America's 30 Saltiest Dishes

Even if salt isn’t as unhealthy as we’ve been made to believe, the fact remains
that Americans are eating out too much, and sodium-heavy foods are more likely to be an all-around nutritional landmine. To find out how bad the situation has gotten, we swept the menus of your favorite restaurants and uncovered the 30 saltiest meals. No matter which side of the salt war you’re on, make sure you steer clear of these damaging dishes. 

Saltiest Breakfast Bread

Dunkin Donuts Salt Bagel
3,420 mg sodium
320 calories
2.5 g fat (.5 g saturated fat)

Yes, even your pastries are under attack. Sure the name gives it away, but that doesn’t absolve Dunkin from the absurd amount of sodium in this bagel. Have one of these for breakfast and you shouldn’t touch the salt shaker for a day and a half.
 
Eat This Instead:
Onion Bagel
380 mg sodium
310 calories
2 g fat (0 g saturated)

Saltiest Breakfast Sandwich

Subway Footlong Mega Omelet Sandwich
3,530 mg sodium
1,430 calories
90 g fat (36 g saturated, 1 g trans)
 
Despite their many virtues, none of Subway’s footlong breakfast sandwiches has fewer than 2100 milligrams of sodium. Get the ham Muffin Melt instead and save 2,850 mg of sodium and 1250 calories.

Eat This Instead:
Black Forest Ham, Egg, & Cheese Muffin Melt
680 mg sodium
160 calories
4 g fat (1.5 g saturated)

Saltiest Classic Soup

Friendly’s Chunky Chicken Noodle (bowl)
3,940 mg sodium
560 calories
18 g fat (6 g saturated)
 
Don’t be fooled by the name—this is one unfriendly bowl of chicken noodle soup. With close to two days’ worth of sodium in one bowl, this soup’s salty enough to float a person.
 
Eat This Instead:
Minestrone (bowl)
1,230 mg sodium
170 calories
3 g fat

Saltiest Brunch

Perkins N’awlins Benedict
4,110 mg sodium
1,340 calories
66 g fat (24 g saturated)
 
Any nutritional benefit provided by the eggs is smothered by the fat-heavy chipotle hollandaise and smoked sausage. And the home fries on the side? Talk about rubbing salt in your wound.
 
Eat This Instead:
Three Egg Garden Mix Omelette with Cheddar Cheese
485 mg sodium
385 calories
28 g fat (12.5 g saturated)

Saltiest Salad Entrée

Chili’s Boneless Buffalo Chicken Salad
4,150 mg sodium
1,110 calories
79 g fat (17 g saturated fat)  

Salad is not a healthy replacement for a heavy meal when it features deep-fried buffalo chicken.

Eat This Instead:
Caribbean Salad w/Grilled Chicken
530 mg sodium
620 calories
25 g fat (4 g saturated)

Saltiest Comfort Food

Claim Jumper Homemade Meatloaf Sandwich
4,147 mg sodium
1,724 calories
37 g saturated fat

Slap a slab of BBQ-bathed meatloaf on some sourdough bread with Muenster cheese and garlic mayo and you wind up with as much saturated fat as eight large orders of Burger King Onion Rings. That’s not very comforting. 

Eat This Instead:
BBQ Chicken Sliders
1,741 mg sodium
785 calories
9 g saturated fat

Saltiest Italian Entrée

Ruby Tuesday Chicken Piccata
4,194 mg sodium
1,495 calories
94 g fat

Mamma mia! With extra-briny iterations of breaded chicken, lemon-butter sauce, and a heavy Parmesan cream sauce, this meal will pump enough salt into your system to keep you bloated for a week.

Eat This Instead:
Chicken Bella
1,526 mg sodium
397 calories
15 g fat

Saltiest Omelette

Marie Callender’s "Oh My" Omelette
4,400 mg sodium
1,700 calories
88 g fat (29 g saturated)

"Oh my" is right. Bacon, ham, and sausage are notoriously high in sodium, and Marie takes the whole-hog approach by folding all three into this omelette.

Eat This Instead:
One Egg w/ Bacon and Home Fries
1,310 mg sodium
560 calories
25 g fat (7 g saturated)

Saltiest Chinese Entree

P.F. Chang’s Mu Shu Pork w/ Pancakes and Hoisin Sauce
5,820 mg sodium
1,210 calories
58 g fat (14 g saturated)

Pork and vegetables—even with thin pancakes on the side--shouldn’t be a horrible meal. Hoisin, though? That’s a different story. The Chinese dipping sauce is packed with sodium.

Eat This Instead:
Sweet and Sour Pork
1,900 mg sodium
920 calories
28 g fat (14 g saturated)

Saltiest Chicken Strips

Red Robin Buffalo Clucks & Fries
4,479 mg sodium
1,696 calories
121 g fat

Fried chicken and French fries are a fat-heavy duo, but Red Robin’s have the added danger of nearly two days’ sodium, almost half of which comes from the ominously named Buzzard Sauce.

