Would You Like Additional Sodium with that Salad?

Image taken from USA Today

The greenest thing on the menu isn't necessarily the best option. Many waist band watchers go for the salad thinking they're being healthy. It has vegetables and sometimes even a lean protein. Salads tend to be low in calories and fat (minus the dressing), so what's the big deal? Sodium is. The Daily Mail published an article today about the how the salt content of salads can be higher than a Big Mac. A Big Mac contains 1,040 mg of sodium, but what does that mean to the average consumer?



Image taken from Business Week

According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it is recommended that Americans get less than 2,500 mg of sodium per day (even lower if you are in a high risk population group). This is the equal to 1 teaspoon. If you haven't seen a teaspoon lately, I suggest you take a look at it. It's not much and most people surpass this easily due consumption of processed foods and salt added when cooking. Higher levels of salt intake often correlate to high blood pressure, which can lead to hypertension. Reducing salt intake and keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range decreases one's risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, and kidney disease.

Sodium isn't the devil by any means. Our bodies still need it to work properly. For instance, sodium is needed to regulate nerve and muscle function. It also helps regulate fluid in our bodies. Other than what you intake, your kidneys are what internally regulates sodium in your body. When your kidneys can't do the job any more, sodium builds up in the body and can lead to high blood pressure and other health problems.

Back to the Big Mac, it contributes less than 1/2 the daily requirement. How much more are these salads? Let's say your at McDonald's staring at that menu board. Your dead set on a salad. Thinking that you're being healthy (even though you'll reek of grease when you leave) you order the Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken forgoing the Caesar dressing for the Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette. That salad may be low in fat and calories, but it contains over 1,600 mg of sodium. That is way over half what is recommended; the low-fat dressing contributes more than the grilled chicken does!

There are two primary ingredients that are used to give food flavor. One being fat, the other being salt. When the fat is cut out of the salad dressing, a multitude of other ingredients are needed to make up for what the fat component was responsible for. Since fat is being lowered in low fat dressing, additional salt is needed to make up for taste.

To create the healthiest option for a salad at McDonald's, order any salad (but the Bacon Ranch) minus the chicken and with the Creamy Southwest Dressing.

Please note: Your salad will not even remotely look like the image above. Same goes for the Big Mac.