Which Takeout Meals Pack the Most Salt? A New Study Has the Answer
- Nearly half of the takeout meals analyzed by researchers at the University of Reading contained more salt than advertised, with curries, pasta dishes, and pizzas most likely to exceed their stated salt content.
- Some takeout meals exceeded the recommended daily salt intake in a single serving. One pasta dish contained 11.2 grams of salt, while meat pizzas had the highest salt content by weight.
- Researchers say menu salt labels should be viewed as rough guides because variations in ingredients, preparation, and portion sizes make it difficult for restaurants to provide exact values.
A dash of salt can do a world of good for a meal, bringing out flavors and textures that might otherwise go unnoticed with each bite. But you can always have too much of a good thing, and according to new research out of the United Kingdom, that’s likely true for many takeout meals.
In July, researchers from the University of Reading shared findings from their work analyzing the salt content of some of the UK’s most popular takeout meals. And they had way more salt than advertised.
According to the team, which published its findings in the journal PLOS ONE, nearly half (47%) of the takeout foods it tested contained more salt than advertised. Curries, pasta dishes, and pizzas were particularly problematic and were the foods most likely to have higher salt levels than the restaurant stated.
“Food companies have been reducing salt levels in shop-bought foods in recent years, but our research shows that eating out is often a salty affair,” said Gunter Kuhnle, a senior author on the study and a professor at the University of Reading, in a statement. “Menu labels are supposed to help people make better food choices, but almost half the foods we tested with salt labels contained more salt than declared. The public needs to be aware that menu labels are rough guides at best, not accurate measures.”
The researchers also noted that not every restaurant lists its salt content on the menu. However, they found that some meals contained more than 10 grams of salt in a single serving. They added that in the UK, the recommended daily salt intake for an adult is 6 grams, which is about the same as in the U.S.
However, as Kuhnle added, it’s pretty difficult for restaurants to adhere to the exact nutrition labels they advertise when preparing food to order.
“We conducted this research because we suspected that many menu labels were inaccurate on salt. It is very difficult for restaurants to provide accurate values without measuring each meal,” Kuhnle said. “Variations in preparation methods, ingredients used, and portion sizes mean food labels are often guesswork. It’s virtually impossible to know exactly how much salt is being added to your dinner.”
Though the team says they did find one bright spot in traditional fish-and-chip shops, which they found served some of the lowest-salt meals, they noted that this is likely because salt is added after the meal is cooked and usually only at the guest's request.
After buying 39 takeout meals from places like McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, Chicky, Subway, Domino’s, and Wagamama, they found that meat pizzas had the highest salt content at 1.6 grams per 100 grams. However, pasta dishes contained the most salt per serving, averaging 7.2 grams, meaning that this single meal exceeds the recommended daily intake. They even found one pasta dish containing a whopping 11.2 grams of salt.
As for why any of this matters, the researchers pointed to information from the World Health Organization, which estimates that excessive salt intake contributes to 1.7 million deaths worldwide each year. So maybe just order those fish and chips tonight.
How much sodium is too much?
The FDA says the Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams per day. The University of Reading study measured salt, not sodium, and compared its findings with the UK's recommendation that adults consume no more than 6 grams of salt per day. Researchers found pasta dishes averaged 7.2 grams of salt per serving, while one pasta dish contained 11.2 grams — meaning some single takeout meals exceeded the U.K.'s recommended daily limit.
Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist with nearly two decades of newsroom experience. She is also the co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists.