Strategic Sodium Reduction Initiative Reduces Sodium in Meals Served at Older Adult Congregate Meal Program Sites

• Published in: Journal of nutrition in gerontology and geriatrics p. 1
• Main Authors: Ullevig, Sarah L, Spitsen, Ellen, Heine, Anne C, Balarin, Ashton, Uc, Eliani, Shields, Kathleen, Sosa, Erica T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 03.04.2022
• Subjects: older adults; congregate meals; Sodium; strategies
• ISSN: 2155-1200
• DOI: 10.1080/21551197.2021.2015508

Excessive sodium consumption is a public health issue and congregate meal programs provide a unique opportunity to reduce sodium served to a large, at-risk population. A Sodium Reduction Initiative (SRI) was implemented in a congregate meal program that serves over 3,000 older adults. Nutrient analyses conducted at baseline and post-intervention were used to calculate average sodium reduction and the number of low sodium foods; targeted foods were categorized by strategy. Customer satisfaction surveys were collected at baseline and 3- and 6-months post-intervention. Kruskal Wallis and analysis of variance were used to compare sodium reduction differences. Chi-square analysis determined associations among strategies. The SRI impacted 55 foods, low sodium foods increased by 22%, and the average sodium per menu cycle was reduced by 21%. Replacement with a lower sodium food was the most frequently used strategy and had the largest sodium reduction. Sauces and main entrees were most frequently impacted, and thirteen ingredients accounted for 75% of all reduced-sodium foods. Over 50% of the 1,424 survey respondents consumed the reduced-sodium foods and food satisfaction remained stable from baseline to post-intervention. Congregate meals programs that target commonly used foods and key ingredients can significantly reduce sodium served to older adults.