As George Carlin would say about salt: "It's bad for ya...."

Other than the travel, the wait time, the occasional lousy service and paying the bill, one of the more unsettling inconveniences about eating out is eating salt.
There's too much of it, and as the late George Carlin would say, "It's bad for ya."
The Center For Science In The Public Interest awarded Red Lobster a dubious first place for "Saltiest Meal in America." After you have consumed the Admiral's Feast, the Caesar salad, that creamy lobster-topped mashed potato, your cheddar biscuit and that cold glass of lemonade, the sodium count climbs to 7,106 mg.
Brag to your shrink over that binge and he may put you on suicide watch.
Red Lobster is only the worst offender by a pinch. A Chili's plate of buffalo chicken fajitas follows a close second, and there are plenty of other restaurant chains that go extreme on the salt shake.
Children's menus - no surprise here - load up on the stuff. A Burger King chicken tenders entree with buffalo sauce, fries and a milk comes with 1,835 mg. Maybe Burger King's new Star Trek movie tie-in should be, "I'm giving the bird all the sodium chloride she can take, captain!"
Back to Earth, the single best way to avoid high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes is cutting salt intake. It does not do your kidneys any favors, either. But many casual dining and fast-food meals have well over a day's worth of the recommended limits.
High-risk individuals - those with hypertension, adults beyond their mid-40s and African Americans should consume less than 1,500 mg a day.
Other adults should limit intake to 2,300 mg a day. In case you need the visual cue, you are looking at one teaspoon.
Children eight and under hit their max at 1,200 mg a day, and youngsters nine to 18 need to learn to say "Whoa!" right around 1,500 mg. See there? Math class did come in handy.
Back to Reality, most of us swallow twice or more the recommended levels. Then there are those special occasions when we go to Red Lobster or Chili's, or Olive Garden - want 3,380 mg with the chicken parmigiana?
You got it!
What to do? Be inquisitive. Ask the restaurant staff questions about the food. More salt is used with frozen foods, for example, because it takes more to bring the flavor out.
It's safer if you have high blood pressure to choose kitchens that prefer fresh ingredients.
And keep in mind that more eateries are sensitive to consumer concerns. The Subway Veggie Delite with apple slices and a Coke adds up to 500 mg. Imagine that? You could actually have a second meal that day and possibly stay under your sodium ceiling.
It never hurts to request of the cook special instructions.
A cue to chefs that cook sensibly is dishes laden with alternative spices and herbs.
The variety of spices that flavor a dish with little or no salt is considerable. Diabetes America offers plenty of suggestions on what spices go well with meats and veggies, and the list provides an excellent guideline to go by when discussing food preparation with the wait staff.
So, how about passing on the salt and putting dill and paprika on your fish fillet?

(Note:  Restaurant managers who would like for FoodPro Restaurant Consulting to consult on low sodium diets and other ways to make your food fresher while saving money, please contact us.)