The 7 Saltiest Meals in America: Have You Eaten One?

Some chain restaurants have reportedly lowered the amount of salt served in their dishes, but many continue to serve meals that contain mind-boggling amounts of salt. High salt in meals can lead to an array of health problems, from high blood pressure to heart attacks.

• 2.5 teaspoons of salt
• 5,830 mg total sodium

2. Chili’s crispy honey-chipotle chicken crispers with ranch, steamed broccoli, loaded mashed potatoes and a Dr Pepper.

• 2.3 teaspoons of salt
• 5,430 mg total sodium

3. Red Lobster’s North Pacific king crab legs and a garden salad with French dressing, a baked potato with butter and sour cream, a cheddar bay biscuit and a Coke.

• 2.3 teaspoons of salt
• 5,430 mg total sodium

4. Olive Garden’s tour of Italy lasagna and a garden fresh salad with house dressing, a breadstick and a Coke.

• 2.1 teaspoons of salt
• 4,965 mg total sodium

5. Red Lobster’s fried oysters, fried crawfish, garlic shrimp scampi and a Caesar salad, a cheddar bay biscuit and a Sprite.

• 1.9 teaspoons of salt
• 4,530 mg total sodium

6. Olive Garden’s chicken parmigiana, a garden fresh salad with house dressing, a breadstick and a raspberry lemonade.

• 1.9 teaspoons of salt
• 4,525 mg total sodium

7. Arby’s beef ‘n cheddar mid, a large order of mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce and a large Dr Pepper.

• 1.9 teaspoons of salt
• 4,511 mg total sodium
  
  

If you’re swelling from that information, your kids will, too. Children who eat food with a lot of sodium are twice as likely to develop high blood pressure as children with less sodium in their diets, according to the American Heart Association.

Here are the seven saltiest kids’ meals in the country:

1. Red Lobster’s chicken fingers and fries, a cheddar bay biscuit and a raspberry lemonade

• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2,430 mg total sodium

2. Chili’s little chicken crispers with homestyle fries and 1 percent chocolate milk.

• 0.9 teaspoons of salt
• 2,110 mg total sodium

3. Chili’s 6-inch cheese pizza with rice and 1 percent chocolate milk

• 2,070 mg total sodium
• 0.9 teaspoons of salt

4. Jack in the Box’s grilled chicken strips (2) with Frank's hot buffalo sauce, fries and 1 percent chocolate milk

• 0.9 teaspoons of salt
• 1,990 mg total sodium

5. KFC’s extra crispy tenders (3) with potato wedges, Sargento light string cheese and a Capri Sun Roarin' Waters Tropical Fruit

• 0.8 teaspoons of salt
• 1,925 mg total sodium

6. Red Lobster’s snow crab legs with wild rice pilaf, a cheddar bay biscuit and a strawberry smoothie

• 0.8 teaspoons of salt
• 1,920 mg total sodium

7. Jack in the Box’s crispy chicken strips (2) with teriyaki dipping sauce, fries and a small Dr Pepper

• 0.8 teaspoons of salt
• 1,815 mg total sodium

All data is from the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s report, “Stalling on Salt.”