Canada and the World
Current Events with a Canadian Perspective
Last update
19 November 2010
High Salt Content
of Restaurant Meals
Some restaurant meals contain more than a day’s allowance of salt in a single serving;
occasionally, meals exceed three days’ worth
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) in Washington, D.C. has published
a report, on salt levels in restaurant meals. 
The non-
Red Lobster’s Admiral’s Feast Has Highest Sodium Content
Mashed potatoes topped with creamy lobster, Caesar salad with dressing, and one Cheddar Bay Biscuit adds up to 7,106 mg of salt.
That meal is served up at the Red Lobster chain as “The Admiral’s Feast” and the saltiest dish in the CSPI study.
The group says that “People with high blood pressure, African Americans, and people
middle-
“…for some, particularly the elderly, consuming 4,000 mg or more of sodium in a single meal can present an immediate risk of heart failure or other serious problems.”
Healthy Chain-
CSPI researchers looked at the offerings of 17 restaurant chains and found “that 85 out of 102 meals had more than a day’s worth of sodium, and some had more than four days’ worth.”
The group added that it is almost impossible to find a chain-
Some of the worst offenders it identified, after The Admiral’s Feast, are:
- “Chili’s Buffalo Chicken Fajitas (with tortillas and condiments) and a Dr. Pepper: 6,916 mg;
- “Chili’s Honey-
Chipotle Ribs with Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Seasonal Vegetables, and a Dr. Pepper: 6,440 mg; - “Olive Garden Tour of Italy (lasagna) with a Breadstick, Garden Fresh Salad with
House Dressing, and a Coca-
Cola: 6,176 mg; and, - “Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana with a Breadstick, Garden Fresh Salad with House Dressing, and Raspberry Lemonade: 5,735 mg.”
High Health Risk of High Salt Consumption
Michael F. Jacobson is the executive director of The Center for Science in the Public Interest and he doesn’t pull any punches over the results of the study: “Who knows how many Americans have been pushed prematurely into their graves thanks to sodium levels like those found in Olive Garden, Chili’s, and Red Lobster?
“These chains are sabotaging the food supply. They should cut back and give consumers the freedom to decide for themselves how much salt they want.”
Lives could Be Saved
Dr. Stephen Havas, is an adjunct professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a former vice president for science, quality, and public health of the American Medical Association.
The Center quotes him as estimating that cutting the sodium content in packaged food and restaurant meals by half could save the lives of 150,000 Americans who die prematurely from hypertension (high blood pressure).
There’s money to be saved as well.
“Americans spend north of $15 billion to treat high blood pressure, and many billions more on expensive heart procedures, yet the government spends peanuts improving Americans’ diets,” said CSPI’s Michael Jacobson.
He adds that “reducing sodium consumption by just 25 percent over the next 10 years could save the government $9 billion a year in direct medical costs.”
Image credit
M. Connors
Sources
“Heart Attack Entrées with Side Orders of Stroke.” Center for Science in the Public Interest, May 11, 2009.
“Group Warns of High Salt Content in Food.” CTV News, May 12, 2010.
“Ministers of Health Press Ottawa for Limits on Salt in Food.” Jason Fekete and Renata D’Aliesio, Calgary Herald, September 14, 2010.
© Canada and the World, September 2010
All rights reserved
Selected meals at fast food outlets are also among the saltiest, the CSPI notes, singling out the Half Chicken meal at KFC, the Bean Burrito at Taco Bell and the Beef 'n Cheddar sandwich at Arby's.
CTV News, May 2009
“On average, Canadians are consuming an estimated 3,400 milligrams of sodium per
day -
If the average Canadian intake of salt was reduced to 1,800 mg a day, the number of cardiovascular disease events would be cut by 23,500 a year. That would save the health care system $1.5 annually.