Common fast food and supermarket meals containing an entire day of salt

A nutritionist has revealed which popular fast food and supermarket meals are the worst culprits when it comes to one important thing.

You often hear about the amount of sugar or fat found in food, but far less frequently do we talk about how much salt can be found in popular supermarket and fast foods that we frequently grab on a weekly basis.

Consuming too much salt has a number of implications for our health long term. Not only does a high salt intake mean we retain extra fluid, which is one of the most common reasons you can feel bloated and heavy after a high salt meal, but for those who are salt sensitive, it can impact blood pressure and the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Each day you’re only meant to consume 2000mg of sodium but Aussies are consuming almost double the upper daily intake – and it’s no wonder when you see that these common foods are absolutely packed with salt.

Meaty pizzas are a very salty prospect, especially if you eat the entire thing. Picture: iStock

Crust Meat Deluxe Pizza – 5700mg

If you have the urge to order a cheeky pizza, love a meaty topping and end up demolishing the entire pie, you will too be consuming more than double the upper daily recommended intake of sodium.

Lee Kum Kee Sauce Mongolian Lamb Ready Sauce – 4130mg

While this sauce mix is to serve four, the reality is that this is still an enormous amount of sodium to be found in 120g pack of food and still equates to more than half the recommended upper intake of sodium in a tiny portion.

Domino’s pizza – 1600mg to 4000mg

If your favourite pie is a margherita, and you enjoy just a couple of slices, your pizza dinner could be just 600-800mg of sodium, but on the other hand, if you are more likely to demolish the entire pizza, and opt for more indulgent toppings like buffalo chicken, your pizza will contain upwards of 3000-4000mg of sodium, or up to double the recommended upper daily limit.

Red Rooster, Nando’s and KFC meals are all high in salt. Picture: iStock

Red Rooster Half Chicken Pack – 3275mg

Often picked up as a ‘healthier’ option, there is nothing overly healthy about chicken seasoned with a ton of salt and a side of deep-fried chips.

Nando’s Half Chicken Pack – 2870mg

Tasty it may be, but the seasoning used to flavour up Peri-Peri chicken is not without a truckload of salt with a single meal of chicken and fries clocking close to 3000mg of sodium per meal.

Hart & Soul may claim “no nasties” but it still contains a huge amount of salt.

Hart & Soul, All-Natural Teriyaki Stir Fry Recipe Base 80g – 2800mg

Marketed as containing ‘No Nasties’, with a base of soy sauce, this product is basically a big bunch of salt to add to your favourite stir fry.

Prosciutto – 2600mg per 100g

Now we all love an antipasto platter, and while you may only have a nibble of a few different items, if processed meat is your thing, it is certainly easy to get too much salt from a few thin slices with just 100g of prosciutto offering almost 3000mg of sodium.

Betty’s Burger – Betty’s Double – 2250mg

The average fast-food burger will clock in at 1700-1800mg of sodium and the more cheese and meat, the higher the salt. And keep in mind that is without the fries.

Guzman Y Gomez – Burrito – 2070mg

All Mexican food is high in sodium, a result of the mix of seasonings, cheese, salty meats and an array of sauces. A single burrito from the average Mexican outlet contains more than 2000mg of sodium per serve.

KFC 3 Piece Feed or Burger Deal – 1960-2400mg of sodium (regular size)

Whether you prefer your fried chicken on a bun or in a box, the reality is that the special herbs and spices along with a serve of fries clocks in at 2000mg of sodium or even more if you are an upsizer, which is the reason you likely seek out the large soft drink to wash this salty meal down.

Fantastic Chicken Noodle Bowl contains 1890mg of eight different types of salt.

Fantastic Chicken Noodle Bowl – 1890mg

With eight, yes eight, different types of salt, including MSG, not only do you get a hearty dose of salt with your fried noodles but the tasty seasoning sachet should be called the ‘added salt’.

Movie popcorn – 200g (large) – 1800mg

It is not by chance that you feel like guzzling a jumbo soft drink when you enjoy a tub of popcorn at the movies, with a large serve containing upwards of 1880mg of sodium per serve.

McCain Pub Size Bangers & Mash is not one of the better frozen meal options.

McCain Pub Size Bangers & Mash Frozen Meal 500g – 1750mg

There are plenty of frozen meals that are good options nutritionally, but this one, with close to 2000mg of sodium, is not a good option.

Plantry Plant Based Food Co Pad See Ew – 350g – 1740mg

The absence of animal-based protein does not always mean a healthy, balanced meal, with extra salts and flavours often added to aid the flavour profile of some plant-based meals.

Sushi – 1500mg per tbsp. soy sauce

Not only does a single hand roll contain at least 300mg of sodium, but if you consider that a single tablespoon of soy sauce contain 1500mg of sodium, it is easy to see how sushi can quickly become a high salt meal.

Susie Burrell is a dietitian and nutritionist and holds a Master’s degree in coaching psychology.