McDonalds Salad = 1160 mg sodium!

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livnlite
livnlite Posts: 520
in Food and Nutrition
Are you KIDDING ME? I printed my Nutrition report for this last week and just about had a stroke when I seen this! Is THIS sodium content in the dressing only .. or on the grilled chicken included?

Good thing I don't actually use their dressing .. I much prefer a Kraft Poppy seed dressing (which is only 200 mg of sodium)

I guess that's what you get when you try to make a healthier choice at these fast food places .... Sheesh! (still better than a burger)

Replies

  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
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    Thanks for posting this.
    I have to watch sodium too, and often I am shocked after eating something to see what was in it.
  • Claible
    Claible Posts: 106 Member
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    Yeah, I have noticed this too. If they don't get you by calories with fried food they get you by adding sodium to everything. It sucks when you do have to make that one quick run to the fast food.
  • stronglikebull
    stronglikebull Posts: 402
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    the nutrition information for the salad dressings is printed on the individual packets. you can also look up the stats for a grilled chicken breast on the mcdonald's website.
  • Leanne1795
    Leanne1795 Posts: 186
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    Wow! That is absolutely shocking! :angry:
  • adagolden
    adagolden Posts: 146 Member
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    Yes it's really crazy....I remember going to Friendly's with my son and ordering from the low calorie menu. When I entered it here the sodium was through the roof. So I learned my lesson that low calorie might not always be good.
  • aoede
    aoede Posts: 30 Member
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    I wouldn't worry about your sodium intake unless you already have high blood pressure (reduced sodium intake in people with normal blood pressure has no proven health benefits). If you do already have high blood pressure, well, no Maccas for you! ;)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    I wouldn't worry about your sodium intake unless you already have high blood pressure (reduced sodium intake in people with normal blood pressure has no proven health benefits). If you do already have high blood pressure, well, no Maccas for you! ;)
    This. Lots of Asian countries have ULTRA high sodium intakes because they use soy sauce in lots of their daily dishes, yet don't have health issues with it.
    If you have high blood pressure issues, then of course it will be a detriment.
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
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    I wouldn't worry about your sodium intake unless you already have high blood pressure (reduced sodium intake in people with normal blood pressure has no proven health benefits). If you do already have high blood pressure, well, no Maccas for you! ;)

    Sodium is important to me without having high blood pressure. For me, it's water retention. I also have changed the way I eat out or take out. I will almost always look at the nutrition facts online BEFORE I choose the restaurant or ask for a pamphlet before I order. Because it's on the "healthy" menu, don't assume it's not full of sodium! For example, I love Chipotle restaurant. I would order the salad with grilled chicken and add the mild salsa which looks like just fresh veggies and I would also use their vinneigrete dressing which comes in one of those little take out cups. The salsa was only 20 calories but had 470 for sodium and the dressing had 260 calories for a 2oz. cup and 700 sodium HELLO?!?! Now I have the same salad without the salsa or dressing and you know what??????? I still love it!

    I read somewhere that it helps if you can keep the calories and sodium as close to the same as possible. For example, if a serving size is 140 calories that the sodium be as close to that as possible. Once you start reading the labels, it is a real eye opener!!
  • bookyeti
    bookyeti Posts: 544 Member
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    Sodium is important to me without having high blood pressure. For me, it's water retention.
    Same here. I have a tendency to hold a lot of water, so controlling how much sodium is in my diet is necessary for me too!
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    Water retention is indeed a concern with sodium. Also, there is some correlation with high salt intake and stomach cancer.
  • aoede
    aoede Posts: 30 Member
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    That's interesting...How much water does it make you guys retain? I have almost no sodium in my diet, except for when I add table salt to meals.
  • 3ur3ka
    3ur3ka Posts: 230 Member
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    I get a southwest salad without chicken and one packet of southwest dressing (the rare occasion we get food from McDonald's) and the sodium is only 490. Still high, but not near as bad as most of the crap they have.


    What kind of salad are you getting?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    Water retention is mostly "bad" for people trying to lose weight for one reason..........................scale weight. If you have no issue with high blood pressure or kidney issues, water retention isn't a big deal. Just drink more water.
  • bookyeti
    bookyeti Posts: 544 Member
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    Water retention is mostly "bad" for people trying to lose weight for one reason..........................scale weight. If you have no issue with high blood pressure or kidney issues, water retention isn't a big deal. Just drink more water.

    Meh... not me. I don't go by my 'scale weight' at all (I take measurements, go by how my clothes fit and how I feel). I just hate my clothes fitting tighter when I retain water...loathe that 'puffy' feeling. And I do drink a lot of water - average 14 glasses a day.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    Water retention is mostly "bad" for people trying to lose weight for one reason..........................scale weight. If you have no issue with high blood pressure or kidney issues, water retention isn't a big deal. Just drink more water.

    Perhaps it is different for women. When I retain water, it shows in my face, around my eyes, my joints, my waist...
  • bookyeti
    bookyeti Posts: 544 Member
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    Me too, Rilke... it's not pretty. :-/

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