15 Popular Frozen Meals With More Sodium Than a Large Bag of Pretzels

It's no surprise that some of the most popular frozen meals at the grocery store are loaded with sodium, as this mineral can help enhance flavor and texture and is used as a preservative to keep some of the freshness in these foods. And sadly, some of our faves are so high in sodium that they even have more than an entire bag of pretzels! Yep, every single meal that we've listed in this article has more than the 1,225 milligrams of sodium found in a large bag of Rold Gold Original Thins.

But why do these high sodium counts matter so much? Eating too much sodium on a consistent basis can lead to an increased risk of things like heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. So even though your body needs small amounts of sodium to balance body fluids and muscle health, consuming it in excess can be harmful. Because of this, the FDA recommends a daily limit for adults of no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.

The following high-sodium frozen meals have more sodium than a bag of pretzels, with a few having almost an entire day's worth in one serving! Read on to see which meals made the list, and for more, check out the 25 Saltiest Fast-Food Orders in America.

Marie Callender's Meatloaf and Country Fried Chicken

It's best to run for the hills when you see a frozen "duo" of country-fried chicken and meatloaf in one package. This meal from Marie Callender's doesn't seem all that bad when you take a quick look at its calorie count, but the terrifying 2,370 milligrams of sodium is enough to keep walking when you see this one in the freezer aisle.

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Hungry Man XL Buffalo-Style Chicken Mac N' Cheese

With "XL" in the name, you can guarantee this Hungry Man meal is going to be on the unhealthier side. While it only has 470 calories and 5 grams of saturated fat (the daily limit of saturated fat is 13 grams, according to the American Heart Association), it dishes out over 2,000 milligrams of sodium, which is way too much to consume in one meal.

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Banquet Nashville Hot Fried Chicken Mega Bowl

This Banquet Nashville Hot Fried Chicken Bowl may closely mimic your favorite spicy fried chicken sandwich, but not without going overboard on the salt. With 1,380 milligrams of sodium, you're more than halfway through your daily limit in just one meal.

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Digiorno Personal Size Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza

A personal pan pizza may sound like a promising idea—portion control, right? Unfortunately, this single-size pie is high in calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium, making it a pizza you'll want to leave behind. Plus, it contains one gram of trans fat, which has been linked to heart disease.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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Hungry Man XL Nashville Style Hot Chicken Cutlette's Bowls

This Hungry Man XL meal is another Nashville hot-style bowl. And just like the one from Banquet, this meal is unfortunately overflowing with sodium. With 1,770 milligrams per bowl, this one isn't worth it for those watching their salt intake.

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TGI Fridays Buffalo Style Chicken Wings

You may think you're making the healthier choice by choosing these frozen chicken wings over something you'd actually get from TGI Fridays, but this isn't the case. Sure, your calorie count is on the lower end, and you're still getting 14 grams of protein, but the 1,280 milligrams of sodium per serving is more than half of your recommended daily limit.

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Marie Callender's Cheesy Bacon Chicken

The Cheesy Bacon Chicken Dinner from Marie Callender's is certainly a comforting choice at the end of a long day, but with 1,240 milligrams of sodium, those watching their salt levels may want to leave this one behind.

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Jimmy Dean Meat Lover's Biscuits & Gravy

A biscuits and gravy meal you can make in just a few minutes? Yeah, we know just how enticing that sounds. But with over 1,200 milligrams of sodium in one serving, this one from Jimmy Dean isn't worth it for those wanting to lower their sodium. For healthier store-bought biscuits, try these Buttermilk Biscuits from Cappello's, which have only 370 milligrams of sodium per biscuit.

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Hungry Man Grilled Beef Steakettes

The good thing about these two beef steakettes, mashed potatoes, and veggies is the 24 grams of protein, but the rest of the nutrition label is less promising. With 14 grams of saturated fat and over 1,500 milligrams of sodium, this Hungry Man meal should stay in the grocery store freezer.

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Banquet Mega Meats Original Crispy Chicken with Homestyle Mashed Potatoes

This Banquet Mega Meats meal made with two pieces of fried chicken and mashed potatoes will send your sodium levels overboard with 1,540 milligrams. If you want healthier fried chicken and have a few extra minutes to spare, try our super simple recipe for air-fried chicken wings or chicken thighs.

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Digiorno Personal Size Sausage & Gravy Breakfast Croissant Pizza

Even though this personal pan pizza from DiGiorno sounds and looks delicious, from a nutritional standpoint, it doesn't have a lot going for it—even with 27 grams of protein. The sausage and gravy toppings add sodium and saturated fat, the "personal" size is still quite large for a single sitting but is marketed as one meal, and the croissant crust packs in more sodium and trans fat. We know this one sounds tasty, but if you're watching your sodium levels or fat intake, you're better off trying one of these healthier frozen pizzas instead.

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Stouffer's Bowl-FULLS Fried Chicken & Mashed Potatoes

Another meal full of fried chicken and mashed potatoes to make the list, this Stouffer's meal is loaded with sodium and should be left on the shelf if you're trying to watch your salt levels. If you want some better-for-you chicken options, here are a few healthier frozen chicken nugget brands.

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Benihana The Japanese Steakhouse Frozen Yakisoba Chicken

You can bring Benihana to your own kitchen with this frozen Yakisoba Chicken, but you're looking at a meal with over 1,230 milligrams of sodium. Even though this frozen meal has slightly less salt than what you'd get in the restaurant, it's still going to dish out more than half of your daily limit.

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Hungry Man Beer-Battered Chicken

With 73% of your daily sodium requirement, this Beer-Battered Chicken from Hungry Man is one of the higher-sodium meals on our list. If you haven't noticed by now, it's safe to say that Hungry Man meals are best left behind for those being careful with their salt intake.

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Marie Callender's Country Fried Pork & Gravy

Another high-sodium Marie Callender's meal (and there are plenty more…), the Country-Fried Pork & Gravy meal has 1,300 milligrams. On top of that, the 9 grams of saturated fat is a bit high when looking at the recommended daily limit of 13 grams.