20 Saltiest Restaurant Meals and Packaged Foods

The U.S. is one salty nation: That's salty as in sodium, not salty as in sailor obscenities.

Americans consume vast amounts of sodium in our foods, leading to more than 100,000 preventable deaths annually from heart disease, stroke and other health problems.

A majority of this sodium intake comes from packaged and restaurant foods, which is why legislators and public health groups are praising a long-awaited report from the National Academies' Institute of Medicine calling for urgent government action to reduce salt in these products. The goal of the IOM's recommended strategies is to reduce the sodium content in our food supply in such a way consumers will barely notice the change.

Asking packaged-food manufacturers and restaurants to reduce their sodium addiction, however, may be more difficult than weaning a smoker from cigarettes. Fed by both industries, America's addiction to salt has exploded. Just take a look at the top 20 sodium pushers in both industries.

10 Saltiest Restaurant Meals

1. Chili’s
Jalapeno Smokehouse Burger w/ Jalapeno Ranch (6,460 mg)
Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy (1,050)
Seasonal Vegetables (490)
Total sodium: 7,770 mg

2. Chili’s
Buffalo Chicken Fajitas w/ Tortillas & Condiments (6,290)
Bowl Black Bean Soup (1480)
Total sodium: 6,950 mg

3. Denny’s
Meat Lover’s Scramble (3,180)
Hash browns with Onion, Cheese and Gravy (3,820), Small Milk (100)
Total sodium: 6,165 mg

4. Red Lobster
Admiral’s Feast (4,400)
Caesar Salad w/ Caesar Dressing (1,120)
Creamy Langostino Lobster with Mashed Potato (1,110)
Cheddar Bay Biscuit (350)
Light Lemonade (55)
Total sodium: 5,925 mg

5. Olive Garden
Tour of Italy (lasagna) (3,830)
Breadstick (with garlic-butter spread) (400)
Garden Fresh Salad w/ House Dressing (1,930)
Coca Cola (5)
Total sodium: 5,725 mg

6. Olive Garden
Chicken Parmigiana (3,380)
Breadstick (with garlic-butter spread) (400)
Garden Fresh Salad w/ Dressing (1,930)
Raspberry Lemonade (15)
Total sodium: 5,320 mg

7. Denny’s
Spicy Buffalo Chicken Melt (3,820)
Vegetable Rice Pilaf (820)
Small Tomato Juice (680)
Total sodium: 5,090 mg

8. Dairy Queen
Spicy Chili Bowl (3,900)
Large French Fries (1,040),
Large Mountain Dew (150)
Total sodium: 4,625 mg

9. Arby’s
Large Beef ‘n Cheddar Sandwich (2,200)
Large Mozzarella Sticks w/ Marinara Sauce (2,380)
Dr. Pepper (Small Cup) (45)
Total sodium: 3,280 mg

10. KFC
Large Popcorn Chicken (1600)
Biscuit (530)
Macaroni & Cheese (880)
Jalapeno Peppers (480)
Large Lipton Green with Peach Tea (280)
Total sodium: 2,760 mg

10 Saltiest Packaged Foods

1. Hungry-Man
Grilled Bourbon Steak Strips in sauce with rice and green beans (one prepared meal)
Total sodium: 1,990 mg

2. Boston Market
Meat Loaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (one prepared meal)
Total sodium: 1,680 mg

3. Maruchan
Instant Lunch Chicken Vegetable Soup (recommended serving = 64g)
Total sodium: 1,420 mg

4. Celeste
Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza for One (one pizza)
Total sodium: 1,230 mg

5. Rold Gold
Pretzel Rods, (recommended serving six pretzels)
Total sodium: 1,220 mg

6. Hormel
Chili with Beans (recommended serving one cup)
Total sodium: 1,200 mg

7. Jimmy Dean
Breakfast Bowl with sausage, egg, potatoes and cheddar cheese (one prepared meal)
Total sodium: 1,090 mg

8. Hebrew National
Quarter Pound Franks (one frank)
Total sodium: 1,070 mg

9. Oscar Mayer
Lunchables Lean Ham and Cheddar Cracker Stackers (one prepared meal)
Total sodium: 1,060 mg

10. Kraft Easy Mac
Microwavable Macaroni and Cheese Dinner (one prepared meal)
Total sodium: 1,050 mg