Eat This Instead:
Simply Grilled Chicken Sandwich and Melon Wedges
1,047 mg sodium
481 calories
8 g fat

Saltiest Personal Pizza

Uno Chicago Grill Chicago Classic Individual Pizza
4,920 mg sodium
2,310 calories
165 g fat (54 g saturated)

Deep dish pizza is just a greasy, doughy bowl filled to the brim with waistline-wrecking ingredients, so ordering one for yourself isn’t the best idea. Besides, two teaspoons of salt isn’t the best pizza topping.

Eat This Instead:
Roasted Eggplant, Spinach and Feta Thin Crust Pizza
560 mg sodium
290 calories
11 g fat (3.5 g saturated)

Saltiest Seafood Combo Dinner

Perkins Captain Catch
4,940 mg sodium
2,410 calories
144 g fat (30 g saturated)

The captain should have thrown this meal back. Every bit of seafood on this platter—the cod fillets, jumbo shrimp, and clam strips—is breaded and deep-fried, and the French fries and Onion Tanglers serve as a greasy continuation of the plate’s crispy, fat-laden theme.

Eat This Instead:
Salmon Dijon w/ Sauteed Mushrooms and Spinach
1,080 mg sodium
660 calories
32 g fat (7g saturated)

Saltiest Burrito

On The Border Three Sauce Fajita Chicken Burrito
4,960 mg sodium
1,240 calories
48 g fat (17 g saturated fat)

What happens when you make a fajita into a burrito and then drown it in a triad of sauces? Easy, you wind up with a meal that contains as much sodium as three 12 oz bags of Cool Ranch Doritos.

Eat This Instead:
Two chicken enchiladas w/ sour cream sauce
980 mg sodium
420 calories
22 g fat (10 g saturated)

Saltiest Chicken Wings

Houlihan’s Chipotle Thai Chile Style Chicken Wings
4,979 mg sodium
1,116 calories
56 g fat (9 g saturated)

As a general rule, the spicier the food is, the higher the sodium count. When Chipotle, Thai, and Chile are all used to describe fried chicken wings, two day’s worth of sodium is what you can expect.

Eat This Instead:
Seared Rare Tuna Wontons
777 mg sodium
351 calories
18 g fat (2 g saturated)

Saltiest Asian Soup

P.F Chang’s Hot and Sour Soup (bowl)
5,000 mg sodium
400 calories
15 g fat (5 g saturated)

The base of hot and sour soup is always a rather salty broth, but to achieve these abysmal numbers, this sodium-packed saucer must have been scooped straight from the Dead Sea.

Eat This Instead:
Cup of Wonton Soup
482 mg sodium
92 calories
3 g fat (1 g saturated)

Saltiest Fast Food Combo

KFC Spicy Crispy Half Chicken Meal with Mac and Cheese, Potato Wedges, and Biscuit
5,050 mg sodium
1,660 calories
104 g fat (27.5 g saturated)

Ordering half a deep-fried chicken is never a good idea. Adding mac and cheese and potato wedges is an even worse idea. Save money and calories by baking a bird at home.

Eat This Instead:
One Piece Breast Meal with Three Bean Salad, Cole Slaw, and 3-inch Corn on the Cob
1,040 mg sodium
640 calories
26.5 g fat (5 g saturated)

Saltiest Surf and Turf

Houlihan’s 3 Way Mixed Grill
5,110 mg sodium
1,371 calories
58 g total fat (25 g saturated)

Fried shrimp, grilled chicken, and sauce-slathered ribs combine forces to make this one fat-heavy, sodium-saturated meal. Keep the chicken breast and lose the shrimp and ribs for an instant improvement.

Eat This Instead:
Herb Grilled Chicken
791 mg sodium
489 calories
18 g total fat (5 g saturated)

Saltiest Nachos

On The Border Grande Fajita Chicken Nachos  
5,180 mg sodium
1,540 calories
85 g fat (38 g saturated)

There’s nothing borderline about this appetizer. Even if you split these nachos with a friend, you’ll have consumed two-thirds of your day’s calories and an entire day’s worth of sodium before the entrées arrive.

Eat This Instead:
Chips and Salsa
440 mg sodium
430 calories
22 g fat (4 g saturated)

Saltiest Sub

Blimpie 12-inch Turkey and Bacon Super Stacked
5,250 mg sodium
1,250 calories
57 g fat (21 g saturated)

There’s a reason why this sandwich shop is named after a slow moving, rotund object. Eat enough of these fatty foot-long subs and it will take a toll on your body—inside and out.

Eat This Instead:
6-inch BLT
960 mg sodium
430 calories
22 g fat (5 g saturated)

Saltiest Wrap

Perkins The Buffalo Wrap
5,270 mg sodium
1,490 calories
98 g fat (25 g saturated) 

Under the guise of healthy eating, restaurants stuff wraps with fatty meats and sauces and criminal levels of sodium. Suddenly, your smart alternative has become one very salty mistake.

