Can I Eat Low Sodium at Ruby Tuesday
Ruby Tuesday might be associated with having healthy food choices as their most touted menu option is their endless salad bar. As we have found out before, just because something is touted as healthy, it does not mean low sodium. So we need to know what we can eat and stay low sodium at Ruby Tuesday. You might be surprised, but it is not the salad bar.
The Endless Salad Bar
Salad bars are a quandary for those of us on a low sodium diet. Even worse for those of us who are transplant recipients. Because of the high volume and opportunity in a salad bar setting (or a buffet) for bacteria, it is too risky for me to eat salad items I haven’t washed myself at home. Salad bars are also extremely challenging for those of us that need to watch portions. We eat more, thinking it is OK, because it is healthy. That is so wrong.
Don’t get me started on dressings. All dressings besides oil and vinegar in a restaurant is way too high. The best option is to find or make your own low sodium dressings and bring them with you. You could make my Low Sodium Ranch Dressing or my Creamy Dill Pickle Vinaigrette for a flavorful choice.
So What Can We Eat and Stay Low Sodium at Ruby Tuesday?
Let’s clarify what we are looking for when we talk about making a meal. We want one entree, side, and beverage. It should equate to 1/3 of our daily sodium allotment. We don’t want to have to resort to ordering something strictly from the kids menu either. You should be able to eat with dignity and not feel denied or shamed.
The FDA recommends 2300 mg of sodium for a person with a healthy heart and no high blood pressure. The American Heart Association (AHA) and the Mayo Clinic recommend only 1500 mg for anyone with a heart issue or high blood pressure. I personally am allowed 1500 mg per day. We used the nutrition information provided by the Ruby Tuesday website.
Lets get to it:
Entrees:
Hickory Bourbon Salmon is 432 mg
Half Rack of Baby Back Ribs – Classic BBQ is 414 mg
Salad:
Fresh Garden Salad – No Dressing is 351 mg
Balsamic Vinegar is 4 mg
Side:
Fresh Baked Potato is 18 mg
Seasoned Steamed Broccoli is 77 mg
Fresh Green Beans is 210 mg
Fresh Grilled Zucchini is 260 mg
Overall the options are limited, but there are choices you can make and easily put together a meal you can eat and still stay low sodium at Ruby Tuesday. Let me know what you find to eat, and what restaurants I still need to visit and create a guide for.
Be sure to ask them to hold the salt, the last time I ordered steamed broccoli it came heavily salted. Sent it back and got it without the salt.
Great advice!
You can also ask for oil for dressing. If you choose carefully at the salad bar, you can get a great salad for less than 350. Iceberg lettuce, peppers, carrots, onions,mushrooms,a little broccoli and cauliflower make a great salad. Ask for a small bowl and mix the oil and vinegar with Mrs. Dash brought from home.
We have the petite sirloin with no seasoning and no butter, and baked potato, butter only.
I noticed the Fresh Grilled Zucchini is 260 mg. My guess is the sodium count is due to what they brush on the zucchini. At Logans their grilled veggie skewer is listed at 1000 mg. The waitress said it was because they brushed it with an Italian dressing. I had them brush it with oil and only use pepper. That is something to keep in mind for grilled veggies.
Thanks for the tip!