Low sodium restaurant foods

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BuellerFerrisBueller
BuellerFerrisBueller Posts: 35 Member
in Food and Nutrition
It's been over two years since I last ate junk food or restaurant foods. Given that the national wastewater viral load (https://biobot.io/data/) shows the current surge to be the second worst, it will be some time before I return to the world of restaurant foods.

One thing I don't miss about restaurant food is the excessive thirst from overdosing on the sodium, and I'd like to avoid it when I do start eating restaurant foods again.

I've looked at the nutritional information for restaurants that post this information online. It's extremely difficult to eat a proper restaurant meal with under 1000 mg of sodium.

Avoiding the sodium bombs is SO much more difficult than avoiding the grease bombs and the sugar bombs. How do you do it?

Replies

  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,984 Member
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    Depending on the dish and the source of the sodium in it, you could ask for a reduced-sodium version. That wouldn't be possible for them to do with everything.

    If you're worried about sodium (I never have been), I'd just reduce your portion amount so the numbers are more to your liking.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,151 Member
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    I have low blood pressure, so I don't pay attention to sodium. Most restaurants where I live don't even post nutritional info anyway. I've rarely noticed excessive thirst after a restaurant visit, but not living in the USA, perhaps it's not as bad here.
    It's only once every few weeks anyway, an occasional spike on the scale the next day won't kill me.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,561 Member
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    Lol I'm Asian and don't worry about it at all. Not uncommon for me to consume 4000mgs of sodium a day (like so many Asians outside of the US do and they live long healthy lives).
    But you can counter sodium by balancing it with potassium rich foods. That's usually a big dose of fruits and vegetables and combining that with enough water.



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  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,180 Member
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    Probably 75% of what I eat comes from restaurants. My blood pressure is either spot on or slightly low, so I never even think about sodium.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,330 Member
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    I don't worry about sodium, and am usually over the MFP default goal.

    Last doctor's office BP reading was 113/66.

    I'm athletically active, usually 6 days a week, and sweat buckets. This is extra true now that it's Summer here, when I do outdoor exercise (rowing boats, riding bike) and it's unusually consistently hot here this year (mid 80s into 90s F during outdoor exercise times, often). In a surprisingly short time, my cap gets ringed with a crust of salt from sweat, and that's just one small part of my very sweaty body. (I've only spot-checked weight before and after a bike ride once this year, but was down a couple of pounds despite drinking most of a liter of water during the ride.)

    I don't see any reason to stress over sodium intake. I see more reason to think I should get plenty.

    The calorie density of restaurant foods is a bigger consideration, for me. That doesn't mean I don't eat some.
  • SafariGalNYC
    SafariGalNYC Posts: 930 Member
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    Most places I go don’t have calories or nutritional values listed or available..

    When dining out with a family member who is on a sodium restricted diet for vascular health. I tell the server there is a dietary restriction and they don’t use salt.

    As long as an item isn’t pre made… I’ve yet to go to a restaurant that will not honor a request for no salt please.

    If I’m by myself … I actually like soy sauce & ponzu shōyu a lil too much … 😏 so I’ll drink more water.

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