Food is the primary source of getting energy to do the job of normal day-to-day functions. Whatever type we consume, we always desire to have our plate sweet, crispy, crunchy, or some spice.
Finally, we are making our tongue more satisfied, thus enlightening the brain with satiety signals. With the busy modern-day lifestyles, people have shifted to junk foods containing high fat, high salt, and high sugar.
With the adverse chronic side effects of the sinful lifestyle, some have shifted to healthy meals too.
Those foods influence the ‘low’ range in low fat, low salt (low sodium), and low sugar. This is where low-sodium fast foods play a vital role in our day-to-day food lifestyles.
This will be a better alternative for people who like to shift to a healthy diet but have little or no preference for spending much time preparing them.
What is low-sodium fast food?
Usually, manufacturers initially aim to cater to the needs of busy workers and travelers who do not have time to sit for a meal or cannot even wait for it. With the precooked formulas, various chemical additives, and modern machines, the waiting time has been reduced to seconds.
This is where the fast-food concept arrives at the commercial market to serve according to the speed of service.
But how can we integrate the concept of low-sodium foods into a fast-food culture? This is where the battle begins. The primary source of sodium in your meal is salt. Therefore, high salty taste foods have high amounts of sodium.
You should adequately know foods with high values to cut off excess sodium. Most of the time, the natural food we consume, such as ham, sausages & bacon, processed cheese varieties, sauce range, and bread kinds, are high-sodium fast foods.
Let us dig up more about low-sodium fast food!
According to the FDA, to consider food as a low sodium food, it should be contained 140 mg of sodium or less than the value per serving. And also, about 5% daily value or less sodium per serving is considered.
Applying these values to the natural lifestyle is ok to have 1500 mg if you suffer from kidney disease, heart failure, or high blood pressure.
But, if I suppose you are a healthy adult, your daily sodium levels should not exceed 2300mg daily.
Therefore, you must consume fast food with the above guidelines to become a low-sodium fast food. And you have to avoid fast foods, salty snack foods, frozen dinners, salted & canned foods, processed meats, salty soups, high-sodium baked goods, sauces, condiments, pickles, and boxed meals, which you can commonly find on the market.
Now, the next series of questions emerging to your mind, such as whether it is possible, how we can make them, where we buy them, and how we can keep our trust in them, etc. Therefore, we hope this article will help you to solve those questions.
What are examples of low-sodium fast food?
The most convenient way of choosing this type of food is to shift to foods with low sodium levels naturally or contain their limited ones.
Changing your needs to low-sodium fast food options will never alter your meals or make you bored with unappetizing foods. We can show you some examples to fulfill the question: What are the best low-sodium fast foods?
You can go for fresh vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, peppers, and cauliflower. And frozen, fresh, and dried fruits such as apples, berries, pears, and bananas contain lower sodium levels. Anyway, you have to consume them without any sauces.
Fresh meat, poultry, fish, and eggs are non-vegetarian options for your meals, which belong to the category we are discussing now. Even starchy vegetables like potato, parsnip, and sweet potato are not provided with higher sodium levels. Grains and pulses such as dried beans, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and low-sodium bread are other options.
You can go for low-sodium fats such as olive, avocado, or even avocado fruit. Low-sodium homemade or already canned soups, milk, yogurts, tea, coffee, small sodium fruits, or vegetable juices will fulfill your drinking needs.
Sodium cottage cheese, unsalted seeds, nuts (almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds), unsalted popcorn, tortilla chips, and pretzels will help you to have low-sodium snacks if you are a snack-hunger person.
To enhance the taste of your regular meals, you can have low-sodium condiments such as mayonnaise, vinegar, low-sodium sauces or salad dressings, garlic or pepper powder, herbs, and other natural spices.
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Does it possible to find low-sodium food in the market?
Due to the reason to increase our appetite, most manufacturers use a high amount of sodium as salt and MSG to make fast foods. Therefore, it is a challenge to find low-sodium fast foods. But it is not impossible at all.
