Chipotle Mexican Grill

[eljo]

Why does their lime-rice need 800 mg of sodium per cup?

Trying to put this in a non-metric context I can understand (I'm trying, I'm trying) what is the approximate equivalent in teaspoons of 800 mg of salt?

About 1/3 of a teaspoon.

Thanks. That seems like rather a lot for a cup of rice, but I think cooked rice is about three times the volume of uncooked. So, adding one teaspoon to a cup of uncooked rice is not at all excessive - in fact a little light I would think. I prefer my food well-seasoned but not salty tasting (except for salty snacks and frites, etc).

[JennyUptown]

Why does their lime-rice need 800 mg of sodium per cup?

Trying to put this in a non-metric context I can understand (I'm trying, I'm trying) what is the approximate equivalent in teaspoons of 800 mg of salt?

About 1/3 of a teaspoon.

I could be wrong, but I don't think it's accurate to equate an amount (e.g., a tablespoon) of actual salt with the sodium measure in food.

And remember, I did say "I could be wrong."

Are there any Cornell Food Science majors out there??

Edited May 14, 2004 by JennyUptown (log)

[Lyle]

Why does their lime-rice need 800 mg of sodium per cup?

Trying to put this in a non-metric context I can understand (I'm trying, I'm trying) what is the approximate equivalent in teaspoons of 800 mg of salt?

About 1/3 of a teaspoon.

I could be wrong, but I don't think it's accurate to equate an amount (e.g., a tablespoon) of actual salt with the sodium measure in food.

And remember, I did say "I could be wrong."

Are there any Cornell Food Science majors out there??

Looking at the back of several boxes of salt, it seems that 1/4 tsp (1.5g) of table and most of my sea salt tend to yield 590mg of sodium.

The only major difference is my box of Morton Kosher, which for the same volume yields 480mg of sodium.

Edit: But that same volume of Morton Kosher has less mass, only 1.2g, explaining the difference. (When are we (U.S.) finally gonna go metric )

Edited May 14, 2004 by Lyle (log)

[sladeums]

Yes I should have been more specific.

I referenced the sodium equivalents posted on the AHA's website that states 2400 mg sodium = 1 teaspoon table salt (sodium chloride), so 800 mg sodium = 1/3 teaspoon table salt (sodium chloride).

click here for American Heart Association Sodium Recommendations

edit: forgot a 'sodium'

Edited May 14, 2004 by sladeums (log)

[Al_Dente]

I checked out the new Chipotle in Silver Spring for lunch. Place was swamped with people, but the line moved fast. I gotta hand it to those folks behind the counter, they are intense.

Did you know that Chipotle serves French food? Says so right on the back of my soda cup:

"While it takes just a flash of skilled hands to turn your carnitas or barbacoa into a finished meal, the great taste comes from one of the slowest cooking methods used anywhere-- braising. Braising is something a French chef would do... Viva la difference, a bit of French cooking in a humble burrito joint"

I hear they also dice their onions the same way a French chef would. Sheesh.

Slick marketing aside, damn, I still love them carnitas.

[JennyUptown]

I still go, but my usual Chipotle has an insect problem. These little fruit fly-type bugs congregate on the wall near where you line-up. They don't seem to be doing anything about it which has skeeved me out enough to contemplate frequenting other burrito joints instead.

But I haven't made a move yet.

[tejon]

Most of the articles that I found through Medline and national medical bodies on both sides of the Atlantic say that excess sodium leads to high blood pressure.

I can address this. The problem is that there *are* people who are sensitive to sodium in foods, and for them it will raise blood pressure levels. This applies to about one in every twelve people. Therein lies the rub. How to distinguish those who must lower their dietary sodium from those who can consume salt with abandon? More importantly, how to make sure the public knows that some people should be careful with salt in foods? If we were all warned, "sodium in foods may lead to increased blood pressure in some people", who would heed that warning? Most people would assume it didn't apply to them and carry on eating whatever they liked. So in the interest of protecting the health of those who need to be careful, a blanket warning is used. This information also comes from a doctor, who told me it's pretty well known that the warning doesn't apply to most people.

I'm also in the opposite camp - my blood pressure runs very low so I actually need a good amout of sodium in the foods I eat. It's important in general to know how your body reacts to the things you ingest, and plan accordingly.