Any ideas on a low salt diet and eating out?

Posted by jmb73 @jmb73, Mar 8 9:40am

I have been researching restaurants and found out that most salt even the salads before serving them. My grandson is a chef at a Disney restaurant and he said that they do salt them. He said he could make the salad or the dinner without salt if the customer told him. Most restaurants brine their chicken. I went to a sports restaurant and ordered a plain baked potato as I couldn 't find anything else that was safe. I told the server to make sure there was no salt on it as they roll it in salt. So she brought it with it rolled in salt!! Then she was going to wash the salt off. I told her to get me a new one. I have found only one restaurant that doesn't do that but all their other foods are presalted like their chicken salad. I always order an omelet but that is all I dare eat. I would love to find a pizza store! Any ideas would be very helpful. I am soon to be 80 and hate this no salt diet!!

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jlharsh | @jlharsh | Mar 11 4:34pm

I look for fresh and steamed menu items and ask for no spices to be added. I also have brought food along, sometimes in obvious ways when I think there will be enough other people joining me as to not cause a problem to not order. I also have narrowed down some packaged food to take along that will supplement if I only find fresh fruit and steamed broccoli for example. That’s It bars are good. The baby food aisle has some packaged options if you can get over that entire idea. 🙂 My suggestion is to assume everything is high sodium. Figure out one huge culprit for you and figure out how to work around it. Peel the onion one layer at a time if you have the luxury of doing so.

Dana, Volunteer Mentor | @danab | Mar 12 1:13am

What I have done is to download an app called My Fitness Pal. Almost every chain restaurant has nutrition guides that can be downloaded and in the search function of that app I can look at the menu and see what the recipes say the content is of things like sodium, fat, etc. I have gotten used to the idea that a few restaurants its impossible to find anything, so I avoid them. But also a lot of restaurants if asked may have a guide or alternate menu for things like Diabetic or low salt. The other thing is when you decide to eat out realize even if you choose the least salt items that one meal my be your entire allotment of salt so plan your day that way and for the other meals try to make them real low so you can enjoy the treat of eating Out. I myself am trying to also stay on a Mediterranean Diet and one of the categories is eating with family and friends. So my take is to do your best and enjoy the experience. We all need to have some Joy in our lives and not feel guilty about it.
I will say I found one French style restaurant that everything is like over 3000 Mgm and it called Mimis Cafe its a chain we have in Arizona, and I could not find anything even moderate sodium. So when the subject comes up that one I suggest we avoid.

mannism | @mannism | Mar 12 6:11am

You ask for No Extra Salt. Eat freshly prepared food. Most chains are using processed food.

dizzyprizzy | @dizzyprizzy | Mar 15 10:45am

The low salt diet is a big adjustment!! It can be done with flavor and fun. Go easy until you win. I get the menu for the restaurant before hand. I call ahead and talk to the manager about my request so I will be able to enjoy a meal with my friends or for a special event or for a "take out" or delivery treat for me. In my experience independently owned spots are more willing to accommodate than chains. Often chains are just heating up frozen entrees that are shipped nationally. That being said, Burger King junior whopper is 340 sodium. Fries can be requested salt free at MacDonalds and BK.