Due to the current trend of “low sodium fast food” (low salt, low sugar, and low fat), many restaurants present some menus with a bit of salt. And also, there is a trend for a “free-from” range, such as sugar-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, etc., but it is pretty challenging to have free-from-sodium food in the market.
But you can go for some low range such as small sodium snacks, bread types, frozen meals, etc.; you do not want to skip your meals, but reducing the meal’s portion size to reduce the salt intake is better. There is nothing impossible if you have a deep interest in that.
You can go for a change, not as one person or as a community!
You can ask for healthy foods in low salt from your daily shopping places. Every shop owner has set r goals to satisfy their customers, considering the customer’s king. So, restaurants can have low-sodium fast foods to fulfill your needs.
You only have to request them to make food according to your needs, or else you can find another shop with your requirements. So, it is up to you to ask what you want from them. Gradually, this will help change not only your meals but also your loved ones and society.
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Ways of finding low-sodium fast food
This low-sodium definition of the FDA is not always tally with the market products. But you can have some reduced-sodium foods by reading and comparing the nutritional information on the packaging. And also, you can reduce the number of additives you use to enhance the taste, such as sauces, dressings, cheese, and spreads with a high amount of salt.
And you can shift to some options, such as fruits and boiled vegetables instead of high sodium foods, etc.
Also, it is necessary to shift to a high amount of water. Most of the time, drinks do not contain much salt. Not only that but also drinking a high amount of water helps the filtration process in your body. And it is crucial to the portion size you consume for a day. You have to avoid jumbo-sized foods, which have red flags for sodium. There are plenty of low-sodium food recipes on the internet. So, what you have to do is Google it by name. But you should make sure to refer to its sodium amount also.
Challenges that have to be faced when shifting to low-sodium food
Challenges that have to be met when going to low-sodium foods
The main challenge of low-sodium foods is that they are not palatable as they were consumed before. But, Various ways to taste your and your loved one’s meals while avoiding salt usage. You can go for lemon juice as an alternative to salt.
Moreover, you can try meals by adding new spices, fresh herbs, olive oil, garlic, and ginger to taste your prepared foods. You can make low-sodium snacks by mixing unsalted nuts, herbs, and pulses. You can have low-sodium soy sauce, honey, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, or other spices to marinate your cooking.
Therefore, making meals at home is the best way to have fast foods with low sodium levels. This can control going wrong things to your body and avoid making you unhealthy with a good quality diet.
Why should we transfer to low-sodium fast food?
According to some research, they have proved that high sodium foods are associated with common diseases nowadays. Kidney disease is a kind of disease where you should avoid taking sodium. National Kidney Foundation has recommended avoiding salt for someone with Chronic Kidney Disease.
High sodium levels have been linked to high blood pressure, heart diseases, and strokes. Low-sodium foods have been recommended to patients with heart failure as high sodium levels trigger the elevation of blood pressure.
Therefore, adding low-sodium foods to your daily meals helps you have health benefits in several ways. This practice will reduce your blood pressure and help decrease cancer risks like stomach cancer.
Also, this improves diet quality as unhealthy foods have high sodium levels awfully. Therefore you can be safe from diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc.
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Fast food is one of the first things we cut out for those trying to eat healthier. It’s greasy, unhealthy, and loaded with salt. But what if I told you that some fast food options are low in sodium?
This blog post will examine some of the best low-sodium fast food options. From burgers to fries to chicken, there are plenty of opportunities for those who watch our salt intake.
So next time you’re on the go and need a quick bite, check out these options!
What is llow-sodiumfast food?
When trying to eat healthier, one of the first things you may try to do is reduce your sodium intake. But if you’re used to eating fast food, this can be a challenge, as most fast food is high in sodium. So what are some lower sodium fast food options?
One option is McDonald’s. While they don’t have a lot of low-sodium items on their menu, they do have a few relatively low-sodium options.
