill you it is making them a regular part of life.... I mean I like a big mac or a sack of white castle on occassion too but not everyday.

There are so many processed pre-made  foods in the supermarket as well. I have no problem with convinience foods being used in a pinch but I think too many people take them for granted without thinking.

Growing up we ate almost nothing packaged (except baked goods mom sucked at that) never health food either nothing skim or light just food. Plenty of meats and cheeses etc. If we ate out it was usually at a local bar diner or italian joint and yeah on occassion we had mc donalds becase somewhere inbetween working full time and going to grad scool and holding down 2nd jobs sometimes the parents just couldn't get dinner on the table but that was rare. I see so many people feeding thier familes on fast food it is sad.

I was suprised to see Macaroni Grill top the list I wouldn't have guessed them the worst. I have a particular dislike of Chillis and Crapplebees for this type of restaurants and a fondness for Dennys and I-HOP


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## GotGarlic (Apr 29, 2008)

jennyema said:


> Many of those chain restaurants use processed food.
> 
> I think that's one of the points June makes.



I know, but there are lots of ways to process food, and not all of them are bad - pasteurizing milk, for instance, or freezing vegetables. So I'm wondering why restaurants would need to use preservatives in their food. I don't think "processed" automatically means "preservatives added."


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## jennyema (Apr 29, 2008)

GotGarlic said:


> I know, but there are lots of ways to process food, and not all of them are bad - pasteurizing milk, for instance, or freezing vegetables. So I'm wondering why restaurants would need to use preservatives in their food. I don't think "processed" automatically means "preservatives added."


 
Restaurants buy a lot of pre-made, pre-processed food that already has preservatives and stabilizers added. They don't always make their dishes from fresh ingredients.


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## PanchoHambre (Apr 29, 2008)

jennyema said:


> Restaurants buy a lot of pre-made, pre-processed food that already has preservatives and stabilizers added. They don't always make their dishes from fresh ingredients.


 Sysco Corporation

Also those big chains pre make thier foods they do not employ Chefs much of the food is pre-cooked bagged up and shipped unbagged heated

Howstuffworks "Mass-produced Food"


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## GotGarlic (Apr 29, 2008)

jennyema said:


> Restaurants buy a lot of pre-made, pre-processed food that already has preservatives and stabilizers added. They don't always make their dishes from fresh ingredients.



All restaurants?



PanchoHambre said:


> Sysco Corporation



Not sure what I'm supposed to be looking for here.



PanchoHambre said:


> Also those big chains pre make thier foods they do not employ Chefs much of the food is pre-cooked bagged up and shipped unbagged heated
> 
> Howstuffworks "Mass-produced Food"



It seems to me you are implying that all restaurants use preservatives, which is specifically what I was asking about. If you're talking about fast-food restaurants, then you need to say that.


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## jennyema (Apr 29, 2008)

Not all restaurants but many, many of them do, particularly the Applebee's/Red Lobster types.  Many non-chain restaurants do as well.

Prepackaged and processed food is very often cheaper to serve.  

See Chef June's posts... with the caveat that even some smaller mom/pop restaurants use premade/processed ingredients.

I drive past Sysco trucks at several of the finest restaurants in the city several times a week.  Don't know what they are unloading though.


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## PanchoHambre (Apr 29, 2008)

Sysco.... How Sysco came to monopolize most of what you eat. - By Ulrich Boser - Slate Magazine



> The ingredients alone on some of the pre-made items are enough to make a restaurant-goer swear off eating out. The breaded cheese chicken breast, for instance, contains monocalcium phosphates, sorbic acid preservatives, and oleoresin in turmeric. The Serve Smart Chicken is particularly frightening. While it looks natural, it consists of parts of other chicken breasts mashed together into a single, chicken-breastlike block. As the company notes on its Web site, our "unique 3-D technology gives you the look and texture of a solid muscle chicken breast, at a fraction of the cost. … Available in four great flavors: teriyaki, BBQ, fajita and original." What Smart Chicken tastes like, I'd rather not know.
> Restaurants make a mint from serving these pre-prepped foods, since the meals can be purchased in bulk and stored in a freezer for months. A box of 36, 4-ounce chicken Kievs, for instance, can be kept in an icebox for up to 180 days. And the savings from labor costs are considerable. Each reheated Angus country fried steak will bring in almost $5 in profits. In the words of Sysco, these meals require nothing more than the ability to "heat, assemble, and serve."


 
So no dont assume that your indy bistro is buying free range chicken down at the farmers market either.... Sysco dominates the food industry while not everything the sell is processed they certainly gain alot of mileage from it


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## sattie (Apr 29, 2008)

Welp, hubby may not be so happy to find out that his favorite dish at RMG is the saltiest dish around.  I had no clue!  I don't eat any of the stuff listed, but the Lord know's I get my share of salt intake!


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## ChefJune (Apr 29, 2008)

GotGarlic said:


> All restaurants?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## ChefJune (Apr 29, 2008)

jennyema said:


> Not all restaurants but many, many of them do, particularly the Applebee's/Red Lobster types. Many non-chain restaurants do as well.
> 
> Prepackaged and processed food is very often cheaper to serve.
> 
> ...


 
Sysco does not primarily sell prepared food.  They are a distributor for all sorts of comestibles that restaurants need to run their shops... fresh meat and produce, included.


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## GotGarlic (Apr 29, 2008)

ChefJune said:


> GotGarlic said:
> 
> 
> > All restaurants?
> ...



Having worked at KFC and Burger King in high school, I know how they work. That's not what I'm asking about. I rarely go to any chain restaurants because we have too many other good options.

I go out almost every week with friends for dinner; we have quite a few local restaurants that might, at the most, have a few local outlets, but most of them have just one location. When you say "all restaurants," that means every last one - even the local owner-operated ones. I'm pretty sure that in these restaurants, at least, they're not serving pressed chicken parts.


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