Watch your fast food sodium intake
High salt/sodium intake is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association recommends that adults stay under 1500 mg of sodium per day, and never take in more than 2,300 mg a day. A study by the New York City Health Department surveyed 6,580 meals bought at fast-food restaurant chains and found that:
- About 57% of the meals exceeded the 1,500-mg daily sodium level.
- Fried chicken outlets including KFC and Popeye's were the worst offenders, with 83% of meals exceeding 1500 mg of sodium and 55% of the meals surpassing 2,300 mg of sodium.
- At only one of the 11 chains included in the study, Au Bon Pain, did more than 7% of meals contain less than 600 mg, the FDA’s "healthy" sodium level for meals. But even there, 46% of meals had 1,500 mg or more of sodium.
- Even those eating lower calorie meals were likely to exceed their daily sodium limit within a single meal.