Low Sodium Fast Food Options at Your Favorite Chain Restaurants

If you’re watching your sodium intake, fast food might seem impossible.

After all, how can you get a quick, cheap meal without risking your health?

Fast food isn’t exactly known for its low sodium content. But don’t ditch those fast food restaurants just yet.

With some research and strategic ordering techniques, you can enjoy fast food while keeping your sodium intake to a minimum.

Check out this list of the low sodium fast food options at some of the most popular chain restaurants to see if they will work for you.

Burger King

As far as quick-service restaurants go, Burger King has one of the lowest sodium counts, coming in at just 1,040 mg daily.

This is especially impressive considering that most menu items have less than 1000 mg sodium per serving! If you’re looking for a good option that won’t throw your diet off, try the TENDERCRISP® Chicken Sandwich or the Original Chicken Sandwich.

Pair either of these with a side salad, and you’re good to go.

Remember that BK has a few menu items that are best avoided if you’re watching your sodium intake.

The Crispy Chicken Sandwich, for example, has a whopping 1,920 mg sodium per serving.

The Bacon Cheddar Stuffed Burger is also off-limits for those on a low sodium diet, coming in at 1,980 mg per serving.

Chick-fil-A

While Chick-fil-A’s menu isn’t as easy to navigate as some other fast food chains, this restaurant offers a wide variety of low sodium options.

Anything that isn’t breaded is a good choice if you’re watching your sodium intake.

Chicken items are the apparent low sodium standouts on the menu, but don’t overlook the sides.

The Waffle Potato Chips, for example, contain just 110 mg of sodium per serving.

The Cravings sides are also lower in sodium but aren’t as healthy.

If you’re trying to limit your sodium intake, you’re better off with the standard fries or coleslaw.

Domino’s Pizza

Everyone loves pizza, so it’s no surprise that Domino’s has a low sodium menu.

Generally, it would be best if you avoided the breaded options, such as Stuffed Crust Pizzas.

The crusts are relatively low in sodium, but the toppings are incredibly high.

If you’re looking for a better option, try one of the Specialty Pizzas.

The Hawaiian Specialty Pizza and the California Specialty Pizza are under 600 mg per slice.

The other Specialty Pizzas come in between 600 and 1,000 mg per slice.

Keep in mind that there are some menu items that you should avoid entirely if you’re on a low sodium diet.

The Pepperoni Pizza, for example, have more than 2,000 mg of sodium per slice.

El Chico Mexican Restaurant

El Chico offers a unique twist on Mexican cuisine, with all dishes served in a skillet.

This makes it easier to cook at home and eat out simultaneously.

Every El Chico dish uses fresh ingredients, healthy cooking methods, and less than 600 mg of sodium per serving.

This includes the El Chico Special Skillets, El Chico Ultimate Fajitas, and El Chico Bowls.

If you are looking for something light, El Chico also offers a variety of salads.

El Chico’s Margarita Bowl and Ultimate Margarita Bowl contain 1,170 and 1,300 mg of sodium, respectively.

The Ultimate Fajitas and El Chico Special Skillets are the healthier options at El Chico, coming in at just 570 and 430 mg of sodium, respectively.

Fresh & Co.

This plant-based restaurant has a wide variety of low sodium options, including salads, grain bowls, smoothies, and wraps.

The salads, at just 36 mg of sodium per serving, are the best choices, but they’re also the hardest to navigate.

You’ll have to choose between the Mediterranean, Asian, and Southwestern Salads, without knowing which ingredients are inside each.

The Asian Salad, for example, has snap peas, green beans, edamame, and cashews, while the Southwestern Salad has black beans, green chile, and corn.

The grain bowls and wraps are slightly easier to navigate, as you can choose between 6 different options.

The Mediterranean Wrap has just 122 mg of sodium per serving, making it the healthiest choice on the menu.

The Asian Wrap and Southwest Wrap have 189 mg of sodium per serving, and the Black Bean Wrap has 188 mg of sodium per serving.

Taco Bell

Whether you’re in the mood for Mexican or American cuisine, Taco Bell has something for everyone.

For example, if you’re craving a classic American dish, try an order of Mexican Pizza or a Crunchwrap.

Mexican Pizza: This dish has 1,440 mg of sodium per serving.

Crunchwrap: This dish has 1,020 mg of sodium per serving.

If Mexican food is what you’ve got a hankering for, the Crunchy Burrito is the best low sodium option at Taco Bell.

Crunchy Burrito: This dish has 530 mg of sodium per serving.

Wendy’s

Wendy’s is another fast food chain that offers a wide variety of low sodium menu items.

If you’re craving something sweet, try a Frosty or an Ice Cream Freeze.

The Frosty has just 60 mg of sodium per serving, and the Ice Cream Freeze has 110 mg.

If you’re looking for a savory option, try the Crispy Chicken Sandwich or the Spicy Chicken Sandwich.

The Crispy Chicken Sandwich has 580 mg of sodium per serving, while the Spicy Chicken Sandwich has 680 mg.

Conclusion

While fast food might not be the healthiest option, it’s not as bad as some people like it.

With the right ordering strategy, you can enjoy a low sodium fast food meal now and then without risking your health.

Remember to choose items that are as plain as possible, avoid extra toppings when possible, and order a side salad instead of fries.

A few changes to your ordering style can significantly affect your sodium intake.