High blood pressure is no joke, especially if you’re of a certain age or have family members with health conditions. You may not realize that some of your favorite foods from US fast food or chain restaurants are putting you at risk for this condition.
We spoke with a registered dietitian and kidney health expert, Beverly Garden of The Everyday Kidney Cook, about nine popular fast food and American chain restaurant orders packed with sodium that can drastically increase your blood pressure.
“When a person consumes too much salt, it can lead to fluid retention in the blood vessels,” explains Garden. “This results in an increase in blood volume and consequently elevated blood pressure. High blood pressure then sets in motion a cycle of events in the body that can damage the heart and kidneys.”
Read more about nine fast food items to look out for below.
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Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup In A Bread Bowl
Sometimes, when we order soup at a fast food restaurant, we automatically think it's healthy, especially if there's a vegetable in the soup's name! However, Panera's famous broccoli cheddar soup is not a nutritious item, especially when you order it in a bread bowl. According to Panera's nutrition guide, the meal contains 1,520 milligrams of sodium.
Garden notes that the daily recommended maximum amount of sodium, according to The American Heart Association and the American Kidney Fund, is 2300 milligrams a day. Therefore, if you eat this soup, you rack up most of your suggested sodium intake in one meal.
Starbucks Turkey Bacon, Cheddar & Egg White Sandwich
This is another fast food item that sounds pretty healthy. It uses turkey bacon and egg whites, foods that are known for being leaner yet protein-packed alternatives. However, this sandwich still packs in a lot of sodium, and if you eat it routinely, it can contribute to high blood pressure.
Still, Garden refers to the sandwich as one of the more "reasonable" of the list, with 560 milligrams of sodium. If you eat it, you'll want to keep track of the sodium levels of your other meals throughout the day.
Cheesecake Factory's Chicken Caesar Salad
You may be reading this and thinking, "Salad? What's so bad about salad?"
However, this treasured item from Cheesecake Factory is not macro-friendly, and if eaten frequently, it would not be beneficial for your blood pressure. With 1,640 milligrams of sodium, Garden says this salad contains "more of the sodium recommended for the entire day for most people."
Additionally, if you have a health condition like heart disease, kidney disease, and more, the recommended daily intake of sodium is no more than 1,500 milligrams, so this salad goes over that limit.
Subway Cold Cut Combo 6-Inch Sandwich
Similarly to salads, when you choose to get a cold-cut sandwich from a fast food establishment instead of something greasy like a burger, you think you're making a great choice for your health. However, this little sandwich could do much more damage than you may believe if consumed frequently.
According to Garden, this 6-inch sandwich contains a whopping 1,220 milligrams of sodium, so it's neither very light nor easy for your health. Cold cuts are notorious for their hidden dangers and high sodium levels and can raise your blood pressure over time easily.
P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef
This is a popular entree from the Asian bistro, but just a serving of it contains 1,220 milligrams of sodium. If you're pairing the beef with other sides like egg rolls, fried rice, or other sauces, you can easily hit your maximum recommended amount of sodium in one meal.
If you want to eat at P.F. Chang's, consider ordering something with less sauce and overall sodium, like the Buddha's Feast, Egg Drop soup, and more.
Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl
If you've never looked at the Chipotle menu nutrition facts, brace yourself because you may be shocked by the high amounts of fat and sodium the restaurant uses to prepare its food. When you order a chicken burrito bowl with the works, including rice, beans, queso, guacamole, salsa, and more, your burrito bowl can contain up to 3,000 milligrams of sodium. Garden refers to this kind of order as a "total sodium bomb."
"When you eat these foods, a huge portion, or even your entire sodium budget, can be blown in just one meal," she adds.
Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Many weight loss and wellness influencers who share low-calorie fast food orders have boosted the grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A, as it contains a leaner source of protein, and you can add a bunch of vegetables to it.
However, it is worth noting that it does contain 750 milligrams of sodium, so it's not necessarily a completely clean food. If you order it with french fries or mac and cheese, your sodium level and subsequent blood pressure damage increases.
Still, you can incorporate this sandwich into your daily meals from time to time "with careful planning," as Garden says.
Applebee's Classic Bacon Cheeseburger
Another "sodium bomb" alert! While a bacon cheeseburger can be delicious, it's also incredibly dangerous for your blood pressure and can cause it to skyrocket if it's consumed frequently.
According to Garden, this indulgent burger from the US restaurant chain "provides as much as or more than the recommended sodium intake for the entire day for virtually anyone," with 2,500 milligrams. If you have a history or family history of heart disease or high blood pressure, you may want to avoid this menu item entirely.
Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
Olive Garden is another chain restaurant where you feel like you may be getting something fresh and somewhat healthy. However, there are certain menu items that are far from healthy, highly processed, and full of blood pressure-increasing sodium. The famous chicken alfredo is another "sodium bomb" with 2,290 milligrams in one order. While it's creamy and delicious, it's incredibly salty and not great for your cardiovascular health or kidneys.
When you eat incredibly high sodium foods like this one, Garden notes that it becomes "difficult, if not impossible" to adhere to any sodium health guidelines. Therefore, if you're going to order them, ensure you're doing it sparingly.
Did any of these menu items surprise you?
