What is it about restaurant food and sodiium?

RedHotRunner

I have an egg white omelette with tomato, basil, spinach and feta cheese with a side of fruit. It's a lovely 350 calories with 11 grams of fat.

What the heck do they do to it to get the sodium count up to over 1000mgs???

If I made that at home, it would probably have 200 due to the feta cheese.

Ugh!

Nikstergirl

I know, I mean I make good choices and still manage to get stuff high in sodium! The Applebee's under 550 calorie menu ALL have over 2000 mgs of sodium a piece! It's just crazy, and I actually think they would taste better without all that!

Taneil27

I know, I mean I make good choices and still manage to get stuff high in sodium! The Applebee's under 550 calorie menu ALL have over 2000 mgs of sodium a piece! It's just crazy, and I actually think they would taste better without all that!

Definitely! Like the garlic chicken Applebees has is so packed with sodium... I could barely even eat it because the salt taste was so extreme. Ridiculous!

HerBravado

I was wondering this very thing just the other day when I went out to eat. I'm like...why is the salt so high when you go out; but if you make a similar version...you can cut salt by like 75%. I don't get it. :[

summerkissed

I think adding salt should be left up to the person that has brought the meal....not for the chefs to add as they cook, salt and also sugar are aquired tastes not just something that we are born with!! I dont use any salt in cooking or on the table and as such neither do my children!!!

Seesaa

lots of resturaunt food is pre packaged unfortunately. even the "steamed" veggies so an 550 cal meal at apple bees has 1200 sodium instead of so much more less then it should if you went and made it yourself. It is rough to get an out right healthy meal. Including salads unless you get just lettuce and not many people think that is fun when they go out lol

RedHotRunner

lots of resturaunt food is pre packaged unfortunately. even the "steamed" veggies so an 550 cal meal at apple bees has 1200 sodium instead of so much more less then it should if you went and made it yourself. It is rough to get an out right healthy meal. Including salads unless you get just lettuce and not many people think that is fun when they go out lol

I imagine it was the egg whites. I'm sure they're not cracking them and separating them there at the restaurant. :ohwell: I guess I just wish it were different.

i think i'll go and have a glass of water now to wash it all down.

karenjoy

I am not sure how things work over in the states, but most restaurants here make the food themselves, but I am talking about restaurants and not places like burger and pizza joints, which I don't consider to be restaurants. I can get a great meal in a pub here and it would be the same as if I cooked it at home, (my son currently works in a pub, and both my daughters did whilst at High School, so I know how they mostly work) I would hate to eat it a place that uses pre packaged food but if you want to get an accurate calorie guide I suppose that is the only way to go :huh:

LiveShort

A bit moronic isn't it? The restaurants should limit sodium, especially in the meals sought out by healthy eaters. I'll add salt if I choose to.

I know some places like to use lots of salt because it makes you buy more beverages. I hope that isn't always true but I know that's one possibility.

KMill84

Its because its ALL prepackaged and also what they cook it in, oils. Hardly any restaurant chain will have fresh local food. I also think they're in cahoots with the beverage and beer companies to make you thirstier and buy more pop and beer.

ChefJenn

sad to say many restaurants have a higher sodium count due to prep of the foods, the seasoning on the food, and then when cooking alot of chefs, cooks, line cooks, etc use clarified butter and its loaded with Nasty stuff IF you are trying to eat healthy.

Also, just because it says it is 350 calories doesnt mean that is always correct . restaurants are required by FDA to tell you the nutritional value in a dish . But it doesnt mean it is totally correct.
I can make dishes in the restaurant and use the packages it came from and add up the facts and then go home and use items I buy and they DO NOT came out the same.

TiniTurtle

i agree with seesaa- i think it is because it is all prepackaged (to ensure the nutritional values don't vary from plate to plate), it has tons of preservatives, causing the sodium levels to be extreme.

AngiMoss

My brother went to a culinary school and one of the things they were taught is some rule about fat, sugar & salt. If you hold off on one, you boost the others. I guess they fear they sacrifice taste when they lower them. If you look at a lot of the pre-packaged diet foods at your grocery store, they are the same way. Something will say it's low fat, but it will be packed full of sodium....because they don't want it to taste bland in comparison to the competitors.
There is a chain of Mexican restaurants around my area that offers a "healthy" menu and you have your choice of a low fat menu, a low calorie menu or a low carb menu. But none of the options are very reasonable if you are keeping an eye on fat, calories AND carbs.
I read that the food manufacturers in the US are getting pressure to lower sodium. I think one of the ketchup companies is slowly dropping it's sodium over the course of a few years in order to let people get used to it. I think all the food companies are worried that if they make drastic cuts, people won't buy it anymore because it doesn't taste as good. Unfortunately, it's what we've grown accustomed to, so they may be right. People that don't pay attention to these things or haven't had proper nutrition education make up the majority in this country.