Survey Shows Salads Have More Salt Than Burgers - Salad Benefits

People always think that its nutritional value is high. Having said that, don't assume that salad is a completely healthy food. According to British reports, some salads contain even more salt than burgers. Hidden salt in salads could lead to people unintentionally consuming almost the equivalent of a day's worth of salt, a new study suggests.

Survey Shows Salads Have More Salt Than Burgers - Salad Benefits

Survey shows salads contain more salt than burgers

When it comes to salads, people always think that they have higher nutritional value. Having said that, don't assume that salad is a completely healthy food. According to British reports, some salads contain even more salt than burgers. Hidden salt in salads could lead to people unintentionally consuming almost the equivalent of a day's worth of salt, a new study suggests.

The study was initiated by the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), which surveyed a total of 650 types of salads in supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, and fast food stores. Surprisingly, more than three-quarters of salads contain more salt than salty potato chips. For example, McDonald's Crispy Chicken and Bacon Salad has higher salt, fat, and calorie content than the Cucumber Burger with Tomato Sauce. The data shows that compared to the salad, which contains 1.3 grams of salt, 19 grams of fat, and 380 calories, the burger contains only 1.2 grams of salt, 8 grams of fat, and 250 calories.

Among all the restaurants surveyed, the extra-large chicken Caesar salad served by Pizza Mano had the highest salt content at 5.3 grams, which is equivalent to the salt content of two and a half McDonald's Big Macs combined. This is also well above the maximum daily intake for children. For children, the maximum daily salt intake ranges from 2 to 6 grams depending on age.

Nutritionists from CASH said that when it comes to salad, people always imagine a big bowl of healthy fresh vegetables and fruits, but this is not the case. Even though salads are packed with nutrients, food manufacturers continue to add unnecessary salt.

However, in response to the study, a McDonald's spokesperson stressed that the Crispy Chicken Bacon Salad contained only a quarter of the daily salt requirement, which is within the reasonable recommended range. Pizza Marno says it also offers low-salt salads, but only two of the eight salads on the menu contain higher levels of salt.