The easiest way to make food palatable and attractive is to add salt. It's a short cut to flavor, and fast food outlets know this. But we already consume more salt than is healthy for us. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, but says that just 1,500 milligrams is ideal. Most Americans ingest about 3,500 milligrams of sodium every day, which is already way too much. But the saltiest food found in fast food outlets has 3,820 milligrams in one serving!
You would do good to limit your intake of fast food, whether you are concerned with sodium, fat, or processed food. But fast food outlets are mainly concerned with whether a customer finds their food items tastier than the food next door, which is how people on the go decide where to eat. Eat This, Not That! crunched the numbers to compile a list of the 25 menu items from well-known fast food restaurants that go overboard on the sodium. Keep in mind that some are combo orders, and some have more sodium because they are just extra large dishes, but all have more sodium than is necessary or healthy.