Eat This Instead:
Honey Mustard Chicken ‘n’ Bacon Sandwich
1,760 mg sodium
1,030 calories
60 g fat (13 g saturated)

Saltiest Fajitas

Applebee’s Sizzling Skillet Steak Fajitas
5,330 mg sodium
1,180 calories
53 g total fat (24 g saturated, 1.5 g trans fat)

Finish off these fajitas and it’s the sodium equivalent of eating 40 Utz Pretzel Rods for dinner. This meal also carries a day’s saturated fat and 1.5 grams of trans fat.

Eat This Instead:
7 oz House Sirloin
760 mg sodium
240 calories
10 g fat (4 g saturated)

Saltiest Fish and Chips

Claim Jumper Halibut Fish and Chips
5,646 mg sodium
2,123 calories
13 g saturated fat

Deep-fried fish, chunky steak fries, and Thai peanut slaw drive the calorie count for this English favorite so high that you shouldn’t eat anything else the rest of the day. Hope it’s worth it.

Eat This Instead:
Grilled Salmon
378 mg sodium
781 calories
10 g saturated fat
 

Saltiest Ribs

Applebee’s Riblets Platter
4,010-5,650 mg sodium
1,570-1,700 calories
87-88 g fat (29 g saturated .5 g trans)

Numbers vary according to the amount of meat on your plate, but the one thing you can count on is a load of saturated animal fat drowning in a salty puddle of barbecue sauce.

Eat This Instead:
Steak and Grilled Shrimp Platter
390 calories
19 g fat (6 g saturated, 0.5 g saturated fat)
1,740 mg sodium

Saltiest Fries

Chili’s Texas Cheese Fries w/ Chili and Jalapeno Ranch (appetizer)
5,950 mg sodium
2,070 calories
144 g fat (64 g saturated)

With almost a full day’s worth of calories, two days worth of sodium and fat, and three days worth of saturated fat, there isn’t anything appetizing about this appetizer.

Eat This Instead:
Cup Loaded Baked Potato Soup
570 mg sodium
200 calories
15 g fat (9 g saturated)

Saltiest Steak Meal

Claim Jumpers Country Fried Steak
6,157 mg sodium
2,288 calories
49 g saturated fat

Southern staple or Southern sin? A good steak doesn't need a jacket of batter to make it palatable, and the extra load of fat and sodium that it delivers is just criminal.

Eat This Instead:
Filet Mignon
1,270 mg sodium
1,007 calories
28 g saturated fat

Saltiest Burger

Chili’s Jalapeno Smokehouse Burger w/ Jalapeño Ranch 
6,710 mg sodium
2,140 calories
139 g fat (44 g saturated)

This burger carries a veritable triumvirate of saltiness: bacon, cheddar, and fried tortilla strips. Add mayonnaise and ranch on top of that and you earn dangerous numbers for both sodium and fat.

Eat This Instead:
Guiltless Grill Grilled Chicken Sandwich
1,310 mg sodium
610 calories
12 g fat (5 g saturated)

Saltiest Stuffed Appetizer

On the Border Firecracker Stuffed Jalapeños w/ Original Queso (6 servings)
6,540 mg sodium
1,950 calories
134 g fat (36 g saturated)

Six chicken- and cheese-stuffed jalapeños, deep-fried in a light tempura batter and served with a ramekin of cheese sauce: These greasy grenades should be illegal in all 50 states.

Eat This Instead:
Chicken Flautas with Original Queso Appetizer (4 servings)
1,910 mg sodium
1,070 calories 
66 g fat (17 g saturated)

Saltiest Breakfast

Perkins Southern Fried Chicken Biscuit Platter
6,680 mg sodium
1,860 calories
86 g total fat (43 g saturated, 0.5 trans)

A hearty breakfast is great, but a heart-clogging breakfast is very bad. With almost three day’s worth of sodium and more than two day’s worth of saturated fat, this meal will leave you sluggish for the rest of the day.

Eat This Instead:
Border Grilled Chicken Omelette
1,290 mg sodium
400 calories
8 g fat (2 g saturated)

Saltiest Appetizer Sampler

Applebee’s Appetizer Sampler w/ Hot Boneless Buffalo Wings 
6,750 mg sodium
2,510 calories
168 g total fat (49 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)

Don’t let the word “sampler” fool you; this is one massive intro to your dinner. It contains a fully loaded tour de force of fat and sodium from the bacon and cheese quesadilla, fried cheese sticks, spinach artichoke dip and chips, and boneless buffalo wings.

Eat This Instead!
Buffalo Chicken Wings with Southern BBQ Sauce
1,070 mg sodium
660 calories
35 g total fat (9 g saturated)

Saltiest Food in America

P.F. Chang’s Pork and Double Pan-Fried Noodles
7,900 mg sodium
1,652 calories
84 g fat (12 g saturated)

This abomination earns the title of saltiest food in America by packing in more than three days’ worth of sodium into one dish, the equivalent of eating 264 original Triscuit crackers. 

Eat This Instead!
Garlic Noodles
1,440 mg sodium
712 calories
16 g fat (4 g saturated)