The Top 10 Saltiest Meals in America

You can tell yourself that it's just one meal, a splurge after eating healthily for awhile. But your splurge could be giving you four times the maximum amount of sodium recommended in one meal — if you're splurging at Red Lobster, that is. The Center for Science in the Public Interest released a study today, "Heart Attack Entrées with Side Orders of Stroke," that examines the use of sodium in 17 restaurant chains, including Red Lobster, Chili's, Olive Garden, KFC and Denny's. The name of the study sums up the findings pretty well, but in case you still need convincing: Out of the 102 meals the CSPI tested, 85 had more than a day's worth of sodium (2,300 mg for most people), and five had more than four days' worth. Even the Caesar salad at Red Lobster will give you 930 mg of sodium. Here are the Top 10 entrées with their sodium amount in milligrams.

* Red Lobster Admirals' Feast with Caesar Salad, Creamy Lobster Topped Mashed Potato, Cheddar Bay Biscuit, and a Lemonade: 7,106 mg
* Chili's Buffalo Chicken Fajitas (with tortillas and condiments) and a Dr Pepper: 6,916 mg
* Chili's Honey-Chipotle Ribs with Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Seasonal Vegetables, and a Dr Pepper: 6,440 mg
* Olive Garden Tour of Italy (lasagna) with a Breadstick, Garden Fresh Salad with House Dressing, and a Coca-Cola: 6,176 mg
* Olive Garden Chicken Parmigiana with a Breadstick, Garden Fresh Salad with House Dressing, and Raspberry Lemonade: 5,735 mg
* Denny's Double Cheeseburger, Onion Rings, Tomato Juice: 5540 mg
* Denny's Spicy Chicken Buffalo Melt, Rice Pilaf, Milk: 4,806
* KFC Half Chicken Meal, Biscuit, Macaroni & Cheese, Mean Greens, Lipton Brisk Green Peach Tea: 4,770 mg
* Dairy Queen Spicy Chili Bowl, Side Salad with Fat Free Ranch Dressing, Mountain Dew: 4,500
* Arby's Large Beef 'n Cheddar Sandwich, Large Mozzarella Sticks with Marinara Sauce, Dr Pepper: 4,476 mg

If you have high blood pressure, are African American or are middle-aged or older, you should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium a day. The rest of the population should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium. Continuously eating much more than the recommended amounts will increase risk of hypertension, stroke and heart attacks. And according to the CSPI, "For some, particularly the elderly, consuming 4,000 mg or more of sodium in a single meal can present an immediate risk of heart failure or other serious problems."

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