For example, their hamburger contains 250 mg of sodium, while their 6-piece Chicken McNugget meal includes 1,080 mg. So if you’re looking for a low-sodium fast food burger, McDonald’s is a good choice.
Another option is Wendy’s. Wendy’s has several items that are low in sodium, including (330 mg), baked potato (340 mg), and grilled chicken breast (390 mg). So if you’re looking for lower-sodium fast food options that are a little more hearty than just a burger, Wendy’s is a good choice.
Finally, Subway is another good option for low-sodium fast food. Their 6-inch Turkey Breast sandwich contains 680 mg of sodium, while their Veggie Delite salad contains only 280 mg.
The benefits of eating low-sodium fast food
fast food can seem like the enemy when you’re trying to eat healthily, But it doesn’t have to be! There are plenty of low-sodium fast food options out there that can fill you up without packing on the pounds. So if you’re looking for a lower sodium sandwich option, Subway is an excellent place.
One of the benefits of eating low-sodium fast food is that it’s usually pretty low in calories as well. That means you can indulge in your favorite fast food guilty pleasures without worrying about packing extra weight.
Another benefit of eating low-sodium fast food is that it can help you avoid unhealthy electrolyte imbalances. When you consume too much salt, it causes your body to hold onto water. This can lead to high blood pressure and other health problems over time. So by choosing low-sodium options when you hit the drive-thru, you’re doing your body a favor!
If you’re trying to cut down on salt but don’t want to give up your fast food fix, consider these low-sodium fast food options next time you find yourself in a drive-thru line:
Burger King: Whopper Jr. without mayo or cheese
McDonald’s: Hamburger with no ketchup or pickles
Taco Bell: Fresco Style Bean Burrito or Fresco Style Chicken Soft Taco
Wendy’s: Jr. Hamburger Deluxe with no ketchup, mayo, or pickles
The best low-sodium fast food options
Fast food can be challenging if you’re on a low-sodium diet. However, some options exist if you know where to look.
Here are some of the best low-sodium fast food options:
- McDonald’s Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad: This salad contains 320mg of sodium, which is relatively low for a fast food option.
- Wendy’s Mandarin Chicken Salad: This salad contains 340mg of sodium, making it a slightly higher but reasonable option.
- Taco Bell Fresco-Style Grilled Steak Soft Tacos: These tacos contain 330mg of sodium each, so if you order two, you’ll still be within a reasonable range.
- Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich: This sandwich contains 310mg of sodium, making it a great low-sodium option.
- Subway 6″ Veggie Delite Sandwich: This sandwich is a great vegetarian option with only 280mg of sodium.
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How to make your low-sodium fast food
Fast food can be challenging if you’re on a low-sodium diet. Many fast-food restaurants don’t have a lot of options for those on a low-sodium diet. However, there are some things you can do to make your low-sodium fast food.
One option is to bring your condiments. Most fast-food restaurants will have salt and pepper packets that you can use to season your food. You can also get your hot sauce or salsa to add flavor without the salt.
Another option is to order your food without any added salt. This means avoiding anything pre-seasoned or breaded, as well as sauces and dressings. You can also ask for grilled chicken instead of fried chicken and avoid adding cheese or other high-sodium toppings.
With some planning, you can enjoy low-sodium fast food without worrying about the extra salt.
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Conclusion
Most people exceed the recommended daily intake of sodium per day due to fast and junk food varieties, which we can find easily around us.
So, if you are keen to cut excess sodium, it is best to make your meals at home by minimizing processed, pre-cooked, and restaurant food items.
But, due to the current trend, some food processors have gradually shifted towards low-sodium foods by enlightening your desire for a healthy meal.
Consuming decreased sodium, foods, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruits is the best way to become healthier. But we cannot keep our trust in those low-sodium fast foods. Therefore, it is better to go for some possibilities instead of fast food to have a healthier life.
You must choose a better lifestyle to minimize infections and even spread smiles and laughter to you and your society. This will lead to having a good quality diet. Moreover, simultaneously it helps you to get rid of future diseases too.
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